First, let’s look at some of the better Defensive Playbooks:

• 46 Defense – Your bog-standard playbook that’s still highly effective. Offers a variety of options like Bear, Normal, Bear Under, 3-4 Bear and 4-4 Split. This is on top of options for Nickel like 3-3-5, Normal and 3-3-5 Wide along with Big Nickel Over G.
• Ravens Defense – Offers three varieties of 3-4 formations – Bear, Under and Over – along with a 4-4 Split formation. You also get five different types of Nickel formation like 3-3-5 odd, Triple, 2-4-5 and so on.
• Dolphins Defense – A 3-4 formation with Bear, Odd and Club types. You can also opt for the Even 6-1 and four different Nickel formations like 3-3-5 odd, 3-3-5 Wide and 2-4-5.
• Multiple D Defense – Touted as one of the better playbooks in the game. Consists of Cub and Odd 3-4 formations along with Under, Normal and Odd 4-3 formations and a Normal 5-2 formation. You can also select the Normal Dime and 3-2-6 Dollar formation.
• Chiefs Defense – Consists of 4-3 formations such as Under, Normal, Over Plus and Even 61. Dollar 3-2-6, Big Nickel Over G and normal Dime are also offered.

Next, let’s take a look at some of the best Offensive Playbooks:

• New England Patriots – Uses the Y Off Trips Pats formations and are all around very good. Pair them with a strong quarterback to wreak havoc.
• Baltimore Ravens – If you want a bunch of top-notch plays focused on your quarterback, look no further than the RB Runs. Shotgun, Pistol Bunch and Shotgun Bunch Open Offset provide some of the best plays in the game.
• Las Vegas Raiders – Ate some nerfs over last year’s version but still incredibly viable thanks to its wide range of application.
• Philadelphia Eagles – Bunch Offset strategies are very viable against different teams and Double Post is as good as ever. Bench Pivot and Mesh Post are also good.
• San Francisco 49ers – HB Lead Dive, HB Iso and Power “O” are recommended for plays with runners. Strong I is also among the best plays in the game.
• Buffalo Bills – The Bills’ Gun Spread is excellent thanks to the sheer cover provided, which provides a lot of different route possibilities.

For more information on the best Defensive and Offensive Playbooks worth using, check out videos below by Ace Madden. You can also check out our review for Madden NFL 22 here.

Dynamic Gameday

Dynamic Gameday™ is exclusive to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions and aims to make gameplay across each mode feel “fresh and offer a deeper level of strategy.” This is divided into three components – Gameday Momentum, Gameday Atmosphere and Next Gen Stats: Star-Driven AI. Gameday Momentum introduces a “Tug-of-War” meter where different effects called M-Factors come into play, either providing benefits or challenges depending on how well you play. Make big plays and the meter increases faster (while teams playing on their home turf receive an extra unique M-Factor). EA Tiburon noted that this meter is “tuned differently” in modes like Tournaments, Online Ranked Head-to-Head and Ultimate Team Mode, hopefully being less viable as a steamroll option.

Next is Gameday Atmosphere, which has various factors – like the weather, rivalries, field quality, the crowd and so – bringing unique modifiers that can affect both teams. A good example is that slippery surfaces will decrease the change-of-direction ratings for all players. Finally, there’s the Next Gen Stats: Star-Driven AI which sees player and team behavior being closely based on their real world counterparts. This means you’ll have a different experience playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers who prioritize defense than the Buffalo Bills who are all about passing.

Movement, Blocking, Catching and Tackling Changes

Improvements have also been made to the core gameplay, whether its player movement, catching, tackling or blocking. Such improvements include ball carriers and defenders using “maximum effort” (yes, seriously) when breaking into a sprint while quarterbacks have more “smooth and explosive control” (with more animations and transitions to signify this). All of the most used tackles have been refreshed while new ones like Sideline Tackles, Early Hurdle Tackles and Touch-Player-Down Tackles have been added. Run After Catches in multiplayer are being toned down while catch height thresholds are tuned to allow receivers to have a bigger catch radius (while defenders have more range when trying to knock the ball away). New animations are also being added for blocking with interactions having a larger variety of angles to start from.

Various Improvements

There are also all of the minuscule changes and improvements like Pass Lead and Pass Trajectory having increased range; more Scramble Sack interactions in multiplayer; nearby teammates helping your ball carrier up when the whistle is blown; and much more. Impact Blocks will now take the momentum of players into account while the High Throw mechanic is being made more effective. How all of this plays out in practice remains to be seen though.

