Madden NFL 19 Review

Every annual release faces the same problem of deciding where to make small enhancements and where wholesale changes are needed. With Madden NFL 19, EA Sports has definitely taken a delicate approach.

Fans likely noticed the publisher wasn’t pushing any major additions to this year’s installment in the marketing. There’s a good reason for that and it is largely because not all that much has changed. If you played Madden 18, then you are going to be very familiar with everything here.

Additions and Upgrades

But, there have been some minor additions that hardcore players have wanted for some time. The ability to set substitutes for specialist positions such as half back and slot receiver is something that has been long requested. It removes the need to scroll through multiple screens every time you want to assign a new player to a position.

Ultimate Team and Franchise Mode have been shaken up a bit as well. Now you put experience points into traits and let the player level-up themselves rather than having to micromanage it all.

Meanwhile, Ultimate Team has trainer cards that allow you to gradually improve players. Applying these cards is a more natural approach to making your team better as it keeps your roster while training individuals to take them to their best possible versions. Although far from groundbreaking, they do make playing feel more organic. They also help you get more invested in the athletes that make up your squad.

Ultimate Team has also delivered new modes for players to get their teeth into. Solo Battles mode works pretty much the same as head-to-head seasons but lets you face off against specific CPU controlled teams. You can even play MUT Squads directly against the CPU rather than real-life players.

The only downside is that all the new content is single-player focused, meaning there is nothing new here for those who enjoy stacking up against the best online. Yet, Madden NFL 19 does make Ultimate Team feel more rewarding and gives more ways to boost your coins so you have even less reason to spend actual cash.