Madden NFL 2004

"Yet another football game"

This is the latest installment in the Madden NFL series and probably the best. Although with each installment, the series never seems to get too boring and this game is no exception. With new features and modes this one will be sure to keep you busy for a while.

Game Play - This game is nice and smooth. No complaints about the controls, the camera is suitable and there are enough game play modes to keep you playing for a long time.

The controls are pretty much the same, if your offense, you play as the QB and you press the X button to snap the ball. Depending on the type of play, the QB will either hand off the ball to someone which you automatically take over as soon as he has the ball or a set number of recievers will run out and you press the corresponding button to throw the ball to them. Nice and simple controls. If your playing defense then you will start as a defensive lineman after which you can switch players on the fly with a simple press of the X button. Once again, controls with very little learning curve.

My biggest complaint about the game play was the AI. Now I'm not the biggest sports game fanatic but I know enough about them to tell when the AI needs some serious refining. To give an example of how screwed the AI is, think about this: My friends and I were playing a couple of days ago late at night when my friend got tired and set down his controller and decided to stop playing. We kept going without him while the guy he was supposed to be controlling was taken over by the computer automatically. His guy catches the pass I throw effortlessly and runs for an eighty yard touchdown while spinning and jukeing without ever being touched. My other friend and I decided to test this also. We did the same thing, we didn't touch the controllers. After the ball was snapped the QB threw the ball without any problems while the receivers were wide open. They caught the ball no problem every time and started scoring mad touchdowns. This may sound great but it really takes away the challenge of the game.

Overall - Solid controls and camera, fun modes, whack AI.

Graphics - I'm sure you guessed the graphics are great. They seem to get better every year. The team logos are recreated on the helmets and jerseys with incredible detail. The facial expressions are nice, the stadiums look incredible and so do the people standing around at the side lines.The players will even knock up grass from the field to reveal dirt.

The only down side to the graphics is the audience. That doesn't really affect the game play in any way but the audience looks horrible. The fans are tiny cut-outs that are copied over and over and over until the stadium is filled up. Not a big problem though because you never really pay attention to the audience while your trying to play a game of football.

Overall - Incredible amounts of detail with a very bland audience.

Sound/Music - This game sounds great. Players yell and groan and moan while the audience chants. The commentary never really gets annoying which is always a plus. The music is a mix of rap and rock all from real bands and rappers. No complaints whatsoever here.

Overall - Nice player and audience sounds with a great soundtrack.

Replay Value - There is a ton of it here. With modes ranging from the traditional franchise to the new online play, this game may never get boring. I personally found the mini-camp mode very entertaining. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to try every mode but I can guarantee that there are enough of them to get you hooked.

Overall - Does this game ever end?

Buy or Rent? - Well this is one game that I suggest you buy. Especially if you have gone online with your PS2. This game is definitely worth the $50.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/19/03