Madden NFL 11

“Americans love their football – despite it really being ‘Rugby with Padding,’ that is. But that’s okay, because the people’s enthusiasm for the sport is just as great as the Europeans’ passion for football (sorry, ‘Soccer’). As a result, the Madden series has been a staple for American gamers. It’s no surprise then, that Madden 11 comes along with a slew of new features. For a start, the game introduces GameFlow, an all-new playcalling system that chooses the best play for your team’s current situation. It’s all based on authentic NFL game plans, and cuts down the amount of choices the player has from 350 to just one. If you don’t fancy that, you can customise your own offensive and defensive game plans to use the next time you need to make a risky play. Control has been tweaked so that you can enjoy Madden 11 with the use of only two analogue sticks. The Dual Stick Control mechanism allows you to run through holes and break tackles with a flick of the thumb. The experience is underscored by a revamped audio presentation, improved graphics and more character animations for full immersion. Online play is where you’ll want to be though, and an all-new cooperative mode brings players together to take on the league as a unified force. three-on-three online co-op and competitive modes are just the tip of the iceberg though; an Online Scouting mode lets you study your opponents from the coach’s bench, letting you observe and think of new tactics to overcome the other player. Throw in the Madden NFL Ultimate Team mode – which combines gameplay, card collecting and fantasy football in one fulfilling package – and you’ve got the most complete version of Madden yet