If These Scenarios Could Have Been Added To The Practice

By Author: Guild Black
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Virtual representations of real-world sportscasters update their Twitter feeds in response to happenings within the career mode, and although some do seem artificial (you will start to see the same tweets after a while), it adds a small dose of realism to proceedings and it also helps give the impression events within this game mode have some form of repercussion in a larger (virtual) world. The other addition is a form of RPG-lite mechanics, whereby you can upgrade your player or coach by completing objectives and purchasing better skills with XP. You gain a base level of XP for completing each week’s practice as well as for playing in games.

Players are also given weekly, seasonal, and career-long objectives, such as passing or rushing yard, sacks, or MVP awards to unlock bigger pools of XP once achieved. It’s another new feature making what you do in each game feel more like it counts toward a bigger picture.The main downside I found to playing Connected Careers was it got repetitive pretty quickly, particularly in the player mode. Each week you have to participate in practice, but these never seem to change ...
... up. You’re given the same scenarios week in, week out, and none of them are particularly exciting.

It would have been nice to be able to replay some particular moments from the previous weekend’s game, or even a compatibility with the Madden Moments mode (discussed later) would have made for some more interesting scenarios. Added to this is the fact that if you start as a rookie (and in particular a quarterback), you’ll spend most, if not all, of the first season sitting on the bench, unable to challenge the established regular for a first-team spot. It’s a realistic approach, as not many draftees slot straight into a line-up, but it still feels boring, and for a long time leaves weekly practice as the only taste of football you’ll get.

The Madden Moments mode just briefly mentioned above is part of the new Gridiron Club in Madden 13, which exists to serve as an area for fans of ‘real-world’ football to get regular updates via videos, and also earn loyalty bonuses from playing the Madden series. Madden Moments allows players to attempt to recreate feats from real-world football games, such as coming from behind at the start of the fourth quarter, or only allowing below a certain number of points from the opposition. Like much of Madden 13, Madden Moments will be updated throughout the season with new scenarios to play through.

As I said previously, if these scenarios could have been added to the practice mode in Connected Careers, it would have made for a more varied and enjoyable experience. Also offered in the Gridiron Club is a regularly updated series of videos, including news from the NFL network, and gameplay tips from Madden veterans.EA Tiburon seems determined to make the Madden series a central hub for NFL fans, and it wouldn’t be surprising if in a couple of years Madden contained an option to stream NFL games through the game itself. In a nice nod to long-time fans of the Madden buy fifa coins online series, the Gridiron Club also contains a number of loyalty bonuses for those who have played previous Madden games in this console generation, going back to Madden 08.