With the announcement of Tom Brady as the Madden 18 cover athlete, it signals to fans the release date is around the corner. Madden 18’s release date is August 25 with several options to get the game sooner.
According to EA Sports, the G.O.A.T. Edition will be released on August 22 which will include five G.O.A.T. players of your choice to use in Ultimate Team mode.
EA Access members can play the game on August 17 but only up to 10 hours. One of the things we learned in the 1:02 trailer is the introduction of a story mode.
The trailer starts out with clips then text that reads, “Madden like you’ve never seen it.”
The clip shows a young man in what appears to be a bedroom. “My father used to say ‘When the world knocks you down get back up again’,” the narrator says.
The camera cuts away to the man looking out the window at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts. It is also where the NFL Combine takes place which could be part of the new story mode. One theory would be you take a player from college to the NFL which include pre-draft events like the combine and team interviews. It is unclear how in-depth EA has made the new mode.
We have seen other sports games have success with similar modes. The NBA2K series’ My Player mode is one of the most popular ways to play the game. EA has offered their own version in the now defunct NCAA series’ My Career mode as well as FIFA’s Story mode.
Whatever Madden ends up calling the game mode, it is clear they are adding a new game option where players can control one person throughout his career. It brings a movie feel to the game which strength has been in its Franchise mode.
Gamers already new about the transition to the Frostbite engine. According to Madden School, the engine has already been used on sports games like FIFA 17 and Rory McIlroy PGA Tour. It has also been used on Star Wars Battlefront and Battlefield.
How will the new engine impact Madden? Fans can expect more detailed stadium crowds and sidelines. It has been one area graphically where Madden has lagged behind even after it transitioned to PS4 and Xbox One. The new engine should lead to more dynamic visuals rather than the uniform sidelines and crowds that have plagued the game.
EA is also touting new Target Passing ability.
“For the first time ever, no longer are you tied to throwing at your open wide receiver. Throw to who you want, in the exact spot on the field with all-new Target Passing, giving you, ultimate control over where the ball is thrown,” EA Sports writes on its list of Madden 18 features.
As Zirksee pointed out on YouTube, fans will also be able to customize defensive matchups in the new Madden release. If you want cornerback Josh Norman to shadow wide receiver Dez Bryant the entire game, you will have that ability in Madden 18.
Here’s the details on the feature:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSGyvsXt_Panzl-JeaXLFBQ