HIGH  Greatly improved on-the-field presentation. Added features for Franchise mode

LOW Still suffers from wonky AI and bugs.

WTF Why did my center line up as a receiver?

The Axis Football franchise has had its share of ups and downs over the past few years.

2023’s incarnation was a standout featuring a new physics engine and gameplay tweaks that led to its highest score ever at GameCritics. Major setbacks plagued the 2024 campaign, including rubber-banding AI, graphical glitches, and inaccurate, repetitive commentary. After forgoing the 2025 season (a rebuilding year, if you will) wholesale changes were made to every aspect of the experience, and now Axis Football returns for 2026. 

On the field, players look even better than ever, with more detailed models including wrinkles on jerseys.  The new stadiums are lovely, giving the feeling of a real home team advantage, including new crowd chants and fans decked out in team colors. 

New animations make it much easier to see holes in a defensive line for a running back to slip through, or why a pass was broken up by a wily safety.  There are still times when it appears that a blocker can almost teleport to make a play on a ballcarrier, but the new instant replay mode often shows players behaving realistically, greatly enhancing the experience. 

New commentary has been recorded, including team-specific lines when scoring and so on.  It can still get repetitive, especially after playing a large number of games, but the new dialogue was certainly welcome.  Play calling has also been enhanced with a new create-a-play feature in case the current team playbook is too limiting.

Off the field, Axis Football 2026 still has one of the deepest franchise modes in videogame football, and as before, the player has complete control over the organization.  With a few button clicks, I can hire and fire coaches, scout future potential draft picks, and purchase upgrades for my stadium, such as luxury boxes and fitness and rehabilitation gear for my players. 

These things are key, as Axis Football makes players work to improve their teams, and the salary cap is no joke.  I often had to think long and hard about signing a stud free agent or saving the cap space for the offseason when I had to re-sign my core team.  Moments like this are exhilarating, and when I finally led my squad to the Axis Bowl Championship, I felt like I earned it with my shrewd decision-making. 

While the new modes, character models, animations, stadiums, create-a-play, and improved play-by-play are as impressive as an off-balance, one-handed grab in the end zone, Axis Football 2026 still has its share of problems that negate forward progress. 

As of the time of writing, the visuals are locked at a resolution of 1920 x 1080, even if a monitor is capable of much higher settings.  A controller and mouse tend to cancel each other out when manipulating menus, which is especially frustrating when trying to navigate settings or interact with the UI outside of on-the-field gameplay, such as accepting trades or drafting players.  Additionally, setting up a team’s 53-man roster can be more difficult than it should be — the option to place the best players on the field at all positions automatically should be included. 

On the field, the AI still struggles with basic concepts.  I’ve watched special teams’ players streak right past the return man straight into the endzone on kickoffs, allowing the ballcarrier to gain far more yards than should have been possible.  In one particularly bizarre scenario, I had a center line up as a receiver on multiple plays during a drive, eliminating a checkdown option for my QB. 

I’m also still not able to tell if the dreaded catchup AI from the 2024 campaign has returned — suspicions were raised when I noticed opposing teams coming back from serious deficits, even when my Philadelphia Express significantly outmatched them.  Since building my team of stars took six seasons’ worth of heartbreak and failure, it’s frustrating to win against obvious chumps, when I should have steamrolled them. 

The simulation mode has issues as well.  While losing one game by a point with seconds left on the clock, I ended manual play and allowed the computer to simulate the final moments.  Somehow, I wound up winning that game even though there was no possible way to do so.  (It was also snowing in Miami during that game in early October…)

