Madden 19: Top Reviews and Scores from Around the Web

Madden NFL 19 fittingly presents Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown on the cover. 

Like Brown, this latest effort from EA Sports does well in each area while creating memorable moments. Based on our official review and the expert reviews continuing to roll in, Madden NFL 19 offers a little bit of something for everyone. 

It may sound cliche, but Longshot returns for solo players and Ultimate Team features some new innovative solo tournaments. Customization enhancements are widespread as well, ranging from schemes to specialists positions on depth charts. 

Naturally, these improvements feature prominently in some of the most noteworthy reviews to date. 

Dustin Toms, IGN

Score: 8.9/10

Andy Kropa/Associated Press

Perhaps the biggest omission from the intro above is Madden's continued improvements in the physics area. 

After switching to the Frostbite engine, which removed the clunky animations of the past, EA Sports now has a robust set of controls putting more power in the hands of the user than ever. 

This was a big talking point for Dustin Toms of IGN: 

"You can see that growth on display in the excellent fluidity your players bring to the field. Basic moves like spins, jukes, and the ability to adjust your speed and hit the gap all look fantastic. It's a noticeable improvement that you will see across speed changes, cuts, and tackling with crushing blows when you hit the Truck Stick."

"Fluidity" is probably the best word to use when it comes to Madden NFL 19. Users running the football are rewarded for properly waiting for holes to develop before attacking the right one. A flick of a stick produces the predictable result in all directions—including backward—and properly timing stiff arms and hurdles create droves of benefits in the form of extra yardage and highlight plays. 

These improvements extend to the passing game, where users can still pinpoint lobs or low balls. Receivers still have the option to make a possession catch or go up for a highlight play. 

In all, it's clear Madden NFL 19 has a robust user experience here mimicking the real-life product well, and it feels different enough to bring back fans of the game.

Matthew Kato, Game Informer

Score: 8/10

Longshot: Homecoming is the successful sequel to Longshot, the cinematic experience telling the story of quarterback Devin Wade and wide receiver Colt Cruise. 

This is one of the biggest talking points of reviews so far, with Game Informer's Matthew Kato writing the following: 

"Control has also been taken away in Longshot: Homecoming, the final story for Devin Wade and Colt Cruise. The mode has almost no choices in it, but its larger problem is that even though it's good to catch up with Devin and Colt, the story and its new characters tread well-worn territory too familiar to be exciting. The story, as the name indicates, focuses more on Mathis, Texas than the NFL, and some of its beats even mirror FIFA's The Journey."

This is a common theme so far from reviews, which makes sense. Wade is still trying to make it as an NFL quarterback and Cruise is off doing his own thing at home while weaving in some fun gameplay. 

EA Sports hasn't shied away from the fact they wanted Longshot: Homecoming to feature more gameplay, as the first iteration felt more like a viewable experience than a game, outside of a few drills. It accomplishes this feat well with gameplay split between the NFL and high school level, where both take liberties to do some interesting things from a storytelling standpoint. 

At the same time, reviews can praise the mode while also hinting EA Sports will have to mix it up a bit in the future to keep things fresh. 

Luke Winkie, PC Gamer 

Score: 75/100

One of the bigger underrated elements of this year's release is the fact the series finally makes its long-awaited return to the PC platform. 

As such, it's only right to look at reviews from some of the biggest PC publications out there. 

And the biggest topic, naturally, is how the PC controls perform, as noted by Luke Winkie of PC Gamer: 

"As a peace offering to any dejected hardcore PC gamers, you can pilot this year's offering with a mouse and keyboard (you direct your players around the field by pushing your mouse in the designated direction, like a 'virtual joystick'). But like other games built with a console in mind, you're best off digging out that old 360 controller."

Indeed, most players might end up using a controller from a different console. It has been about a decade since users could experience the game on PC, after all. But the mouse and keyboard controls perform well enough, with the mouse acting as a joystick and plenty of key combinations serving to dole out the same fluid on-field experience. 

As an aside, Madden NFL 19 also runs well on the platform with hardly any stutters or problems. It's only fitting one of the major concessions made for the sake of users this year was the expansion to another beloved platform, giving players more options than in past years.