Madden NFL 07 Critic Reviews

A lineman-sized improvement over last season...The brisk, refined on-the-field play and assortment of playing modes overpower the somewhat choppy online play, the pesky kicking meter and the handful of other nits.

A visual masterpiece.

An absolute hit. The newly added defensive controls, offensive abilities (including the highlight stick which might just be the best new feature), and other features add up to a very impressive game and a highlight showcase title for the console.

Madden has graced us with the greatest update of the genre since ’04, and once you pick up this year’s version you can never go back.

Single player has never been deeper and more varied, while the online and multiplayer play is just as wonderful as it has always been.

The game’s animations are incredibly fluid with new and realistic animations for the many catches, throws and tackles.

Pretty much an unqualified success. It provides a strong primary gameplay mode, something that’s complex and yet easy to get into, while still rounding out the game with enjoyable minigames.

The players do all look larger than life, but the nuances of the graphics really breathe life into this title and the control scheme – while taking a bit to get used to – works well.

The most obvious addition to the gameplay is lead blocking control. This basically allows you to control another offensive player when the ball is snapped, make a block with that player, and then take control of the runningback. It takes a long time to get the hang of it, but once you do the results can be devastating.

Everything we hoped 06 to be and more.

A significant leap from last years version.

This is the year EA Sports finally shows 360 owners what the series is all about, the trash talking, the head-to-head competition, the ability to create yourself and become a bigger star than the Seahawk on the box.

But at least gamers on the Xbox 360 get a couple of cool features that others don’t get this year like Live Opponent and Madden Gamer Level.

I think that even those that hate on Madden for being too mainstream would find a lot to like about the Superstar mode because of how similar it is to more traditional role-playing fare.

Overall, my recommendation of Madden 07 on the Xbox 360 is conditional – if the items I’ve presented in the above list aren’t game breakers for you, the 360 version is a very worthy heir to the Madden throne.

Strides have been made as far as gameplay modes are concerned, but there is still plenty of room to improve the frame rate and online play.

Overall, this game is your standard Madden, with a standard amount of improvements and beefed up graphics and animations. It looks great, and the new gameplay features make this title well worth the purchase for Madden fans.

While it’s a better game than it was last year for the 360, it really isn’t THE football video game that we hoped for.

With a bit more attention to in-game fluidity and detail, and the inclusion of core extras such as online leagues and co-op, Madden NFL 07 could have been stellar. It’s good for sure, but Madden NFL 07 isn’t a lock in this gamer’s Hall of Fame.

The Xbox 360 version offers the best presentation out of all these games, quite simply because it probably has the best announcer of all—and his name isn’t John Madden or Al Michaels. He remains unnamed, but he’s one of those homer-types that we can all live to enjoy.