Madden NFL 27 and EA College Football 27 both release within weeks of one another now that EA is publishing two titles ahead of football season. It’s not necessarily like they’re competing against one another; each league has its own fandoms. Football fanatics will probably end up buying both anyway. That said, I was surprised this year to find myself almost immediately gravitating toward Madden NFL 27 and wondering if I’ll hop into the NCAA-tied game much anymore this year. Major improvements to Franchise Mode, my preferred mode in this series, along with other features added to the game, make Madden NFL 27 a must-own for fans of football sim games.

I’ve reviewed Madden games here at Phenixx Gaming for a long time now. If you read my other reviews, you’ll know that across all sports games, I spend a lot of time in the Franchise game mode each title offers. I love the team’s control, planning how to progress with new players or drafted prospects, and the management sim tie-in of it all. Finally, EA has given this game mode major love, headlined by what they’re calling the Persona Engine. In this new game feature, every player has their own combination of 65 different Persona DNA traits to make them feel more human. It brings the Franchise Mode experience to life in a way I’ve never seen before in Madden.

Now, things like franchise tags, contract negotiations, and even gameday performance feel like there’s always a narrative playing out. If someone is a bit unhappy with their targets at the Wide Receiver position, they might suddenly decide they need more money to stay on your team next year. Likewise, free agents now seem to favor your team if their personality fits not only with your playbook style, but also your team’s overall morale and energy. It’s a blast seeing these little stories play out over the course of a season, and a few turns actually surprised me.

CPU-controlled teams are also a lot more aggressive in rebuilding and competing for the Lombardi Trophy. In past entries, you’d often watch the CPU teams make questionable decisions on and off the field. Now, it feels like you’re actually competing with other GMs and coaches to win games, recruit star players, and win it all. Wear and Tear, the in-game workload mechanic, also starts to feel like a real factor in nail-biting matchups. That Running Back you continue to throw into the D-Line because they’re a powerhouse? They’re going to start feeling that in their bodies, limiting their impact and increasing their risk of injury. Risk your player’s well-being too often, and they’ll also grow unhappy.

For years, it’s felt like NBA 2K and its MyLeague mode held the prize for best sports league sim experience. Madden NFL 27 gives it a run for its money. Thanks to inventing new ways to make the NFL feel alive, it might just be the best sports gaming experience on the market. I can see myself playing through years of my Chicago Bears franchise I’ve started.

Superstar Mode improvements feel less revolutionary than Franchise Mode, but there are still some highlights. Importing your Road to Glory character from EA College Football 27 is a nice way to connect the two games. Tight End, Free Safety, and Edge Rusher are also all new positions you can pursue on your journey to the Hall of Fame. New X-Factor upgrades also give you more customization to help your player’s impact on the field feel true to how you like to play. All in all, it’s more of the same from this Career-style mode, but for those who enjoy it, I think there’s a small win in seeing minor improvements rather than major setbacks.

Across all game modes, additional touches to presentation are notable this year as well. Stadium-specific features are a ton of fun to watch. Raising the 12th flag in Seattle and skydivers dropping into Denver’s Mile High Stadium are just two examples. New seasonal broadcast packages for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are also fun ways to make the game feel like the real league. Some additions, like expanded halftime reports, are immediate skips for me regardless of the enhancements, but hey, there’s something for everyone, I guess.

I don’t know that the game looks any better to me than Madden NFL 26, but last year’s game looked great. The way Madden NFL 27 plays, however, feels like a step in the right direction. My major complaint at this time is simply the balancing. For example, I found myself running the ball as the Chicago Bears like I was on rookie mode, even on the greater difficulties. Then, I’d drop back to pass and immediately get sacked with seemingly no ability to dictate my response to a blitz. These things tend to get fixed as the game lives on, and there are sliders I can play with myself, but it’s a bit frustrating to see it this unbalanced at launch.

There are a few known issues as well, but my other major complaint this year isn’t actually in gameplay. The UI of the game, from its menus to its layout, is sort of messy to me. I hate the space on the screen they’re giving to certain things, as seen below, instead of actual ways to navigate around the different modes and menus. There’s also a major block of unused space that ends up feeling sort of placeholder-ish, as if other design elements didn’t make the cut. It’s a small complaint, but one that I don’t remember having as much in past years.

For NFL football fans, Madden NFL 27 feels like a great pickup ahead of the new season. With significant improvements to Franchise Mode, better on-field presentation, and other elements that set it apart from its predecessors, this year is a W for EA’s professional football sim. I can already see myself gravitating away from EA College Football 27 for the year in favor of this game. If you’re on the fence about which one to grab, you can purchase both in a package at a discount. Picking one however feels like an easy choice this year; give me Madden NFL 27.

An Xbox Series X review copy of Madden NFL 27 was provided by EA for this review.

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Madden NFL 27

69.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Franchise Mode improvements are what we've needed for years
• Additive presentation elements make the Madden experience feel more real than ever
• Persona DNA might be the best Madden feature in over two decades

Cons

• Sliders are way off in offense and defense at launch
• UI menus and screens are annoying to navigate and kind of ugly