Updated Playbooks and New Formations

Playbooks have been updated once again based on real-world NFL performance till the end of the last season so you’ll see the Miami Dolphins leaning more into blitzing while the Baltimore Ravens focus heavily on runs. About 300 new plays have been added along with new formations like the Pistol Open Flex Close, Gun Empty Quads, Singleback Bunch X Nasty and others that I wish were made up. Other changes like better defender leverage against receivers, improved logic for Red Zone and End Zone defenders, and having the AI better recognize pass plays with vertical crossing routes are also being implemented.

Face of the Franchise

The closest thing to a Career mode this time around is Face of the Franchise. Dubbed “United We Rise”, it sees players starting as a prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft. You’ll get involved with team interviews, private workouts and various events and have to make choices for what to prioritize. A range of characters from your mentor Carter Landry to close friend and agent Jordan Wright are on hand to interact with as you attempt to increase your draft stock and win big.

The Yard

Another returning mode is The Yard which allows players to venture to different fields and venues with unique rules, completing different objectives and Proving Grounds games before tackling the boss (which is usually a high profile NFL player). There are four chapters overall and you can play it in either solo or co-op. Venues also offer bonus games with unique rules and Mastery Games with previous opponents returning stronger than ever.

Recruiting Bosses and Auto-Draft

One of the cooler aspects of The Yard is being able to recruit the defeated bosses into your own squad. This makes it possible to amass a potent squad by just playing through the mode. An auto-draft option is also available if you just want to jump into a game quickly, though it’s still possible to manually draft your team beforehand.

Venue and Perfection Rewards

As you win and achieve different objectives in The Yard, you’ll receive new gear, REP and CRED. Each venue has its own gear set to farm as well, providing enough incentive to replay them. Complete every objective in every game and you’ll receive an exclusive gear item. These are high tier items ranging from jerseys to helmets and showcase one’s dedication to the grind.

Classes

A new addition in Face of the Franchise and The Yard are classes, each possessing unique Superstar Abilities and one X-Factor ability. Leveling a class provides Skill Points for boosting OVR while also bestowing gear, CRED and REP. Both modes have their own exclusive classes though progression is unified among the common ones. Classes revealed thus far include Mojo which is all about cornerback and the wide receiver position; the Freak which excels as an outside linebacker and halfback; and the Goliath, capable of numerous roles like middle linebacker and offensive lineman.

Season Engine and Modular Cinematics

Franchise Mode offers a variety of new things like Franchise Staff, Franchise Staff Points to upgrade coach characters, Talent Trees and whatnot. But most intriguing is the Season Engine which provides 30 new scenarios that can occur at any time during the season based on how your Franchise progresses. New modular cinematics reinforce the narrative significance of these scenarios as well. And don’t worry – you’ll also be attending Press Conferences to field questions from the media, just like in real life.

Mix and Match Superstar X-Factor Abilities

Introduced in Madden NFL 21, Superstar X-Factor abilities once again make a return but with a unique twist. Along with new abilities being added, players can also mix and match X-Factor abilities after leveling different classes to create unique builds. Though it leans even more into the RPG aspect of the title, it does offer even more customization for players.

LIVE Events

LIVE Events are meant to coincide with real-world NFL events. The first major LIVE Event is the Pro Bowl competition, taking place in the new London field with a five game gauntlet. Details on other events will be provided in the coming months but the developer is touting some “exciting brand partnerships” for fans.

Superstar KO

If you enjoy fast games with real NFL teams, then Superstar KO is the way to go. Its unique stadiums embody football culture and you can pick any team you want along with any Playbook (with numerous teams, stadiums and rosters debuting in Madden NFL 22). Options are available for 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 games with modes like Superstar KO and traditional NFL rules.

Madden Ultimate Team Auction Changes

Perhaps the least surprising return of all the different modes is Madden Ultimate Team with changes being made to Auctions. Details on recent sale prices for an item along with how many are up for sale will be offered. There will also be Price Ranges based on an item’s median sale price on each platform (which goes up or down hourly based on market trends). This means that you can’t price an item above a certain range and gouge other players.

Special Editions and Dual Entitlement

Of course, it wouldn’t be a modern sports title without multiple different editions to purchase. Along with the Standard Edition for $70 on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 ($60 on Xbox One and PS4), there’s the Dynasty Edition for $120. This includes three day early access, 100 Franchise Staff Points, level 10 for the general starting player class and capsules for Tom Brady Gear and a Legend Athlete. You also have a choice between a Brady or Patrick Mahomes Elite item, a Curated Legends Pack for either player, a choice of one of out 32 NFL stars, exclusive challenges in the early access window and 22 Gold Team Fantasy Packs in Ultimate Team. The MVP Edition is slightly cheaper at $100 with 60 Franchise Staff Points, no Legend Athlete Capsule, only 11 Gold Team Fantasy Packs and no Curated Legends Pack.

