Madden 18

[Aristo]

It's not a coincidence that I began enjoying Madden much more once I decide to blow off franchise play and spend 90% of my time on MUT. So I view the solo challenges as just practice and coin accumulation, and H2H as the meat and potatoes.

I still play the Play Now games, and Play Now LIVE is pretty great. I logged 330 hours for Madden 17 and I am at 72 hours for Madden 18. I can't complain about the money I've spent on the game, even if it is a complete failure as a franchise simulation. It's not like I ever thought this was going to be the year.

[MizzouRah]

You're still going to see that stuff, not as much but you will still see it. Aaron Rodgers in my last game scramble right and broke the pocket, was under no pressure and had 10 clear yards of running space. Instead threw across his body on the run and the pass was 15 yards short and picked off. So the bad was he did that, the good was in Madden 15 he would of hit that pass.

Problem is everything they do for this game is for head to head play. Solo players take a back seat, some might consider us sitting in the trunk so you just have to live with it.

Oh I enjoyed it because it was the Rams!

Week 2 roster update Friday.. so I think I'll start over since the roster I'm using didn't have Watkins on the Rams.

[Diablo25]

It's not a coincidence that I began enjoying Madden much more once I decide to blow off franchise play and spend 90% of my time on MUT. So I view the solo challenges as just practice and coin accumulation, and H2H as the meat and potatoes.

I still play the Play Now games, and Play Now LIVE is pretty great. I logged 330 hours for Madden 17 and I am at 72 hours for Madden 18. I can't complain about the money I've spent on the game, even if it is a complete failure as a franchise simulation. It's not like I ever thought this was going to be the year.

I am definitely digging MUT. Addictive.

[dbdynsty25]

It's not a coincidence that I began enjoying Madden much more once I decide to blow off franchise play and spend 90% of my time on MUT. So I view the solo challenges as just practice and coin accumulation, and H2H as the meat and potatoes.

I still play the Play Now games, and Play Now LIVE is pretty great. I logged 330 hours for Madden 17 and I am at 72 hours for Madden 18. I can't complain about the money I've spent on the game, even if it is a complete failure as a franchise simulation. It's not like I ever thought this was going to be the year.

I am definitely digging MUT. Addictive.

Addictive but oh so frustrating. It took me about 25 times to beat the second gauntlet trophy challenge against the Seahawks where you have to throw for 150, run for 75 and not give up 100 yards. Literally broke two controllers during my attempts. The one I won was a complete fluke throwing up a hail mary at the end to my stud Legend TE Winslow and he caught the ball about 5 inches over the goal line for the touchdown and got creamed by two defenders.

Exhilarating to say the least. But I'm 100 lighter in the pocket for the controllers. LOL. Should have just spent that 100 on MUT currency to pay for better players. LOL.

[Aristo]

For HDR I just went back to default settings. It is slightly darker, but it looks much better than any attempt to brighten it, as everything just overblown and terrible.

I impulse bought NBA 2K18 last night, and I noticed it went a hair darker, too. I definitely looks better than Madden, though.

[Danimal]

For HDR I just went back to default settings. It is slightly darker, but it looks much better than any attempt to brighten it, as everything just overblown and terrible.

I impulse bought NBA 2K18 last night, and I noticed it went a hair darker, too. I definitely looks better than Madden, though.

It is not really the darkness that is the problem, I mean my understanding is HDR is supposed to make the dark colors have variation and richness. I mean with Madden it was such a bright color pallet it seems muted. It is the other effects of the sun hitting things, it is just not done well.

I know this is rather unfair but if you look at a game like Horizon Zero Dawn and how the sun hits the clouds or mountains and the effects and then you look at the same thing in Madden (my disco helmet lens flare example) and it is night and day. It's like one was done by a competent art team and the other by an intern.

[Brando70]

I can't remember the last time I thought about selling a Madden game as quickly as this one. It's especially baffling to me because I liked 17 a lot and played several seasons in franchise. But 18 feels so boring, partly because I get exactly the same results with each game.

I started a Bears franchise 3 times, expecting to get beat, but seeing my idiot defensive players act like they have never played football in their lives. Every game has been AI QBs throwing for 75% -- Matt Ryan went 24-25 on me in one game -- and I get behind early. There's no 17-7 or 20-10 games mixed in. In fact, I do okay on offense with a terrible Bears team, so every game becomes something like 42-21 where the AI throws for a billion yards for three quarters and catches nearly everything that isn't tipped. Plus they clearly did nothing with CFM this year.

I have been playing MLB The Show all summer and I have a greater desire to finish my Cubs season than play a shiny new Madden.

[Danimal]

Ditto, I haven't played it in a month. Game is strictly a MUT game now and I have no interest in that.

[MizzouRah]

I with you guys.. haven't played it in quite some time. Pretty typical with me and Madden though.

[dbdynsty25]

Wait, Madden 18 came out? lol.

I'm with you guys. I was smart this time...bought the physical disc, so I can sell it. Usually I take my losses on Madden digital.

I probably haven't even started it in weeks. Since NBA, Golf Club 2 and Fifa take up all my time.

