Madden 13 Review: Infinity Engine Ushers Iconic Game into New Age

It will only take a few minutes of Madden 13 gameplay before it becomes clear this is the dawn of a new age for the quintessential video football game. 

This reality will sink in quickly because this game looks different right from the get-go, and the new Infinity Engine is the reason. 

It has been a while since Madden has made any real noticeable tweaks to the game engine, and now they have done so in a big way. 

This new advancement makes its biggest impact in the gameplay, which we will discuss, but it is also apparent when just looking at the players. 

This game looks clean and clear. Players' faces are easily the most realistic of any Madden effort, and they are the best I have seen in any sports title. 

However, it is when the action gets cranked up where the real advancements begin to impress. 

The Infinity Engine allows for everything in the game to react to each other. In other words, everything is related to each other and not separate entities doing their own thing on the same stage. 

Collisions have a realistic outcome as bodies and footballs typically bounce off objects with appropriate vigor and in the right directions. 

In the past, there were unrealistic outcomes to movements. For example, a player may be coming down with the ball as a defender rushes toward them and an arm or a leg would go right through that defender. Now that appendage will get knocked back and spin a player around or knock them over. 

This dynamic is apparent at the line of scrimmage, on fumbles or in pileups. 

The Infinity Engine is not perfect. There are times where tackles appear to be made too easily or limbs bounce off with way too much force, but this will all be improved upon in future editions.

This is the first attempt to have players' movements actually react to other players, and that makes each reaction unique (or infinite) to the situation. 

It makes the game feel alive, and it makes for a gaming experience that is fresh and new.