An incredibly complete package and is among the best sport sims you can play currently.

A stunning return to form for the annual football franchise – and one of the finest all-round Madden packages in years.

This year’s mastery of the Frostbite engine offers an impressive visual experience with players represented close to reality. Visually and audibly its a success. At the same time, improvements in important game modes, Franchise and Ultimate Team, guarantee weeks of fun that will be driven by the start of the regular season and endless interaction with the community. Madden NFL 19 is a satisfying experience, one of the best entries in years. But is it like winning a game with a Hail Mary pass? Not yet, but it's close to happening.

You’re right to be sceptical of EA Sports’ buzzwords by now, but Madden NFL 19’s headline Real Player Motion really does result in a more fluid game of football. The presentation may be familiar, but the game feels great on the field, and that consequently enhances all of its headline modes. Longshot: Homecoming may be short, but Tiburon’s teen drama is well-presented and well written, while Franchise mode includes some oft-requested features, like draft classes. Ultimate Team, meanwhile, continues to be a grind – but it’s an addictive one that’s made all the more compulsive by the roster of gameplay improvements made elsewhere.

While the new foundational changes are awesome and it’s more fun than ever to play Madden, it almost feels like it isn’t enough in comparison. It especially stings that the Longshot sequel feels so unsure of itself, despite its high production values. It’s easy enough to recommend Madden 19 to sports fans, but if I’m trying to get someone new started, it feels like last year’s game is required reading to get the most out of this year’s entry.

Another step forward, even if it isn't exactly a big one. Real Player Motion and a couple of other subtle improvements ultimately outweigh the dragging Longshot mode and some strange happenings on and off the pitch.

The attention paid to solo players in MUT and some Franchise improvements are certainly noticeable and deserve credit. However, when the game is littered with a multitude of glitches, a weak story mode and no other big notable changes, it makes Madden’s price tag more difficult to justify.