EA Sports is surely throwing beautiful Hail Marys to revamp its Madden franchise for the next generation. Madden 21 appears to be the beginning of a new era for the way we see franchise modes. Although the game is set for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, it’s PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions will be receiving the same mode changes. So, before any virtual ball player gets overwhelmed, even the most hardcore, here is a comprehensive list of what is freshly compacted into Madden 21‘s Franchise Modes.
Introducing ‘Face of the Franchise: Rise to Fame’
Although the name does not say much about what this year’s Face of the Franchise mode brings compared to past stories, you will finally create a protagonist that will truly evolve with age. From high school ball to university pigskin, and then competing in the National Football League, Face of the Franchise will allow players to truly develop a sincerely good-hearted, but hard-throwing player. Here is what you can expect on your journey to be better than Tom Brady:
- High school football now becomes the starting point in Face of the Franchise. As you create your future Hall of Famer for this RPG-inspired experience, you will also be able to create and play the high school you start your journey at:
- During the prologue, you will be the backup to fictional star quarterback Tommy Matthews, who is managing an injury he is holding back from coaches.
- EA Sports has dispelled that you will have to decide if your protagonist tells the coaching staff about the injury to propel you into that highly-coveted starring role.
- Although the NCAA Football series remains dormant, the college portion of Rise to Fame finally makes for a fulfilling substitute:
- There are now ten universities to choose from for your college career: Michigan State, Florida, Nebraska, LSU, Oklahoma, Clemson, Oregon, Miami, Texas, and USC.
- Possibly the most demanded feature for Madden 21 is now in existence: Players can now play multiple seasons in the NCAA, along with being able to compete in the College Football Playoff Championship.
- All things considered, the protagonist will still be evaluated after every game by NFL teams, as it will mark where you will be drafted.
- When you eventually hit the NFL, there will not be too many noticeable changes, aside from the presentation and storyline:
- Award-winning NFL Analyst Rich Eisen drops into the game for a few cutscenes, as he interviews you before you are drafted. It is not yet known if your answers will affect which NFL team drafts you, but it is usually the case.
- Legendary N.W.A. rapper, Snoop Dogg, also plays as himself later in the game (because why not), but in a role that has yet been announced.
- NFL Honors also makes its debut, as you will finally be able to be invited to the award show if your performance is on an MVP level.
- Lastly, in terms of Face of the Franchise, you’ll be going through a multitude of storylines that will have a significant effect on how teammates and rivals view your character. Interestingly enough, EA has been hinting that the turbulence you face depends on where you are drafted. So, you will have to play multiple playthroughs to witness every story packed into the game.
The classic franchise mode receives a rebuff
One of the biggest questions plaguing Madden 21 was if EA Sports would include the newest NFL playoff format the real-life league has incorporated. Fortunately, the team behind the game has added that to this installment, along with other technical changes that play a massive role off the field.
- There are now 3 Wild Card Playoff games for both the NFC and the AFC.
- Franchise mode becomes slightly tougher with players now being able to reach their second power ability once they hit an 85 overall.
- In Madden 20, it was easier to acquire a player’s second boost, as they would only have to reach an 80 overall.
- Skill trees for offensive linemen are much more expansive than in past games.
- The past skill tree has been scrapped, in favor of three different trees that vary on whether your lineman is either an offensive tackle, offensive guard, or center.
- Madden‘s rookie contracts become much more realistic. You must keep an eye on their spending, especially before signing a big-name first-round pick or second-round pick, as their contracts will cost you millions.
- Madden 21 will also introduce more X-Factors into the game for rookies and for rising stars.
As Madden 21 remains EA’s prominent football simulator, these modes could certainly witness a load of new updates and features bunched in throughout the year, and we’ll be sure to keep you posted. Meanwhile, for fans of other sports games, like NBA 2K21, we have more information that’ll probably come handy for you.