While not quite matching its previous heights, Axis Football 2026 has made marked improvements over the last incarnation and shows that it’s still a title worthy of taking the field.  With the right bug fixes and continued improvement, it could once again become a solid contender in the increasingly-crowded football market.  Axis Football 2026 is worth the time and the price of admission, but there’s definitely room for this franchise to tighten things up.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed and published by Axis Games. It is currently available on XBO, XBX/S/PS4/PS5/PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 11 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and multiple seasons were completed. There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E. The game is a realistic simulation of American Football.  Players are tackled and knocked to the ground, or may be pushed/shoved to the ground by blockers or a stiff-arm.  Injuries to players are briefly described in text form (such as Player X sustained a leg injury) and whether or not they will return to play.  There are no visual depictions of injuries.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game does not offer subtitles. The game is playable without sound, as there are visual representations of all in-game activities.  However, there are no subtitles for any commentary or player chatter (snap counts, etc.).  While the game does provide a quick summary of the previous play (tackle for loss, rushing gain of 17 yards and so on) so much of the experience is lost.

Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable.

The post Axis Football 2026 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH Franchise is once again the centerpiece of the Madden banquet table.

LOW The load times are unbearable for this console generation.

WTF Even digitally, the NY Giants seem lost and confused.

Please allow me to pull back the curtain on how things run at GameCritics headquarters. For years, our esteemed editor has questioned higher scores when a corresponding review indicated otherwise, and for years, I pushed back, arguing that the whole often exceeded the sum of its parts. While I stand behind every review I’ve ever published, from now on, I plan to approach scoring a little differently.

Madden NFL 26 is the reason why.

Last year, I awarded Madden 25 an 8 out of 10, citing steady, if minor improvements — and by and large, it was a good, solid football sim. After playing Madden NFL 26, I no longer want to see incremental upgrades. Nor do I want to review more ‘solid’ games. I want to see more of this.

Madden NFL 26 is the revelation football enthusiasts have wanted, breaking the cycle of minor fixes to deliver a monumental leap in immersion, atmosphere, and controls, and the largest refinement came where it was needed most — the criminally-overlooked Franchise Mode. After years of wondering if EA was pushing all users toward the microtransaction-focused Ultimate Team, it’s clear the developers listened to fan feedback, because Franchise feels like the heart of Madden once more.

For starters, the updated week-to-week tactical approach lets gamers design strategies on the fly, tailored to each opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. In turn, a new XP-based progression system personalizes the player development process, and the “Wear & Tear” mechanic (borrowed lovingly from College Football) forces users to make tough decisions about how to rest stars and manage rosters across a long season.

Another key development was the introduction of coaching archetypes, which allows players to choose whether to lead their team as an Offensive Guru, Defensive Genius, or Development Wizard. Each path provides unique skill trees and gameplay benefits, deepening the strategic investment. Combine this with enhanced scouting, revamped menus, and a more robust broadcast package, and Franchise has become a destination rather than an afterthought. Gamers asked for it, and EA delivered in a big way.

This realism is matched by the gameplay, which is both quicker and more realistic than before. Madden NFL 26 strikes a delicate balance between accuracy and responsiveness, creating a pace that is fast enough to excite without delving into arcade territory. The much-hyped “QB DNA” system brings more personality to quarterbacks and receivers by amplifying pocket passing/scrambling tendencies, receiver route discipline, and overall situational awareness, so the results better reflect what fans see on Sundays.

Defensive play has also improved, albeit not by the same leaps and bounds. Still, Madden’s AI shows more intelligent formation reads and more realistic animations for blocking and tackling. A lot of this will be missed by the casual player, but there’s a sense of fluidity and realism that enhances the immersion in each session.

One thing sports fans always seem to do is compare the current Madden series with the beloved NFL 2K titles, especially when it comes to broadcast quality, Well, Madden NFL 26 feels like a true primetime production with unique looks for Thursday night, Sunday afternoon, and Monday night football, right down to lighting that shifts with the time of year. Maybe the commentary isn’t quite as memorable as the first time we heard Dan Stevens on our Dreamcasts, but there’s little repetition or inaccuracy.

In turn, entertaining cutaways and postgame coverage match the old TV spirit of NFL 2K, delivering trivia, highlights, and halftime visuals for authenticity and immersion. It’s been a long time, but this year’s Madden finally captures the gravitas and flair of the NFL’s expanded weekly product.

