Madden 18 review: Longshot mode adds depth to a game already strong on quality

You may not know Devin Wade and Colt Cruise yet, but you sure will once you've been immersed in the new cinematic journey mode

Tom Brady is the year's cover star but the game's greatness lies further in (EA Sports)

The problem with such an immensely successful franchise is that the makers of Madden, EA Sports, have been stuck for ideas in recent years on how to improve the series.

Madden Ultimate Team, like its Fifa cousin, has been an immense success for them and will always be driven by those behind the game because it is now becoming big business. Gone are the days where you buy, complete and discard a game and online gameplay, a possibility thanks to improving internet speeds the world over, and these Ultimate Team products have extended games into year-long endeavours but also immensely profitable output for developers.

That said, Madden 18’s big new arrival is an offline experience in shape of Longshot, a cinematic journey through the lives of Devin Wade and Colt Cruise, two childhood friends who are desperate to make it in the big leagues. There has been no lack of time and effort invested into making this new mode become a reality and the end product is a cinematic, perhaps slightly video-heavy story that is ultimately a refreshing break from the norm.

By delving back into the high school and college games and attributing different storylines to these players, there is huge depth to the game mode and it means we finally see the journey to the draft itself dealt with.

Devin Wade is the star of Longshot, a cinematic journey mode through his life (EA Sports)

Every choice you make for your character has an impact.

Every misplaced pass or poorly-conceived idea in any walk of life will have a negative effect in the same way that throwing buckets of touchdowns will see your stock rise. You are empowered with the chance to imbue your character with his personality, yours or a combination of the two. It is very much what you make it and if you allow yourself to get lost in the cinematics of it all, then don’t be surprised if you struggle to keep your eyes dry at the key moments.

Outside the Journey, which can be classified as a triumph, the old favourites remain including Franchise Mode and some improved gameplay. There remain holes deeper within the long-term game forms, not least the ability to acquire first-round picks too easily via the trade system and there is still scope for more work to be done on this mode, yet it remains the best Madden has to offer for the NFL enthusiast.

And so does the series itself. Madden is not a series with any direct rivals because it simulates and recreates the sport so peerlessly while Longshot adds breadth and depth to a series that would fly off the shelves even if they’d just dusted off last year’s and given it a fresh lick of paint.

It is testament to the game’s creators that they continue to strive for better.