Sports is one of the largest markets in the world, and multiple developers have released a host of sports games with the vision of making headway into the category. A few franchises have achieved remarkable success and become household names, including FIFA, NBA 2K, and Madden. EA Sports is the brain behind the FIFA and Madden series, and despite continued patronage of its releases, the developer has been heavily criticized for its lack of ingenuity. It seems a sizable portion of fans are consistently disappointed with the quality on display in their favorite sports from EA Sports, and Madden NFL in particular has endured a flurry of bad reviews since its 2020 edition. There are plenty of complaints about buggy gameplay and dissatisfying content, chief among which is Madden NFL's Franchise Mode. Gamers are a notoriously impatient flock, and EA Sports cannot keep dropping the ball with one of its main attractions.
Madden NFL has enjoyed the loyalty of a dedicated fan base since its inception, and the franchise has long since been a staple of the gaming industry. The Franchise Mode has played a vital role in Madden NFL's successes, featuring in every edition since Madden NFL 99. The mode appeals to fans thirsting for the simulated dual duties of General Manager and Head Coach of an American Football team, and Franchise Mode has drawn swathes of players to the EA Sports product, beating out all competitors in the market. Of late, however, Madden NFL has come under fire for the fan-favorite's substandard gameplay, and the developer needs to act fast to make fans fall in love with the series once again.
Bugs Have Been a Thorn in the Side of Madden NFL 23's Franchise Mode
The franchise's latest edition has been in the news for the wrong reasons lately, with its Franchise Mode recently impacted by a massive data storage issue. This bug caused the majority of Madden NFL 23 players to lose their save files permanently. There are few things in online gaming worse than losing hours upon hours of consistent grind, and gamers were justifiably indignant about the situation. More infuriating is the fact this bug could have been avoided with clear communication on EA Sports' part, and many have highlighted the consistently poor customer experience displayed by the developer as a pain point.
This isn't the first time Franchise Mode has suffered from bugs, with an earlier update practically breaking Madden NFL 23. Bugs come with the territory of game development, but two major incidents in a few months don't speak well of the developmental quality at the studios of EA Sports. Buggy gameplay is far from the only issue with the Franchise Mode, with the inconsistencies in Madden NFL 23's physics well-documented. EA Sports had been receiving some stick from its fans for its unrealistic motion in Madden NFL, and the latest edition tried to correct the mistakes of its predecessors with its new FieldSense mechanics.
However, while some improvements have been made, its attempts have fallen short, as there are several instances during gameplay that leave players scratching their heads in confusion. Other sports games like NBA 2K and FIFA, while imperfect in their rights, have the basics of their gameplay mechanics down. The motions of hitting a finessed shot from outside the penalty box in FIFA, or hitting a three-pointer in NBA 2K, have a natural feel about them. Madden NFL struggles in that regard in its Franchise Mode, with some erratic motions leading to a less-than-optimal gameplay experience.
Madden NFL's Uninspiring Gameplay and Lack of Customization are Hurting the Franchise
Apart from bugs and unnatural gameplay mechanics, Franchise Mode still has a plethora of issues plaguing its performance. Madden NFL fails to immerse players into the football world with its lackluster presentation of events such as the NFL Draft and the Super Bowl, two headlining acts of the entire sport. User experience is paramount, and EA Sports needs to do a better job conveying the importance of these events to players instead of making it feel like just another part of the game.
Another source of complaint in Madden NFL 23 has been the surface-level scouting system and player progression. EA Sports introduced a new scouting mechanism in Madden NFL 22, and despite criticisms of its performance, the developer made scant changes when bringing the feature back to the latest edition. Scouting is the bread and butter of every sport, but the scouting mechanics in the Franchise Mode feel boring and disengaging, posing a problem for continuity past the first couple of seasons.
Customization is the in-vogue tune in today's gaming industry, and Madden NFL seems tone-deaf compared to most new titles. Award-winning games like Splatoon 3 have pursued custom options to keep their players engaged, but EA Sports puts minimum effort towards this aspect. Requests for increased control over things like team uniforms and logos have persistently fallen on deaf ears, and players are still unable to rename teams and stadiums. As such, not many fans are optimistic about Madden NFL's Franchise Mode evolving to the level of NBA 2K, which recently added Eras to its Franchise gameplay.
Madden NFL 23 may have improved upon the disaster that the Franchise Mode had become in previous editions, but there is still a ton of work left for EA Sports to bring the category up to standard. The developer has the resources to overcome its challenges, and time might be running out for it to take action. Madden NFL desperately needs to get back on track, and EA Sports would do well to avoid these issues with Madden NFL 24.
Madden NFL 23 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