Even Madden Ultimate Team (MUT), long criticized for its money-hungry grind, benefits from smarter (if subtle) quality-of-life updates. Yes, the annoying pay-to-win structure remains, so MUT is still best suited for those comfortable with its monetization design. However, it’s also more welcoming to those who want to dabble before opening the wallet, which is a step in the right direction.

Superstar Mode has made a significant move forward by revisiting basic RPG-like elements. Maybe this isn’t exactly “Sunday Stadium Skyrim,” but this notably revamped mode now features career chapters, evolving player relationships and ongoing customization, showing an honest attempt to make the journey feel more personal. Though it still doesn’t quite reach the depth of Franchise, nor does it dabble in melodrama like the NBA 2K series, EA’s attempts at storytelling no longer feel half-baked, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s efforts.

Also, it should be noted that graduating seniors from the College Football series can be imported and drafted in Madden 26. This is handled well, and it’s enjoyable to watch a dominant college player adapt to the improved talent facing him in the pro ranks. It’s also a nice way to enhance the value of owning both titles, since there is no limit to how many created superstars can find their way into the hallowed halls of Madden NFL.

Even though readers probably know I’m about to laud this title with a stellar score, I do need to call out one odd, unexpected complaint — loading times. Both offline and online, I found myself staring at loading screens for far longer than I should with my Xbox Series X. Online, I’m willing to forgive these delays in the short term, as servers were understandably packed at the time of review. That said, jumping from mode to mode shouldn’t be timed by an hourglass. EA will hopefully patch this soon, if they haven’t already.

So, to bring this discussion full circle, Madden NFL 26 is a shining example of why it’s important to read full reviews, not just scores. Why? Even when discussing two games in a series made one year apart, there’s a world of difference between last year’s 8 and this year’s 9.5. Those waiting for Madden to finally make true forward progress can exhale, because the moment has come.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is published by EA Sports and developed by EA Orlando. It is available on XBO/X/S, PC, SW2, and PS4/5. This game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the XBX. Approximately 13 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was not completed. Approximately 4.5 hours of play were devoted to online multiplayer.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E. This is a realistic representation of full-contact professional football. Some tackling animations and injuries may concern some parents.

Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are available in the Game Settings menu.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: Madden NFL 26 features subtitles, speech-to-text, and numerous tactile feedback features in all modes. (See examples above) The game is easily playable without sound and is fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: No, the game’s controls are not remappable.

The post Madden NFL 26 Review appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

HIGH More options on offense with greatly improved blocking AI and animations.

LOW “Appropriately challenging play experience” steers too close to “rubber banding”

WTF Why is my beloved Philadelphia Express ALWAYS terrible?

Every year around this time, I get excited for football season.  I love the precision of an elite quarterback bulleting a pass between defenders to a streaking receiver and the relentless pursuit of a linebacker as they close in for a tackle or sack.  Coaching matchups resembling chess masters vying for position on a board is fascinating, as are offensive linemen adjusting on the fly to create a hole for a crafty running back to slip through.  For the past several seasons, the NFL has not been the object of my affection, though, but rather Axis Football.  Unfortunately, a major design issue heavily limits my enjoyment of this year’s outing, Axis Football 2024. 

Let’s start with the good. 

Once again, Axis offers the deepest franchise mode available apart from straight management sims.  Prospective GMs can manage everything from the intensity of practices to the conditions of the seating in their home stadiums.  2024 also allows players to customize the size of their league prior to starting a franchise and a handy team activity menu tracking signings, drafts, trades and more, so a coach can know what their opponents are up to and try to keep pace.  Along with these changes, coaches can now edit their individual playbooks, and with designed QB runs and dozens of new defensive formations and plays to choose from, the customization options have never been better.

