![]() The game is the first in the series to use EA's Frostbite engine, and as a result certain moments look nearly photorealistic. It's a welcome addition that gives players more options if they're not interested in the solo competitive MUT modes. In the mode, one person plays as the offensive captain, one plays as the defensive captain, and one plays as the coach. Madden 18's MUT Squads finally reintroduces it. Since Madden 25 launched in 2013, the series has conspicuously lacked any online cooperative team play. Although these challenges are generally not much more than normal Madden scenarios with Longshot player models, they're still entertaining enough to be worth playing.īut the main draw of MUT is multiplayer-and this year, you can team up with friends to take on others. In Madden 18, you'll get player cards representing Devin Wade, Colt Cruise, and other characters from Longshot, and forming a Longshot-focused MUT team will let you participate in around 30 challenges. MUT tasks you with building a fantasy team from player cards (and yes, you can still buy packs of more powerful cards for real money). Madden Ultimate Team is undoubtedly Madden's deepest mode, which has received a suite of updates to make it even more appealing to players. Further, when you've finished Longshot, you can dive into Madden Ultimate Team to play through some of Devin Wade's most memorable football scenarios. In spite of its issues, this first attempt at a story mode creates an excellent foundation for future iterations. Longshot's numerous flashbacks to Wade's time in high school and college show a relatable and deeply troubled character the commentators for Wade's high school games banter about the players that they, of course, know personally and Wade, Cruise, and the whole state championship-winning team are treated as heroes in their town for years afterwards. It soars when its characters speak honestly about their love of the sport, and it nails the sense that football offers something bigger-a connection to a community, and a way to achieve greatness. Longshot is saved, however, by the quiet moments of introspection and camaraderie. Wade and Cruise don't need extra drama to make them care about the sport, so why does the story give us a reality show, as if to suggest that the stakes aren't high enough already? These story sequences and their associated mini-games and challenges don't fit well with the core narrative of two small-town football players trying to break into the NFL. He was thrust into an absurd situation that was built to manufacture drama, so it makes sense that he would be upset. The executive producer hits every trope of an over-the-top, ratings-obsessed showrunner, and Wade grows disillusioned with the entire process. During these sequences and the challenges it presents him with, Wade evokes annoyance, confusion, and anger at the gaminess of the reality show. ![]() Wade's journey from obscurity to superstardom unfortunately doesn't take place entirely in intimate, personal story beats a la Friday Night Lights, but rather in the spotlights of a ridiculously excessive reality show. ![]() You navigate through Wade's attempt to return to football, traveling to the NFL Combine in order to impress scouts.įor every moment that conveys Wade's commitment, his inner demons, and his friendship with Cruise, there are corresponding moments of absurd spectacle. For instance, main character Devin Wade, the star football player from his small Texas town, quit his college team after a family tragedy. For the first time in Madden, Longshot actually references how much so many people invest in the sport, and how high the stakes are for them. Of course, that's not how football is treated in the real world, so to see that change in Madden is intriguing in theory, and gratifying in practice. Madden has rarely tackled the personal side of football, choosing instead to present it as a chess-like competition: you are the coach and master, the players are your instruments to score. And due in large part to the Longshot story, it is a marked improvement over the last several entries in the series. Madden NFL 18, however, is highlighted by one of the most significant additions in series history-a full story mode-and a new, much more graphically capable engine. Fans think they know what to expect each year: a handful of small but meaningful mechanical tweaks, roster updates, and slight graphical bumps. After almost 30 years, the Madden NFL series is rarely surprising. ![]()
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