Madden NFL 21 Reviews
Check out Madden NFL 21 Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 15 reviews on CriticDB, Madden NFL 21 has a score of:
Madden NFL 21 is a solid product. It excels in several areas, like the presentation and Ultimate Team. The core gameplay is as fun and smooth as it’s ever been, and I’ve been playing since Madden NFL 2005. But the new jewels in the crown are flawed and need to be polished a bit more. Face Of The Franchise and The Yard both have tons of potential, but they aren’t realized here. Content updates may help with The Yard, but in the end it’s like scoring a touchdown but missing the extra point.
Go All Out in Madden NFL 21 with innovative gameplay mechanics that offer advanced levels of control and inspire creativity on both sides of the ball.
Each year, every team must take a look at what it currently has and compare that with what it needs in order to achieve its goals. This year, EA Tiburon used its offseason to fine-tune gameplay, add a new arcade-style experience, and upgrade its career mode. But much like a middling football team, Madden NFL 21 isn’t quite ready to make a run at postseason glory.
So, it comes down to this: did you buy Madden NFL 20? If the answer is yes, then think long and hard before parting with your cash for Madden NFL 21. Chances are you’ll be better off making do with what you’ve got and waiting for next year’s release, which will hopefully have some more substantial improvements and changes. If you didn’t buy Madden NFL 20, however, than you’ll probably really like Madden NFL 21. You’ll enjoy making your way through Face of the Franchise, and maybe get a kick out of Superstar KO. Try The Yard, too; you might like it more than me. Madden NFL 21 isn’t a bad game. It’s good, in fact. It just feels wholly unnecessary.
Madden NFL 21 is an imperfect game, with some modes like Franchise and MUT lacking any meaningful upgrades. Fans of those modes will still have fun, but they will have to wait for next year's Madden to see where the major evolutions take place. Meanwhile, Face of the Franchise is awkward from a story perspective and lacks player agency. But the core gameplay experience feels better than ever, with things like the new Skill Stick controls allowing for creatively on the field. Lastly, The Yard is so good it could be its own stand-alone game.
Madden NFL 21 is as fun and realistic as every Madden game, especially in its new “The Yard” mode and its increased focus on superstars, but its stagnation in gameplay innovation and established modes makes it sometimes difficult to distinguish its improvements over previous games.
A killer soundtrack and inclusive accessibility settings don’t make up for the lack of innovation and gameplay fumbles of this just-another-Madden experience.
Madden NFL 21 has an excellent new game mode that's great for short spurts, but the series staples don't move the needle.
Madden NFL 21 finds itself in a particularly peculiar position this year. The football simulation’s launching less than three months prior to the PlayStation 5, and while there will be a free upgrade to the next-gen console, it really shows. Despite bundling in a potential series cornerstone in the Yard, this is a relatively low-effort attempt that barely builds upon its predecessor.
But in-depth stories and fleshed-out characters aren't why sports fans play Madden. The gameplay, the graphics, and the shot at leading your team to victory keeps players coming back year after year. Sadly, Madden 21 under-delivers in many of its bread-and-butter departments, making it a game I’ll turn on the play with friends or check in on when updates are announced. But it won’t be one that I’ll be itching to play all year. 6/10.
With the continual mess that is the current health pandemic in the United States, it’s hard to predict if we will even end up having a complete NFL season this year. Thankfully, the folks over at EA Sports aren’t going to let a little thing like a global health crisis get in the way of raking in those sweet, sweet, Ultimate Team bucks. Madden NFL 21 is back again with vengeance after last year’s middling performance, but can they manage to finish off the console generation in style or are we looking at another season of increasingly diminishing returns?
Despite the fact that Madden NFL 21 features arguably the best core gameplay the series has ever seen and the introduction of a fun new mode in The Yard, the continued neglect shown to classic Franchise mode, lack of innovation across the board, and technical issues leave this gridiron mismatch coming up short.
A stale series stuck in its own Groundhog Day almost redeems itself with The Yard and will entertain casual football fans, but mediocrity seeps into almost every mode in another backwards step for the franchise.
The mighty football franchise’s latest iteration lacks polish, with additions that are better in concept than execution.
That being said, unless you’re a hardcore MUT player or have a group who really wants to get into The Yard, I’d steer clear of Madden NFL 21. Outside of those two player bases, there really aren’t any reasons to upgrade this year. If you’re jonesing for some football, just pick up Madden NFL 20 on sale. The blocking will be just as atrocious.