EA has officially announced Madden NFL 24 as it looks to build on the technical core that has been introduced from both the Frostbite Engine and FieldSENSE. This year, the development team is focusing on foundational football, which is a key component to the game as the team has gone back and watched tons of videos and revisits gameplay weekly to address aspects that take away from the immersion of the game. Players can expect even more animations and updates to hitting, running, catching, throwing and blocking. We recently went to a preview event for Madden NFL 24 to experience this focus on realism first hand.
Improving the foundational football aspect of the series is a key component of Madden NFL 24. Adding more to the gameplay this year to better improve the realism aspect starts with Hit Everything. This includes new contested catch tackles for more control to play the receiver along with new wrap tackles, scoop tackles and new Hit-Stick animations. Players can also expect a big boost to blocking with dynamic branching technology for blockers to better pick up defenders in the field. When running the ball in this early build, you can see offensive lineman properly pick up defenders and correctly come off double teams. They engaged in blocks and properly open lanes where star running backs can show off their skills. The team also implemented a defense against spam runs so players can’t overly exploit the same play over and over.
Overall enhancements across blocking, ball carrier pathfinding, quarterback decision making and defensive back behaviors will actually increase the competition against the AI. The development team is also putting a bigger emphasis on emotion during post-play cutscenes to better provide the proper feel that is seen on gameday. The Skill Based Passing system will make throwing and catching more fluid as now receivers will make catches in stride and won’t lose speed on the long routes (fear Tyreek Hill). FieldSENSE will help increase the overall control on both sides of the field, while the new SAPIEN System will bring proper size builds to players for a big change to the series. Player size are better designed and fit the prototypical positions.
All of these changes equate to different individual aspects that players will notice during gameplay. The biggest separation comes with how the AI acts now. With the ability to better see the field, the AI increases the competition. Defensive backs won’t blindly block passes without looking for the ball where as the quarterback will make their reads unless pressured, and the running backs will find proper holes and use more skill moves based on their ratings. Throwing tendencies from quarterbacks are also noticeable such as Josh Allen doing his sidearm throw, Aaron Rodgers overall pocket behavior and even Patrick Mahomes having a diving throw are prevalent across the board. Players can also expect fumble recoveries to be much more realistic in terms of diving or picking up the ball. A much larger focus on the smaller, individual aspects looks to create an overall more realistic experience.
Players can also expect more realistic face scans and new emotion animations between plays. In the past, there was minimal excitement or devastation signs after big plays. This will be experienced first hand along with players yelling at each other and talking smack. A lot more motion capture animations were complete for Madden NFL 24 and this includes different tackles, running animations and the emotion aspect. The developers have also revamped the visual presentation during the game to bring more of a big game field. These score overlays will also vary based on what day the game is played on. The game will also be receiving Ray Tracing Ambient Occlusion to build the lighting immersion even more.
While Face of the Franchise has been a component for the past few seasons, EA is bringing components of the original mode and bridging it with the more modern mode. Players will compete in the combine to get drafted by a team. This includes running a 40 time, doing bench presses and taking a Wonderlic Test. Players will be able to see XP gains after each drive in the game, and the goal is to bring the player over to the new 3v3 Superstar Showdown. This arcade mode won’t be position specific, but rather focus on playing football with friends against three others or AI. Upgrading the Superstar is possible across both modes and multiple builds are welcome to play with.
Mini-games are returning to the game with 25 available. These are also replacing the practice mode during Franchise Mode seasons as it’ll also be a part of training camp. Yes, Franchise Mode brings in Training Camp to get players upgraded and ready for each season. These are also playable in Superstar Mode and can be played individually from the main menu. We were able to test out a couple of these modes. One includes hitting targets while connecting with receivers on routes or an almost Tecmo Bowl mode that has a player running around obstacles and surviving defenders while fighting off stamina loss. This could be the pick up and play aspect that focuses on fun the series could need.
Franchise Mode not only brings the Training Camp, but other community requests. These include updated contract restructuring, trade improvements that includes the ability to use six slots, and deeper customization. A good bit of relocation teams have been added with unique uniforms and logos. you’re able to check out our interview with two of the developers, one being a former Super Bowl winning player, on our YouTube channel. Madden NFL 24 will launch on August 18 for PlayStation 4|5, Xbox Series S|X and PC. PC will also run on the latest console generation platform for the first time. These major changes will be exclusive for the latest console generation and PC versions of the game.
