Madden 22: Top Reviews and Scores from Around the Web

With Madden NFL coming out on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X for the first time, the popular EA Sports title is heading into a new era. And considering this is the first football video game on this generation of consoles, it needs to live up to the hype.

Although Madden 22 isn't fully released until Friday, those who preordered either the MVP or Dynasty editions of the game were able to start playing Tuesday.

Many reviewers are waiting to score Madden 22 until after its full release, which also gives EA Sports time to bring out updates to fix any bugs or glitches. Still, it hasn't taken long for some people to share their opinions of this year's iteration. And most have had generally positive things to say.

Bleacher Report's Chris Roling described the newest edition of Madden in a way that seems fitting:

"Madden NFL 22 is the best recent game in the series, though the bar to clear wasn't especially high. It's disappointing to not see a bigger leap across the board with the game running on next-generation consoles. Call it an Andy Dalton effect—it can get the job done, but it's hard not to wonder if EA Sports could be more ambitious."

The most notable upgrades and improvements in this year's game are in franchise mode, which is a welcome development for longtime fans. It had been mostly ignored for a few years, which finally changed with some updates in Madden 21.

Now, Madden 22 has taken those upgrades another step forward. There's a new staff management system that includes talent trees and skill points, better ways to establish a game plan for an upcoming matchup and a redesigned hub. Plus, an overhaul to the scouting system is expected to be added further down the line, possibly in September, per EA Sports.

And it seems that these upgrades to franchise mode are among the bright spots of Madden 22, based on a review by Mark Delaney of GamesRadar.

"While other modes have few new layers to get excited for and the story engine and stamina system will need tweaks in the weeks ahead, the core improvements to what has always been the diehards' preferred mode should be seen as commendable, albeit delayed, fan service," Delaney wrote.

Brian Shea of Game Informer expressed a similar sentiment, providing even more optimism for the future of Madden franchise mode.

"It's still not the full step that fans wanted going into Madden NFL 21, but with all of the changes from last year's post-launch updates added in, plus a promised scouting update tentatively scheduled for next month, the mode is slowly getting there," Shea wrote.

Although most reviewers haven't yet scored Madden 22, Anthony J. Nash of Windows Central gave it a 4 out of 5 stars. Considering recent editions of the game had fewer positives coming out of the initial reviews, it seems this year's Madden is a big step in the right direction.

Now that Madden has entered the PS5 and Xbox Series X era, there should be plenty for EA Sports to build off of moving forward.