American football is one of the most popular sports in the United States of America, next to basketball and baseball. This means there are millions of fans who want to see, play, or experience this sport in any way possible. So it is evident that something so popular will have its franchise of items such as purchasable goods, clothing, and, more specifically, video games.
The most famous American football game series is made by none other than Electronic Arts titled "Madden NFL." The series is one of their best possessions, next to FIFA, and is released yearly on most platforms. Looking back at it, how many of these games are genuinely the best? Here's a ranking of every Madden release from the 2010s based on their Metacritic score.
11 Madden NFL 21 (63)
Madden NFL 21 is the latest game in the series. The game came out on August 28, 2020, on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It is also set to release on Next-gen consoles in November and has also been released on Android and iOS. That being said, even the number of platforms couldn't save this one, since it is the most poorly rated Madden game since 2010. Standing at a 63 on Metacritic, with a 0.2 user score based on over 5000 reviews, this game has undoubtedly turned off fans the most.
10 Madden NFL 25 (74)
Not to be confused by the title, Madden NFL 25 is not the 2025 version of the game. Instead, it is the 25th anniversary of the series, essentially replacing the name Madden NFL 14. The game was released in 2013, built on EA's Ignite engine. Madden NFL 25 saw its release on all the platforms, including the upcoming PS4 and Xbox One at the time. The game has seen an abysmal score compared to other titles on the list, making the 25th anniversary of the game not as memorable as the developers wanted it to be.
9 Madden NFL 20 (76)
Following the line of Madden NFL yearly releases, the last year's game wasn't so great either. The game stands at a 76 score out of 100 on Metacritic, which is pretty decent. However, the user score of 1.4 tells an entirely different story.
Many fans may be expecting a lot from a franchise they've loved for years, or maybe it is because of the price tag. Another thing that got criticized by fans was the Ultimate Team mode for the lack of 99 OVR cards.
8 Madden NFL 12 (78)
Unlike the previous three games, we're now entering the line of genuinely good games. Madden NFL 12 was released in 2011 on a plethora of platforms. These included three of the PlayStation consoles, Xbox 360, Wii, and mobile devices. The reception of the game was pretty good as well, with most reviewers praising the fact that the game has received many tweaks, which a lot of series hardcore will love. Some negative reviews talked about the lack of new features and modes, but all in all, it was a great title.
7 Madden NFL 19 (80)
2018 was probably the year when most users started hating the series. However, based on critics Madden NFL 19 was perhaps a good game. The game was released when developers have had some experience with consoles such as PS4 and Xbox One. Madden NFL 19 was referred to as a great sports sim by many critics, and its Real Player Motion feature was praised as well. The game was noticed to be a lot more fluid than before, with only a few fans disliking the repetitiveness of the game.
6 Madden NFL 15 (81)
In 2014, Madden NFL 15 was released to a mildly positive reception. There were multiple reasons for that, and the biggest one was the fact that it used a completely new engine on the PS4 and Xbox One. At the same time, the last-gen consoles were using an outdated engine. This is why we are considering the best version of the game for the sake of ranking. Madden NFL 15 was praised for its improved gameplay and graphics, and there were fewer glitches this time around.
5 Madden NFL 18 (82)
Madden NFL 18 was one of the highest-rated games in the series. While the user score still begged for improvements, the critics seemed pretty much happy with the product. The game was said to have taken the most significant leap in terms of older releases.
The game ditches the Ignite engine for the Frostbite 3 engine, and that plays an average role in the success of this one. Many critics praised the mode titled Longshot for trying something new. However, fans have thought of it as a disappointment more than anything else.
4 Madden NFL 17 (82)
One of the 2016's Madden game's most prominent features was a new ground game mechanic that resulted in much more balanced gameplay. This turned out in the game's favor, making Madden NFL 17 a delightful game. Most of the critics have liked the new defense AI in the game and have praised its Franchise Mode as well. However, there was one thing a lot of fans and critics disliked about this game, and that was its commentary.
3 Madden NFL 13 (83)
Madden NFL 13 belongs to the era when PS3 and Xbox 360 were in their final few years, so developers have had enough time to squeeze the best out of these systems. This is why the game sits at such a good score because it was an overall pretty balanced experience. While some parts of the game were completely useless, such as the Kinect voice support, the game still managed to offer enough useful things to be rated as one of the best Madden NFL games ever.
2 Madden NFL 16 (83)
Madden NFL 16 sits at a much better user score compared to the previous entry. This means the game has done a lot of things right for the fans of the series. The game uses the Ignite engine and carries a lot of good stuff from Madden NFL 15. This is why it receives a lot of positive reviews from fans and critics. The new Draft Champions mode was highly praised by the fans as well, and most considered this to be the step in the right direction.
1 Madden NFL 11 (83)
Based on Metacritic scores, Madden NFL 11 is the highest-rated American Football title in the past ten years. On top, the game was offered free to the subscribers of Sports Illustrated, similar to the previous year. The game was noted to be a much better fit for casual players. A lot of reviewers considered this game to be a good bang for the buck, saying it has better controls, better presentation, and overall much more fulfilling gameplay.