John Madden’s legacy will live forever in the NFL. As a coach, he led the Oakland Raiders to seven AFC West Division Championships between 1969 and 1978. 1977 also saw the Raiders make it to the Super Bowl and win against the Minnesota Vikings.

After retiring as a coach in January 1979, Madden joined the broadcast booth as a color commentator, working for CBS Sports until 1994, when he transferred to Fox Sports. He also joined Monday Night coverage on ABC Sports in 2002, then was part of the Sunday Night NBC game from 2006 to April 2009.

But what most video game players will remember about John Madden’s name is his connection to an NFL series. With the release of Madden NFL 23, this game pays homage to the legacy Madden has served throughout his career as a broadcaster and coach.

As usual, there are new aspects to every installment of the Madden series, and Madden 23 is no different.

A new aspect added to this year’s game is the FieldSENSE Gameplay system. According to ea.com, “The all-new FieldSENSE game system provides the foundation for consistent, ultra-realistic gameplay, and gives players more control at all positions in every mode.” Unfortunately, this mechanic is for certain builds, so those who may have a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X or Series S console will be able to experience it.

Franchise mode also returns in Madden 23, with a new note on free agency. “NFL Free Agency drama leads the way with new athlete motivations like team location and salary demands factoring in contract negotiations. New player tags improve off-season activity logic and impact player progression,” EA’s post notes.

What was once Connected Career of slices 13-19 has now become Face of the Franchise. And this year’s Face of the Franchise mode puts pressure on the player to succeed, as the EA.com article notes. “The League places you in your fifth season in the NFL in a skill position of your choice (QB, WR, RB, CB, MLB), and you seek a fresh start with a new team. Negotiate a one-year contract with one of the 32 NFL teams and show yourself with excellent performances on the field to earn rewards and level up… The addition of new driving objectives and driving summaries allows you to fine-tune your experience throughout the game and get feedback and rewards based on your level of play.”

Other modes such as Madden Ultimate Team, The Yard, and Superstar KO also return in Madden 23. The game will officially launch to the general public on August 19, 2022.

The late John Madden will have a legacy to remember in the NFL and the video game industry, and Madden NFL 23 does what it can to salute its namesake.

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