On the field, several welcome changes have been added, with an incredible focus on blocking.  Over 75 (!!!) new blocking interactions have been introduced, and the results are fantastic.  Instead of watching linemen slamming into one another, blocking animations more accurately depict the creation of running lanes or the absolute destruction of an offensive line by defenders.  Teammates will now rush to pick up blocks downfield, allowing a receiver or runner to eke out a few more yards, or completely clear the path to the end zone.  Ball carriers now have some physics on their side, as their momentum allows them to surge ahead despite being hit or bounce off of a tackler completely, opening up the field for potential big gains. 

Axis Football 2024’s UI has been enhanced as well, showing previous plays called to help determine what calls have been effective.  It also now shows how many yards were gained (or lost) on the previous play rather than having to wait for the next down and distance to be announced.  Little details like pro-style lineup displays during the first possession of a game add to the immersion factor, and the new stadiums added this year are a treat for the eyes.  Axis creates more representative schedules this go around, meaning dealing with fewer snowy fields in early October, for instance, and this year it’s possible to save a game in progress and return to it later for those times when life interferes with football, perish the thought. 

Not all the grass is greener on Axis Football 2024’s lush fields, however. 

Perhaps to provide an “Any Given Sunday” feel where even bad teams are capable of beating better rivals if everything falls the right way, Axis 2024 has added an adaptive difficulty mode.  While this can lead to more exciting outcomes in lieu of potentially one-sided beatdowns, this feature feels more like the unfair rubber banding that something like Mario Kart has made infamous. 

Here’s one of many examples — I led my stalwart Philadelphia Express down the field late in the game to take a two-score lead.  This should be considered an achievement in itself as the Express is filled to the brim with sub-par players.  When the opposing team takes possession, they’re suddenly able to make tremendous gains, breaking numerous tackles or avoiding the defense completely, gobbling up dozens of yards in a few plays for a quick TD.  With time left on the clock, I get the ball back, only to be pummeled by a defense that I had skillfully dissected earlier.  Those same linebackers are suddenly able to shred my linemen, moving faster than I’ve seen them move all game to nail a running back or sack my QB for a huge loss, forcing me to punt.  With time running out, they punch in a TD. 

Is this an exciting finish to a ballgame that I’d be happy I paid to see?  Absolutely.  Is it an enjoyable gameplay experience?  Nope.  I thought perhaps I was being overly dramatic because the Express are chumps, and I should be losing these games, but then I tried exhibition matches with the best team in the league playing the worst and got similar results with the best receiver in the league failing to get open and the worst quarterback lookling like Patrick Mahomes or Jalen Hurts.  These WTF catch-ups are so overtly artificial, and it’s frustrating. 

Less bothersome but still issues are things like the commentary, though it’s better-edited than in years past.  There are fewer completely incorrect observations by the commentator, but the play-by-play constantly describes passes going past the first down marker when they are clearly only thrown a yard or two past the line of scrimmage.  Also, it’s still not possible to make trades during a draft to try to improve upon an upcoming pick, which limits one’s ability to improve a team. Additionally, there are still instances of players running incorrect routes, kick returners snapping into position, or field goal attempts sailing through the back wall of a stadium, never to be seen again.

If there was an option to limit or remove the adaptive difficulty, I could live with the other minor issues and call Axis Football 2024 a triumph and a must-play sports title.  As it stands, however, I can’t rate this year’s effort as high as I’d like to thanks to the incredible frustration of being impossibly steamrolled by a computer-controlled opponent who’s gaming the system in its favor. Where’s the ref?

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Disclosures: This game is developed and published by Axis Games. It is currently available on PC and PS5. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 12 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and multiple games and seasons were completed. There are no multiplayer modes.

Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated E. This game is a realistic depiction of professional American Football featuring blocks and tackling similar to an NFL broadcast. Injuries are described in text between plays and in status screens, but injured players are not shown on the field, and there is no blood.

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game does not offer subtitles. While playable without sound, the in-game commentary is lost. Audio cues for turnovers are accompanied by a brief slow motion effect to alert the player. This game is not fully accessible.

