Next-Gen Madden Soccer is a sign to look forward to on PS5 and Xbox Series X

The promise of a new generation of consoles is that they will explode our eyes with visual magic, present fast-loading games and redefine our idea of ​​fun … or something like that. When I connected a Xbox Series X and I set it up a few weeks ago, I was impressed by its quiet speed, and some games like Dirt 5 looked amazing. Madden Football is the next-gen experience I’ve really been waiting for because, well, I play a lot with Madden.

Living with my virtual version of the New York Jets has been a decompression act of 2020. Madden 21, which arrived earlier this year, didn’t seem like a big update at all. But a broader review was promised for Xbox Series X and Playstation 5, with new graphics and physics, and NFL stats that were supposed to fly around the screen like a real streaming game.

So far, Madden 21’s next-gen update hasn’t been that exciting. To be fair, the game’s new physics could lead to some improvements in the way realistic players move and perform. So far, I find that it is often more of the same.

While Madden 21’s game call layout has changed in next-gen mode, with easily accessible builds based on game types or featured players, I don’t understand why that couldn’t have reached Xbox One gamers and PS4, too. That’s not “next generation” stuff.

Next Gen Stats, an engine used in real NFL games to collect information such as player speed and elapsed time for a quarterback to throw a soccer ball, is here for the first time and feels almost invisible. These stats appear during replays, if you stick around long enough to see the stats. However, I usually mix buttons on replays – I move fast through games and want to see the next play as quickly as I can.

Graphics look better I guess, but on my 60-inch 4K home TV I can’t make a clear difference to my couch 6 feet away. Madden 20 looks good on Xbox One already, and I don’t feel like Madden 21 in the next generation comes that much closer to feeling like a television broadcast. Strangely, player close-ups and sidelines can sometimes suffer choppy frame rates for me. That never happened in next-gen Madden 20.

Player physics is the “newest” thing, but I find players doing weird things all the time. Frank Gore, the 37-year-old running back for the Jets, is somehow unstoppable after 25 carries against almost any defense. Interceptions pile up like snow if you end up with more than two (to me, at least). Player momentum can sometimes seem too unstoppable and other times weirdly slow.

One thing that hasn’t changed yet in Madden: It doesn’t train you in more detail through the games, it analyzes your mistakes and helps you learn. If Madden could be like a chess program, helping you learn strategy, it could rise to a fascinating sports tool. I’m still as dumb a Madden gamer as ever. But I still love to play. However, you don’t need a fancy new Xbox or PlayStation. Not yet.