Another new feature this time around that really seems to enhance gameplay is that of the Defensive Playmaker. This is awesome! This feature requires you to know a bit about football in order to use it effectively. Certain situations, including downs and yards to go, can dictate specific offensive play selection. This is especially true against the computer and football savvy humans. What the Defensive Playmaker feature allows you to do is hop between various team members in order to give them a specific tactical command for that down. For example, you can tell your safety to blitz off the corner even though they're lined up in man coverage. You can tell your linebacker to show blitz only to ease off and drop back into coverage in a short zone in the middle of the field to cover the slant or pick off errant balls. If you've got to contain a QB that's fleet of foot, tell your lineman and linebackers to QB contain. Maybe you want to play a zone defense, but you need Mike Brown to cover their go-to receiver, simply select the appropriate defender and then that receiver's icon. It is all very simply executed for those comfortable with how Madden plays. For casual gamers it may be a bit too much, but it definitely adds tremendous depth to gameplay. Bravo!

There are other new features like the Showcase, Rings of a Champion, and Risking Madden Gamer Trophies which produce a slick look, presentation, and a grand sense of achievement. The rest of the game is pretty much the same as last year, which is a good thing. The developers at EA Tiburon did a good job of making some nice refinements and additions without making wholesale changes. The game controls like a good Madden game should. You can choose to play a quick exhibition game, start a franchise, create superstars, play mini-games, go online, and even get sporting news. All of your favorite content and control from years past are here with enough quality changes to make another purchase of the title worthwhile.

The graphics look great. All the movements and animations look very smooth. The stadiums look real, the jerseys pop brilliantly off the field, it's easy to spot holes in the line and the open man, and the somewhat omnipresent micro-glitching in Madden games of the past seems to have vanished. This game is optimized for HD resolution, and it will look great on that 50" LCD you bought before last year's Superbowl. I think you'll really get into the experience due to the refined visuals.