Remappable Controls: No, this game’s controls are not remappable.

The post Axis Football 2024 appeared first on Gamecritics.com.

The friendly folks at EA Sports were kind enough to invite GameCritics to a closed beta of the hotly anticipated Madden NFL 23. Obviously, I jumped at the chance to spend a few hours with it, as this latest Madden is expected to represent actual forward progress into the current generation of consoles, and not just a cross-generation juke step.

Right out of the gate, it’s abundantly clear that EA is laser-focused on enhanced realism for the series — at least for current-gen console owners — as the all-new FieldSENSE is reflected in nearly every aspect of gameplay. Long-time Madden enthusiasts are likely aware of EA’s penchant for gameplay gimmicks which have produced mixed results over the years, but they can rest assured that FieldSENSE is an innovation on par with icon-based passing and the hit stick physics. It’s not another “passing cone” misstep.

So what is it? FieldSENSE isn’t a solitary gameplay feature, but rather an overhauled series of control upgrades that put more emphasis on player physics, accurate defensive controls, and revised passing options that (hopefully) put an end to questionable receiving statistics.

In the few hours I spent with the beta, it’s clear that FieldSENSE is still largely a work in progress, but there is a notable improvement in the overall feel, which leans heavily on the simulation side of things. Now, poor pass timing will have hyper-realistic results and fewer “magical” grabs in heavy traffic. Likewise, not utilizing the revised pass placement will result in more drops than a decade of Cleveland Browns highlights.

In single-player modes, I imagine this new approach won’t make much of a difference since the difficulty sliders are always there to help. But, my gut reaction is that this shift toward realism might frustrate newcomers looking to take their skills online. Madden enthusiasts who enjoy a challenge will likely master the new controls in short order and will dominate online contests like never before.

Likewise, the new defensive controls put more emphasis on precision and location. Users will not only have more control over the timing of their tackles, but also over their placement. This means lower tackles will trip up weaker runners, but it also might allow higher-ranked athletes to break free for large gains. Previous editions of Madden have hinted at this level of accuracy but were mired in predetermined animations that ultimately took control away from players. Though rough at this point in the beta, it was clear that my controller input had a greater impact on each play.

There’s still plenty of time for developers to polish this revamped system and I’m sure EA has no intention of alienating new users, so there’s no need for fans to panic. But, the pendulum is seemingly swinging in the direction of experienced players.

Looking beyond the controls, Madden NFL 23 has also begun to hint at improvements to the stalwart Franchise and single-player Face of the Franchise modes, both of which seemed like afterthoughts in the transition to current-gen consoles.

The Franchise mode, while strong in last year’s edition, still lacked any significant innovation. Now, in Madden NFL 23, EA introduces “Motivations” which are intangible goals that enhance contract negotiations by making deals about more than just money. It may not be enough to win back those who abandoned this mode long ago, but it may serve to add some extra personality to this annual micromanagement simulation.

More interesting was the recent addition of “Face of the Franchise” to the closed beta. Instead of telling another rags-to-riches tale of fresh-faced rookies, Madden 23 allows players to step into the cleats of a mid-career underdog, fighting for relevance and playing time. Better performance in this mode will result in more contract offers from a wider range of teams, allowing users to better control the storyline.

This subtle change to the narrative cleverly disguises the way players find a team. In other words, there’s a really good chance a user’s favorite team will offer a fair contract, eliminating the need to play for a team they don’t prefer. It also adds some urgency to the proceedings, since the story isn’t just about justifying a user’s high draft ranking, but rather about proving their worth in the league.

It’s still far too early to make any judgments about Madden NFL 23 and only time will tell if changes like FieldSENSE make a significant difference in the overall experience. That said, there’s definitely more originality on display than we’ve seen for the last few iterations.

*

Three editions of the game are slated to be released Friday, August 19, 2022 — Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Xbox One, and PS4.

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