It’s that time of the year again. The 2018 NFL season is just around the corner. And with the return of players to the gridiron comes yet another installment of the Madden franchise. This year for Madden 18 not only can players expect the standard game play modes that they’ve come to know and love and a few surprises, including one you would have never expected.
What’s New in Madden 18?
In the more straightforward game mode category we have the new M.U.T. Squads (Madden Ultimate Team) Mode. MUT is a 3-on-3 online game mode in which each player takes on a specific role for the team. One in charge of offense, one for defense, one for offense and one head coach. Offensive and Defensive play calls from their respective assigned players. The head coach chooses the team you play as, selects your playbook from a list of Pro-NFL coaches own manuals, and gets to accept or decline penalties. Everyone still participates in plays, but the offensive captain always plays as the QB.
MUT relies on all players being able to communicate and help each other out on the playing field. So the mode will require you to have a mic active for the entirety of the play session. But this is a mode about team building and being to work with your crew, so it makes some sense. And you’ll definitely have to learn where people do the best job. For instance a player could be no good at defensive play calling but a whiz with the offense.
But the most unique and intriguing aspect of Madden’18 would have to be Longshot. You see, the thing about Longshot is, it’s more of a game within a game then a new mode. It’s more like getting a Telltale game inside of your regular old Madden game. Taking over 4 years to come to full fruition it takes it influences from the aforementioned TellTale genre of story games and other more narrative driven games like heavy rain. They even worked with the BioWare team and a few Hollywood writers to flesh out the plot.
In Longshot you take on the role of Devin Wade, a young quarterback who once had a chance of making it to the NFL, but instead drops out of college and disappears. With a little help from his best friend and favorite wide receiver, Colt he is convinced to try out for the NFL combine a few years later. While at the event he is approached by a TV producer to star in a new reality show revolving around Devin trying to make his way back to the world of football. And that’s just the beginning.
Players will have to choose how they react to situations and conversations in similar manner to titles like Mass Effect and other modern RPGs. And just like any good narrative-driven title, NPCs will remember what you say and how you react in difficult situations.
You’ll also have to prove your knowledge with a little NFL trivia here and there, do a few training mini-games and occasionally you’ll actually take to the field for some football interspersed with some cinematic flavor. Overall Longshot reminded me a lot of films and shows like Friday Night Lights or Any Given Sunday. It’s definitely something we’ve never seen in a Madden before. It will definitely be interesting to see how the public at large reacts to such a new and different experience in their Madden. You’ll be able to check out the latest modes and your good old classic modes very soon. August 25th for XB1 and PS4 to be precise.
Be sure to swing back by next week to check out the GameSpace review!
