Every year, EA Sports releases a new entry in its long-running Madden NFL franchise, and 2020 is no different. The upcoming Madden NFL 21, with Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson gracing the cover, is set to deliver a familiar experience to NFL fans, while still offering some major on the field improvements.

To get some feedback on some of the new features before the Madden NFL 21 release date rolls around in August, EA Sports recently hosted a closed beta, giving select players the chance to try the game ahead of launch. The closed beta was short on options, but that allowed players to focus exclusively on the on the field gameplay, which seems to be an improvement on previous games in a number of important ways.

On the Field

The big focus of Madden NFL 21 is how the developers at EA Tiburon are improving the on the field gameplay, and that is immediately apparent in the beta. The biggest improvement is on the defensive line with the new pass rush controls. Pass rushing in Madden NFL 21 is significantly more fun than in previous games, with specific abilities now mapped to the right stick and triggers. This gives Madden NFL 21 players more direct control over defense, which goes a long way in making it just as exciting as offense.

Offense also gets some love in Madden NFL 21 with the introduction of the skill stick ball carrier system. Essentially, it gives ball carriers more options to avoid defenders when running down the field, with players able to combine these skills with jukes and spins to allow them to have a far greater chance of success. The new skill stick system makes running the ball even more engaging, and the moves are simple to pull off. There is some concern from the community that this could lead to Madden NFL 21's running game being even more overpowered than it has been in the past, but that remains to be seen. It's easy to see how some especially skilled players will be able to pull off ridiculous run plays now that weren't really possible in previous games, however.

The skill stick ball carrier system and pass rush controls are the biggest new improvements to Madden NFL 21's on the field gameplay, but there have been many other, subtler tweaks designed to make the game feel more authentic. This combined with Madden NFL 21's improved animations help make the game look more like a real-life football game than ever before, and will definitely be appreciated by fans of the series.

Madden NFL 21 has also added some completely brand new animations to the mix, mainly in the form of celebrations. There are far more celebrations on display in Madden NFL 21, with EA touting the feature as "Celebrate Everywhere," giving fans control of specific celebrations that they can make the players perform after each play. It doesn't change the flow of the game in any way, but it does inject a lot more life into the proceedings.

Game Modes and Features

The Madden NFL 21 beta only allowed for exhibition games, either against AI or head to head with an online opponent, with a limited number of teams to choose from. And while the full game will have significantly more options, there is some concern from fans that Madden NFL 21 is not providing enough new content. Unfortunately, there isn't anything in the beta that addresses those worries.

The big concern from fans is that the Madden NFL 21 Franchise mode isn't doing enough to innovate, with some complaining that the upcoming game is more or less the same as last year's entry with a handful of changes. That assessment may very well be true, though the same could be said for most Madden NFL game releases. Longtime fans of the series should know exactly what to expect at this point, and for those players, the on the field improvements could still be enough to make the new game a worthwhile purchase, even without any significant new game modes or features.

The Next-Gen Difference

Something that makes this year's edition of Madden NFL especially exciting is that it's coming to next-generation platforms as well. EA has shown some footage of the next-gen version of Madden NFL 21 in action, but the big focus for now is understandably on the curent-gen release. That being said, Madden players should expect a basically identical experience between the two games in terms of gameplay, though the next-gen version will likely have improved visuals and perhaps take advantage of things like the PS5 DualSense controller's haptic feedback.

However, that's just speculation at this time. EA has actually shared very little about what fans can expect from Madden NFL 21's next-gen version. Luckily, players will have the opportunity to upgrade to the next-gen version of Madden NFL 21 for free, with both PlayStation and Xbox gamers able to do so. This way, fans can purchase the current-generation version of the game at launch if they so desire without having to worry about purchasing a second copy when they decide to pick up a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.

Based on the Madden NFL 21 closed beta, on the field play is an improvement over last year, though the lack of Franchise improvements or any major new game modes may still be a point of contention. However, some may find that the on the field improvements are enough to justify the new game, and it will definitely be interesting to see how features like the pass rush controls and the skill stick ball carrier system change things up in the long run.

Madden NFL 21 launches August 28 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions also in development.