PlayStation 3

Madden NFL 07

I really think Madden games are the hardest games to review in the entire industry. What’s to be said about this series that hasn’t been said before? Everyone knows that late each summer, gamers get presented with a slightly upgraded version of the same game they played last year. Yes, it has new rosters. Yes, they tried to add a couple new gameplay additions. When it comes down to it, however, the gameplay experience is almost identical to the last few installments.

As was the Xbox 360 version, the PS3 version of Madden NFL 07 is a very good football game that doesn't quite live up to the full potential of the latest console hardware. And while the game looks and plays quite good on the PS3, the added Sixaxis control support isn't really that impressive, nor are the visuals all that much better than what the 360 version offered back in August. Still, the improvements, though small, are there, and for football fans buying a PS3 at launch, Madden's worth a look.

Wie auf der 360 lebt die PlayStation3-Version von Madden NFL 07 in erster Linie von ihrer Lizenz-Exklusivität und den üppigen Kulissen der nächsten Generation. Inhaltlich wurde das American Football-Spektakel nahezu 1:1 von der Microsoft-Konsole portiert, nur um ein paar kleine Sixaxis-Bewegungen ergänzt sowie hinsichtlich der in den 360-Stadien häufiger vorkommenden Clippings und Bildrateneinbrüchen optimiert. Den sporadisch abgehackten Bewegungen der Athleten begegnet man auch auf der PS3 - und muss hier zusätzlich noch mit einem der stärksten Kantenbildungs-Problemen vorlieb nehmen, das in den Starttiteln zu finden ist. Das ist extrem bedauerlich, da Madden auch auf dem Sony-Flaggschiff das Zeug gehabt hätte, am 360-Pendant vorbei zu ziehen. So aber bleibt PS3-Footballern nur die Gewissheit, auch auf ihrem System das beste Football mit Exklusiv-Lizenz zu erleben, das auf dem Markt zu finden ist. Ist doch auch schön...

While the series is definitely far from its prime, it manages to prove once again that EA and Madden know a good game of football, just not a very new one.

I love this series. I look forward to the annual Madden game more than most games throughout the year. Madden NFL 2007 looked like it would be the bright spot for Xbox 360 sports games, but it ends up swimming around in the same frustrating waters that it did last fall. Madden NFL 2006 got away with some of its flaws, simply because it was a launch title. Madden NFL 2007, which came out nine months later, can’t escape the same flaws and some of the other new ones caused by Superstar Mode. EA Tiburon needs to re-work its million-selling baby before the 2008 series.

All said and done, Madden is still Madden. With all the tweaks and enhancements it's tough to recommend this title if you already own it for the 360 or even Xbox for that matter. But realistically, regardless of what I might say Madden players are a dedicated bunch. Some buy it every year regardless while others skip over particular editions to wait for a more mind blowing upgrade. For the average gamer who may not play Madden all that often, I'm going to mark this as a rental because as with any sports game unless you are dedicated to playing, it will tire easily.