Tag: video-games

Madden 27 – WTF Happened to Blocking? (and a few other things)

Out of the digital box, Madden 27 felt pretty good. There are always some warts that need to be addressed. I played through a season of Franchise Mode and started a couple others as testers for certain things (free agency logic, draft feel, and other minutia) – and it was pretty decent.

My first season felt way too easy in some ways. Taking the Browns to a 15-2 finish and a loss to Buffalo in the Divisional Round felt like and accomplishment for the ages in my first season. Over the last couple weeks I put in more time towards the second season and that’s where things got weird, stupid, and infuriating.

Pass blocking has basically become a non-factor. Even with sliders turned up for Human Pass Blocking, defenders are able to run through, around, and any other direction around my o-line for near constant pressure. On running downs (3rd and 4th and short) it is damn near impossible for your line to block with any run blocking urgency.

Adding to this shitshow of sports game programming – CPU Pass Coverage is literally running the routes of my pass catchers BEFORE they make their cuts. Not only do they mind read, they also pick off numerous passes that are well out of reach or placed perfectly.

What somehow makes this worse is the CPU will bounce between giving me a tight game (even with them cheating and my o-line being paraplegics) and crapping the bed completely. I had a super close game against Baltimore just after shutting out San Francisco at Levi’s Stadium and destroying the Cardinals when their rookie QB basically ran around until he got sacked 10 times.

There were moments and still are times when I find this game to be a hell of a lot of fun. However, whatever EA Tiburon is doing under the hood (we won’t even begin to discuss how they managed to eff up Wear and Tear AGAIN!) – They are breaking more than they are fixing.

EA – FIX YOUR F**KING GAME!

MLB 26 The Show – How To Handle Franchise Mode

It’s funny – for years the biggest complaint about Franchise Mode was trade logic. Now that we have players that are untouchable or on the block people are still finding a way to lose their minds. So, if you are among the idiots on Reddit complaining about the untouchable status of players during the first season of Franchise Mode – eat a fat one, I have no pity for you. Go back and play MLB 25 and cry into your Gen Z socials.

Yes, some of the trade logic is still goofy. BUT… This version of the game prior to the first major roster update and probably a massive gameplay patch is a hell of a lot of fun.

Here’s how I recommend handling Franchise Mode if you are going to kick off your journey in the first weeks of release.

1 – Franchise Mode Trade Frequency Slider – Move it to the left (turn it down) by two or three segments. This will keep some of the stupid trades from the CPU from happening as much.

2 – Set your Trade Block – Also, only use the players on your trade block for trade offers and leave them on the block through the deadline.

3 – Select three players you want as well – but if you get an offer for them you have to take it.

4 – Play each game using quick counts to help you get through the season in a reasonable manner.

5 – Don’t trade anyone in the first month of the season. Get a feel for the team you have and allow yourself to see how you do with certain players. I made a trade early on in my first franchise file and regretted it.

6 – Speaking of a regrettable trade – pay attention to defense ability. It matters quite a bit and you will quickly regret trading for a player because he has a bit more power offensively as he muffs and bumbles the ball everywhere – looking at both of you, Jordan Walker and Noland Gorman.

7 – Don’t listen to the pissy childish complaints on Reddit or other forums. Franchise Mode is fun and you can have a blast with it. Let the rest of the haters do whatever they do.