first Madden NFL game since John Madden's ing, EA has gone to noteworthy lengths to try to make this year's title break bad patterns from the past.
Indeed, even last year's game serves as a reminder for what NFL 23 needs to avoid. NFL 22 did not necessarily perform poorly, but it was received with negative reviews. The game failed to improve gameplay and graphics to a degree that warranted a full-price release, and even the new elements introduced in the game were not new at all. Homefield Advantage - what critics have hailed as the best aspect of the game - has existed as a mechanic in other football games for a long time, most notably NCAA, which is developed and published by EA, too.
For NFL 23 to truly differentiate itself from every other entry in the series, it has to provide something genuinely new and refreshing to the gameplay - and it has. NFL 23 introduces free-form ing, standing tackles, and FieldSENSE to the series, an all new method and mindset to gameplay. FieldSENSE is largely built upon thousands of new animations and advancements in animation branching technology. Though this sounds as if FieldSENSE is yet another the visuals of the game, these new animations have opened up the doorway for a much more immersive, skill-based style that still preserves the core gameplay systems that longtime fans of Madden NFL have come to love.
How FieldSENSE Brings Fresh Ideas To Madden NFL 23
EA has identified four new primary mechanics that are a part of FieldSENSE: Hit Everything, Skill-Based ing, 360° Cuts, and WR vs. DB Battles. Starting with the mechanics that enhance defense, Hit Everything gives players on defense a wider array of options throughout each play to stop the offense from gaining any ground. Players can quite literally hit everything because of the new animation branching technology, making NFL 23 feel as immersive as an VR game. This means players can knock down pile-ups and even hit receivers in the air as they jump for a catch. Players even have the opportunity to send additional teammates to an already active stand-up tackle, which can open the doorway to fumbles and more. WR vs. DB Battles provides similar options but specifically for WR and DB interactions. DBs can now be controlled to better cover their WR and, with Hit Everything, have more methods to prevent them from receiving the ball. These two mechanics fix the longstanding issue with the Madden NFL series' treatment of defense, which often feels one-dimensional and static. With NFL 23, defense finally feels fun and customizable.
To balance these new buffs to defense, NFL 23's FieldSENSE approach introduced Skill-Based ing and 360° Cuts. With Skill-Based ing evolving from NFL 22, QBs now have a new accuracy reticle when throwing es, giving them the opportunity to throw precisely where they want. This means players now have the opportunity to throw to space or through tight gaps, in turn giving players choices that were left up to the game in previous Madden NFL entries. 360° Cuts similarly allow ball carriers to take advantage of open spaces by introducing a new mechanic with the left trigger button that enables players to shift their momentum more easily. WR vs DB Battles incorporates both Skill-Based ing and 360° Cuts to allow WRs to perform tricky open field runs to find space. Players can thus rely on their own choices rather than on predetermined running patterns like in past Madden NFL games.
Madden NFL 23 is an exciting new title that brings a refreshing twist to the core gameplay of the series. FieldSENSE genuinely alters how the matches are played and won. Hopefully EA will continue to introduce bolder titles like this in the future.