Madden 08 Review

You could tell that the makers of Madden ’08 knew what they were doing just by watching the video that plays before the game starts. I remember getting the chills as the video concluded, and suddenly it all made perfect sense…

But for the casual gamer, an introduction that truly captures the essence of a legendary game doesn’t mean much. It’s about the gameplay, the graphics, the hail mary’s, the bone-crushing hits, and the endzone dances. And Madden ’08 delivers on just about everything.

There’s no question that this year’s Madden has the best graphics, the smoothest gameplay and the best features. But what the real football fans wanted out of this year’s game, is the most realistic football game ever made; And that’s exactly what they got.

The players run, catch, tackle, stiff-arm, slide, dance, and juke just like in real life. EA Sports did such a good job this year that your grandma will watch you play and think she’s watching a real game. Whether it’s LT hitting the hole, or Randy Moss jumping over grown men, Madden ’08 is on point.

The series has become more than a video game. No longer can you hop on the sticks and run the same 3 unstoppable plays. The game is about strategy, and to be successful in Madden ’08, you need to know football. EA made sure of that with the Smart QB and Smart Defense features. When using a bright quarterback like Tom Brady, you can now read the defense before the play if your opponent is continuing to use the same play to stop you.

While every single game is always full of excitement, whether it’s TO coming down with a one-handed grab, Urlacher sending the running back to another planet, or Reggie Bush hurdling over the pile, it’s the serious Madden players who should be the most satisfied, because as the intro video says, what each game is all about, is who wants it more?