[Rodster]

Good to read I'm not the only one who wasted $48 on this game.

[10spro]

They were just some subtle tweaks from 17 which was a fine edition by the way, but yeah unless you're addicted to MUT (guilty) and its challenges, it’s a good idea to wait for the EA access collection.

[Wilk5280]

I play it almost daily and have a good time with it in online H2H.

[Aristo]

Personally, I love the new Play Now LIVE mode. It's the mode I liked in both NBA 2K and MLB 2K. You get a play now game, but with updated rosters and depth charts, and presentation with weekly updated commentary and stat overlays.

I will say that I'm not liking MUT quite as much this year. I have a decent 80 OVR team for playing MUT Salary Cap. But I'm just not interested in upgrading cards, so I am trying to just play and earn coins. I'm still trying to decide if it is better to sell cards out use the upgrade sets to upgrade.

I have no interest in franchise mode. The most I ever did was play a season in solo. And I've decided I just don't like the new Connected style. If I play in a league, I want all humans, not CPU controlled teams. I also don't want to play in 32 team leagues because it is rare to find that many people that can keep a league going smoothly. I would love to see a return to online league play of 6-12 teams with drafted to real rosters, and custom schedules.

But H2H in Salary Cap MUT is plenty of fun. It keeps me coming back.

[Danimal]

Right if you have no interest in franchise mode then Madden is right up your alley. Unfortunately many of us grew up on Madden franchise mode and to see it turn into a mode they don't care about or give minimum attention to is discouraging.

I played 17 for month and always felt the game were different and I had a chance to lose, not with this version its the same crap, but hey Longshot is a hit with the masses so expect more of that.

[Aristo]

I messing around in Mixer, mostly because there is a quest to log in x amount of times, which will sign you up to win a TV. I started watching Madden streams and stumbled across one of the funniest streams ever.

I started watching the third quarter, but wasn't really paying much attention. But the dude was pissed, and started mocking the other guy, laughing at him for calling the same defensive play over and over when he picked up 9 yards. The problem was, he failed to get any more yards and had to punt, pissed off because the guy kept running the same defense. That's when I noticed that the dude complaining was losing 21-0.

So his opponent moved down the field and scored, all the while the guy losing was screaming about how much he sucked. He gets the ball back and starts compolaingn about the guy running the same defense. And he was. I won't mention it in case it is really a cheat, but it was just s simple nickel zone defense. The problem was, every pass was directly to a zone. He knew the play, and how many secondary vs DL were on the field, and he was never able to move the ball. Oh, but he complained.

Eventually, he even turned his camera on and started mocking his opponent. And he was just bad, in every way. But I'm sure he will runto OS or somewhere and talk about the cheese he lost to. But the best part came on the last play.

He forced his opponent to kick a FG with 25 seconds left, so he got one more shot with the ball. For a final play from his own 45 he threw a Hail Mary. But that play beat the crap out of that nickel zone the guy was running. Only the kid was too dumb to be able to time and choose a proper pass, even though he had a receiver streaking wide open. He through to a guy in the middle of a pack, and after it bounced around off several players, it was intercepted, and he lost it. While he was screaming, his opponent tried to run the ball back instead of just sitting on it, and inadvertently ran back into his own end zone, where he was tackled. It was a safety.

Then the kid started celebrating and jumping up and down, saving over and over, "At least I got points, At least I got points." Yeah, he lost 38-2, and got points in about the most embarrassing way ever. I so wish there was a way to save streams you watch. It was too much fun, and the ending was just ridiculous.

[Wilk5280]

Stop watching my streams. :p

[Danimal]

New big game play patch out today if anyone is still playing.

[sportdan30]

New big game play patch out today if anyone is still playing.

Seemed to finally fix the QB standing like a statue in the pocket. Nice update.

[pk500]

Cheap f*ck alert: Best Buy is paying $25.38 in credit for Madden 18, which jumps to almost $28 if you're Gamers Club Unlocked.

Something to ponder, as the current Madden traditionally drops for free into EA Access about three weeks after the Super Bowl. I traded my copy today before the trade value probably plummets once this game hits Access due a glut of trades.

[sportdan30]

Cheap f*ck alert: Best Buy is paying $25.38 in credit for Madden 18, which jumps to almost $28 if you're Gamers Club Unlocked.

Something to ponder, as the current Madden traditionally drops for free into EA Access about three weeks after the Super Bowl. I traded my copy today before the trade value probably plummets once this game hits Access due a glut of trades.

Thanks for the heads up. Think I'll trade mine in this evening. Great game and will surely play it when it hits the vault.

[Danimal]

I bought digitally so s*** out of luck, however whatever they have done over the past few months has made this game really good. I started playing it a lot lately which I wasn't doing at launch.

[pk500]

Well, that didn't take long: I believe Madden 18 is available for free download through the EA Access Vault.

Much faster availability than the last two years, from what I can recall. Thanks, EA!

[XXXIV]

Well, that didn't take long: I believe Madden 18 is available for free download through the EA Access Vault.

Much faster availability than the last two years, from what I can recall. Thanks, EA!

Sweet. It is available.

Just sold it last month in anticipation. EA access is da bomb.