The Madden series of football video games have been going on for decades. They’ve been on every console available at the time a new one is released. These games have been a focal point for the football community and fans.
People who cheer for any team can come together and bond over this game. With graphics and technology improving, every year is highly anticipated as the games continue to look better, play better, and feature new players. Madden 20 hit store shelves and digital marketplaces on August 2nd, and here are ten things you might have wished you knew before starting the game.
10 You Could Have Started Earlier
The standard, $60 edition of Madden 20 was released on August 2nd, but there were a couple of ways for you to get a head start. You could have had the game a full eight days early to start building up your teams and playing through the various modes if you had EA Access or an Origin Access subscription.
The two more expensive editions, the $80 Superstar Edition and the $100 Ultimate Superstar Edition, would have granted you access to the game three days earlier. Of course, this isn’t a huge deal but if you’re interested in online play, it can feel nice to have more time to hone in your strategy for victory.
9 The Proper Edition For Madden Ultimate Team Lovers
The Madden Ultimate Team mode isn’t what necessarily what draws everyone to the game but plenty of people buy the Madden games just for that feature. While it's too late now if you live and breath for Madden Ultimate Team, then you should have purchased the Ultimate Superstar Edition.
This edition would have set you back $100 but it came with several perks to help you own the game. It granted you 16 Gold packs, a Quarterback Legend, a Core-Elite player, and a training item to use. While the ship has already sailed on this opportunity, it's a good thing to keep in mind for Madden 21.
8 The On-Field Trainer
Upon booting up and jumping into Madden 20, you might have noticed a feature known as the On-Field Trainer. To the experienced player who just wants to get in, see the new players on the roster and experience all the new features, this is going to seem like a huge annoyance. The helpful messages popping up and halting everything in the game is something that will frustrate a player that knows what they are doing. However, this feature can be turned on and off. It's intended for new players so they can learn the ins and outs of Madden and give them the leg up they need to compete.
7 Superstar And Zone Abilities
Madden 20 has a host of abilities for each player to activate and use on the playing field. These abilities are supposed to up the ante, with each player having their own powers. This is great for mixing up gameplay and providing the last push when time is about to run out and you only need to score a few more points to win the game.
However, pay close attention to the activating conditions for each ability. Each player has different conditions and you may need to switch up how you play those players in order to activate their ability. Keep that in mind as you look to best both AI opponents as well as other human opponents.
6 Your Decisions Matter
Madden 20 comes equipped with a far more in depth story mode then most fans are used to. It’ll take your custom made quarterback from being a college football rookie all the way to the Superbowl.
However, if you want to play through the football career of your dreams, it would be wise to tread carefully and think wisely about some of the choices presented to you during the playthrough. The decisions you make will affect the outcome of your career such as what professional team you’ll get to play on and how you and your fellow players work together.
5 Sorry Switch Players!
If you are looking to play Madden 20 by yourself or with friends, you need to make sure that everyone you plan on playing with has a PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One. Madden 20 is not currently planned for release on the Nintendo Switch. This could be a huge problem if you don’t own any of these consoles or if the friends you were looking forward to playing through the SuperBowl with don’t have them either. So, be sure to double-check with everyone you want to play with. If you find yourself without the proper console, be sure to shop the sales and get the best deal.
4 Focus On Your Superstars
Calling plays during the game is hugely important. It's the deciding factor between victory and defeat. If you're used to the old way of play-calling that the previous Madden games featured, then this could be an adjustment for you. The new system is meant to be far more flexible and focus on your Superstar players. This makes sense as you’ll be leaning on these players to do most of the heavy lifting when the game is in its final moments. Be sure to learn these new calls and use them properly to maximize the skills of the Superstars. This needs to be paired properly with the challenges we mentioned earlier that unlock the Superstar abilities.
3 The Pump Fake
This one feature can totally upend whatever strategy you had planned for your competitive play sessions. Now that this new fake out mechanic has been introduced, you’ll have to spend some extra time to familiarize yourself with it. In addition, you’ll need to figure out what players are best suited to execute this move successfully. Obviously, you don’t want to overuse this and create a “cry wolf” atmosphere or else your opponents will easily be able to figure out how you're operating. Be sure to play a few games against the AI to hone your skill with this brand new feature. Odds are, you’re going to go up against players who had early access and extra time to practice so you’ll have some catching up to do.
2 MUT Grinding
Electronic Arts (EA) have made a bit of a name for themselves with their penchant for microtransactions. A game like Madden 20 is an especially fat cash cow for them as everyone wants their perfect team to use in Madden Ultimate Dream mode. This requires buying tons of packs to get the players you want and items to level them up. However, if you’ve already loaded up your digital wallet to buy currency, save it for something else. The grinding to get packs (which normally would be ridiculously long to tempt you to buy things) is easier than in past games. So hang on to your digital bucks and settle in for some grinding.
1 Stunning Realism And More to Come
This, of course, is a good surprise. EA has taken incredible strides to make this one the most realistic Madden to date. The graphics take full advantage of the available technology to create lifelike character models. They’ve also gone out of their way to add in new celebrations and signature animations. The signature animations, in particular, are aimed at making the digital versions of your favorite players move and act just like the real thing. There's only a handful in the game right now but more are promised to be on the way, so don’t be disappointed if your favorite does have their own animation yet.