Game Review

Madden 20 Gameplay Review

Simulation Gameplay Review, Implementing Matt10 Sliders V.28

Introduction

For the simulation community, sim. gaming is a mentality, or even a school of thought. How we approach the game can dictate how the game scripts out.

Madden NFL 20, out of the box, and in the competitive eSports space, is known for big hits and big plays. For the sim. gamers, and those who put in countless hours of work, the game simply doesn’t hold up weeks later. Superstar abilities are overpowered and the amount of overlays are overwhelming. But how does the game perform when we adjust the gameplay sliders to simulation? Does it withstand the test of time in your online franchise mode dynasty?

This is the Signature Motion Sports simulation review. Our review is based on the simulation game play setting, available in the menu settings of Madden 20. We are using Matt10’s v.28 custom gameplay sliders.

After two months of QA testing and gameplay tuning, here are the outcomes.

Locomotion — 70% Rating

Last year, EA Sports Tiburon introduced a new gameplay architecture that they named: Real Player Motion Tech, or RPM.

What is RPM exactly? EA Software Engineer Geoff Harrower describes RPM as: “Tech that allows us to capture long clips of animation. There’s no need to cut this data up. The result allows for much more natural looking motion that is more authentic to the context in which it is meant to be played.”

According to EA, the animation system “unlocks next level responsiveness and player personality.”

RPM delivered the one-cut animations mechanic, and mid-air collisions. These were a welcome addition to the title, although not without flaws.

Out of the box, the game shows glimpses of brilliance, but unfortunately the quality of player control and responsiveness is too inconsistent. Too often we find player movement that is unpredictable; teleporting animations still occur, and other glitches result in a frustrating gameplay experience.

Further, EA Tiburon touted a new Momentum Tackle system and improved tackling physics to be delivered with Real Player Motion Tech. All of these features sound great on paper, but in practice, they are all wiped out by overpowering hit-sticks, superstar ability animations, and unrealistic plays.

The on-field results just don’t make sense in Madden 20.

Enter the custom settings and sliders. The first indication that you are playing sim. football, once adjusting the sliders and settings, is the smooth player control.

Matt10’s gameplay sliders make tremendous adjustments to the game, stripping away buggy and unrealistic hit animations, and jagged player control. These gameplay sliders successfully find a beautiful foundation of simple, logical locomotion and player control underneath the blocks of code that are forcing sports gamers into big hit, arcade animations. The brilliance in these sliders is that they reveal a gameplay framework that more closely resembles the game EA Sports sold to us with Real Player Motion Tech.

Gamers want fluidity. Gamers want beautiful animations worthy of a Marvel Universe Film. We ask for it all in the hopes of finding a game that resembles the indescribable athletic abilities of the best athletes in the world.

We commend the sim community in their research, and also the developers at EA Tiburon, for subtly granting sports gamers the ability to customize gameplay in a way that significantly affects on-field outcomes. The gameplay sliders function as customizable gameplay source code, without having to implement mods as PC gamers versed in C++ and Java programming languages.

One of the big improvements you will find on sim settings is the catch and run mechanic. Players catch the ball and tuck it away so smoothly, without skipping a beat, and without awkwardly slowing momentum. Receivers foot-planting is vastly improved with the sliders.

And with interceptions, it’s night and day. When the camera flips, we are no longer forced into an awkward startup run animation or change of direction delay that ruins the chance at a pick-six. You can now choose your direction and go.

Tempo — 72% Rating

Now let’s dive into the gameplay tempo. How does the sport play out on the field with the sim settings? Madden 20 settings have a Speed Threshold slider that is being adjusted in Matt10’s sliders.

Again, the game now runs smoother. Animations begin to chain more naturally on a lower speed threshold setting. And in some cases, you will even see more realistic animations and responses.

Superman lurks are mostly eliminated, which creates more space in the short passing game and redzone. Receivers already possess excellent spatial awareness along the sidelines, and eliminating glitchy lurks only adds to the beauty of improving the throwing lanes in the endzone. The end result is a more dynamic range of red-zone pass play outcomes.

Running angles are now more predictable and manageable with Matt10’s simulation sliders. The new settings eliminate robotic, unnatural cuts that are difficult to follow; this would previously make tackles-in-space very difficult. With simulation sliders, you are in more control.

QB Accuracy has been fine-tuned. The difference in elite quarterbacks in comparison to the average QB is prevalent. Missed throws now impact the game. Trajectory, arm accuracy, and throws under pressure are all incorporated into the calculation of outcomes.

And Pass interference is now being called; defensive backs are more aggressive than ever, and this penalty is extremely realistic. Madden 20 has the animations to create excellent interactions on the outside. It was just a matter of unlocking them. P.I. might be the most realistic element to the game with the sim sliders. The on-field product is vastly improved.

With all the good the sim sliders deliver, here is what the sliders were unable to overcome.

Player archetypes still need work. A lower center of gravity is needed everywhere on the field except the pass game. It appears that the game’s locomotion is built on one type of body type or animation style — finesse, outside WR athletes.

Many animations in the trenches are slightly off, and running backs are built too tall and lean, without the proper lower half weight. A lower center of gravity and various body types will improve this.

Because we are eliminating crazy hits from the equation with the sliders, we are finding less tackle animation variety. Tackles are more logical, and result in realistic outcomes, but in some scenarios, we wish we had more variation.

Leaving the Superstar Abilities setting on helps to alleviate this drawback. Ultimately, you will see more momentum-based tackles; powerful runners can move piles and tacklers forward as they fall, more often than not.

With all that Madden 20 does right on sim settings and sliders, Madden still does not have animation depth of a 2K20 sports title. Discovering new animations and a mastery of the gameplay months later is not a luxury we have with this title.

Conclusion

Launching a game of Madden NFL 20 with sim sliders drastically changes the on field product. Players who are looking for sim leagues, sim settings, and a realistic football experience can stand to benefit from making the slider adjustments. The sliders peel away the over-the-top gameplay mechanics that is Madden NFL 20.

The result is that we find a core-gameplay experience, worthy of diving into further with the sim community.

We give Madden NFL 20 a simulation rating of 68%.