Both special editions offer Dual Entitlement. This allows for upgrading from the PS4 and Xbox One versions to the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions respectively. It’s essentially giving you two copies of the same game for either PlayStation or Xbox platforms. Cross-gen progression includes Madden Rank, Wallet, gear, vanity purchases, all progression from The Yard and Face of the Franchise, and MUT (save for competitive mode progress). However, you only have a two month window after launch for transferring progress from previous to current gen consoles.

Microsoft has announced its first wave of titles coming to Xbox Game Pass subscribers in March. Available now is Madden NFL 21, which is technically a part of EA Play (and limited to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members). On March 4th, Football Manager 2021 comes to PC and consoles, providing avenues for players to create their own professional teams.

NBA 2K21 arrives on the same day for consoles and the cloud. Later this month, Star Wars: Squadrons will become available for consoles via EA Play. Considering the critical acclaim that it’s received, it may be worth checking out for those on the fence till now. NHL 21, meanwhile, is set to join the service in April.

More Xbox Game Pass titles will be revealed later this month so stay tuned. Titles that will be leaving on March 15th include Alvastia Chronicles and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night for console and PC. On the console side, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Kona will also become unavailable. PC-only players will lose access to Astrologaster.

Like many major companies nowadays, EA has their subscription service which was recently rebranded EA Play. If you’re into their games, it’s quite the deal as recent titles come up on it pretty frequently, and now have three of those coming very soon.

As announced by EA, Star Wars: Squadrons will be coming to the service in March. It was the latest title released for the license from EA and put you in the driver’s seat of many iconic ships in the universe. It was largely well-received. Along with it in March will be Madden NFL 21 and in April another newer sports title will come will come with NHL 21.

The games will start being available for EA Play and EA Play Pro throughout all compatible platforms to subscribers starting March 2nd. Those with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also have full access to EA Play on consoles, though it is not on PC Game Pass, which is still said to be coming later this year.

2020 is done and over. It was a year almost assuredly many won’t forget, even if they desperately want to. The final month of the year tends to be something of a snapshot of the entire year, and December 2020 wasn’t much different. In the US, the charts had a lot of the usual suspects, with one franchise on top as you’d expect it to be, and Nintendo in the strongest position they’ve been in in decades.

As per data provided by the NPD Group (via VentureBeat), December’s top 20 saw Black Ops Cold War at #1, which is no surprise since it was also the best selling game of the year in the region. Right below it was Cyberpunk 2077, which we know sold at least 13 million copies last month in total across all regions. Keep in mind, 2077 hits this list without digital sales, apparently. Whether that would have helped it topple Cold War is somewhat iffy, but even so, number 2 is impressive.

While the rest of the list is populated by a lot of games you’d expect such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Miles Morales, and the various sports entries, what is maybe the most noteworthy is how much Nintendo dominated this list. Their first party titles are seeing strong sales all throughout, even early releases such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and many of the sports titles are on the Switch and being factored in such as NBA 2K21 and FIFA 21. All Nintendo first party titles are also in here without digital numbers being provided, just to add to how incredible a feat it is.

1.  Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
2. Cyberpunk 2077*
3. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
4. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
5. Madden NFL 21
6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*
8. NBA 2K21*
9. Immortals Fenyx Rising
10. Super Mario 3D All-Stars*
11. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
12. Just Dance 2021
13. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity*
14. FIFA 21
15. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe*
16. Super Mario Odyssey*
17. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
18. Super Mario Party*
19. Ring Fit Adventure
20. Mortal Kombat 11

* Indicates that digital sales are not included.

As the new year of 2021 begins, it is always fun to go back and look at what 2020 was like and what topped the charts for the whole year. Most of the time these lists tend to be pretty predictable by and large with a few surprises. This year Sony did that with their PS4 and PS5 download charts, and that largely stays true.

As detailed on the PlayStation blog, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was the big winner, just in case you had any delusion the series was fading . It topped the PS4 and PS5 charts for the US/Canada, and even in Europe for PS5. The only place it wasn’t number 1 was Europe’s PS4 chart where it was actually 4th below FIFA 21 (that took the top spot), FIFA 20 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

The charts are largely what you’d expect, including the mainstays of Grand Theft Auto 5 and Minecraft and the annual sports titles such as NBA 2K21 and Madden NFL 21. Big AAA titles are here, too, such as The Last of Us Part 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Maybe the biggest surprise that jumps out is that Ghost of Tsushima actually sold more than The Last of Us Part 2 on the US PS4 charts.

