Watching a halfback break free of a shoddy tackle or a wideout come down just in bounds before stumbling over really amplifies how the game looks and feels. The Infinity Engine makes every hit a little bit different. After a while, it was easy to feel like you had seen it all. In past Maddens, there were only so many tackle animations and ways a player could go down. The benefit of the Infinity Engine isn't the big plays it's the fact that the small plays don't all look the same. Expect jankiness to stand out, but don’t let it stop you from playing. In fact, the place I saw the physics the most were when plays were blown dead and linemen stumbled over one another or receivers' legs got tangled with defenders. It sounds exciting - and spearing a receiver out of the air so that the trainers come out to check on him definitely is - but I wasn't impressed at first. Whereas a corner and a wideout would bump into each other in the air and then come down in the same spot they leapt from last year, Madden NFL 13 allows for helicopter hits and tumbles out of bounds. Basically, this adds physics to Madden for the first time. Now, a big part of that feeling is the much-touted Infinity Engine. At a glance, Madden NFL 13 might just look like Madden, but in your hands, it feels polished. You can abort play action after the snap. Defensive backs have to see the ball to make a play on it so there are no more psychic swats. There are 25 new pass trajectories so you can put the ball out in front or just above the receiver. Yes, the graphics look as good as last year - actually they're a bit better when you include the new TV graphics and the lush shade of a good Sunday afternoon game - but there's plenty of under the hood enhancements that evolve the gameplay we all know. If you want to be the jaded gamer and say "It looks just like last year," go ahead, but know that you're wrong. See, EA tweaked a whole bunch of gameplay mechanics in Madden NFL 13. I'm fighting for each and every yard I gain or keep from an opponent, and I'm relishing actually having to think on the field. Madden NFL 13 is challenging this year with receiver icons that change depending on if the player is looking for the ball and defenses that aren't afraid to call me on my lack of a running game - but I'm all about the struggle. Every time I put down the controller, I want to pick it back up and head out on the field. “Luckily, playing football in Madden NFL is a blast.
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