The PS5 charts ended up being a bit more diverse just due to the lack of native options, but still had a lot of what you’d expect. Games like Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Immortals Fenyx Rising, Watch Dogs Legion and, obviously, Demon’s Souls made their presence there. You can check out the full list below

PS4 – US/Canada

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
2. Grand Theft Auto 5
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
4. Minecraft
5. Ghost of Tsushima
6. The Last of Us Part 2
7. NBA 2K21
8. NBA 2K20
9. Final Fantasy 7 Remake
10. Madden NFL 21

PS4 – Europe

1. FIFA 21
2. FIFA 20
3. Grand Theft Auto 5
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
6. Minecraft
7. NBA 2K20
8. The Last of Us Part 2
9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
10. Red Dead Redemption 2

PS5 – US/Canada

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
2. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
3. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
4. NBA 2K21 
5. Demon’s Souls
6. Madden NFL 21
7. FIFA 21
8. Sackboy: A Big Adventure
9. Immortals Fenyx Rising
10. Watch Dogs: Legion

PS5 – Europe

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
2. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
3. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
4. FIFA 21
5. Demon’s Souls
6. Watch Dogs: Legion
7. Immortals Fenyx Rising
8. NBA 2K21 
9. Sackboy: A Big Adventure
10. Rainbow Six Siege

The latest entry in the never-ending American football franchise, Madden NFL 21, is currently ongoing. It was the first game in the series to release for Sony and Microsoft’s new consoles that launched last year, and may be crossing over with SpongeBob SquarePants, apparently. Like most games nowadays, there is an element of constant updates to it as well, and the next looks to tackle elements of the AI.

In their latest blog post, EA detailed some changes that are coming to Franchise Mode. They want to address an issue that some have had with the AI in regards to drafting. Specifically, they want to make the process it goes through for drafting Quarterback picks more logical. They have a set of new rules they plan to impose, which you can see below, or read in full through here. There’s also more minor tweaks to Commissioner Mode.

Madden NFL 21 is available now on most major platforms. The update detailed here will come to all platforms, including next gen versions, at a later date.

UPDATE NOTES:

• Their current starting QB was a 1st round pick in the last two Drafts
• Their current starting QB was a 2nd/3rd round pick in the last two Drafts
  • And has a Normal Dev and 72+ OVR
  • And has Star or higher Dev trait
• Their current starting QB is a 94+ OVR
• Their current starting QB is 87+ OVR and 32+ years old
• Their current starting QB is 74+ OVR and < 29 years old
• Their current backup QB is a Star or higher Dev Trait and < 28 years old

Lastly, if a team’s current starting QB is over 35, the team will consider drafting a replacement.

While live sports took quite the hit last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, video game sports continued on. Madden NFL 21 continued the American traditional to strong results as expected and managed to be the first game of the series on the new generation of consoles. Now there’s a tease in the air for, uh, something else entirely.

On the official Madden NFL 21 Twitter they seem to be teasing a crossover with… SpongeBob SquarePants. There isn’t much here, just a picture of the titular character’s face and asking us simply if we’re ready, and who knows if we are. The NFL will be broadcasting a playoff game on Nickelodeon, the station that broadcasts the popular cartoon, on January 10th. It could very well be related just to that, but as you can see, whatever this is seems to be happening a few days before. I guess we’ll see in the next few days.

Madden NFL 21 is available now across most major platforms. Stay tuned for January 7th for whatever SpongeBob shenanigans there will be.

Are You Ready? @SpongeBob#Madden21 pic.twitter.com/RVamcE4BYW

— Madden NFL 24 (@EAMaddenNFL) January 5, 2021

Triple-A Games with Microtransactions

It’s been said multiple times, even before triple-A titles inevitably raised their prices to $70. But having microtransactions in a full priced game, even if they’re optional or cosmetic, just feels excessive, whether it’s Watch Dogs: Legion, Marvel’s Avengers or NBA 2K21. And now that games cost more, it’s all the more irritating to see some publishers – like Take Two Interactive and Activision – jump through hoops to justify price increases while continuing to peddle microtransactions. Though unlikely, one can hope that triple A titles are free of such nonsense in the new generation.

As live sports continue to struggle to find their place in a COVID world where a vaccine has not yet been developed and readily available, virtual sports are, well, stronger than ever. Madden NFL 21 released earlier this year on previous gen consoles, and while we found it a tad on the stagnant side, the game seems to have done just as well as you’d expect sales-wise. Now it’s time for it to bring the game for the next generation systems that have just launched.

EA saw fit to release a next generation-based trailer to highlight the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game. The obvious differences are the improved graphics as well as animations, but the big thing they are trying to highlight is ‘next gen stats’. Apparently, AI will move alongside actual data gathered from actual players and will be updated as time goes on. You’ll also have a chance to have detailed replays with stat breakdowns.

Madden NFL 21 is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S version will launch on December 4th, and those on PS4/Xbox One will get a free upgrade for a limited time. You can read the full details on that and the versions themselves through here.