I really want to like this game. We need fun football games. We need games that don't infuriate you with weird garbage that everyone hates Madden for. Right now this isn't the answer. I really want the creators to succeed here, I think they have something, but this feels like no one actually played this before they released it.
***Most of my experience is playing against the CPU, so maybe some of this doesn't hold up against an actual human player***
I like the look (mostly), but there are so many inconsistencies. Very ticky tacky but why do kicked balls blow up? Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.. I can't determine a reason for when they do. Ok on to frustrating "graphical" issues why do defensive players celebrate giving up a first down... yay keep cheering we have to play more defense? All these cut scenes when inaccurate feel like a waste of time... I'm playing a "fun" game right why do I have to watch player celebrations for anything from the AI team.
At least once a game the ball clearly comes out on a tackle, I think this is during a cut scene... maybe? But then the ball gets sucked back to the player once they are down in the animation? I haven't ever felt like I got screwed out of a turnover but its just sloppy garbage to have to watch a scene play out and slow down the game with what would be a clear fumble... but no don't worry it will just magically come back to the player when they are down?
On to more frustrating, there have been enough times that this isn't a fluke that I break a tackle and it appears I have a relatively clear pass up field and the game cuts to a cut scene of me being tackled by multiple players? Didn't I just juke that guy and no one else should be close enough to tackle me? You just have decided I shouldn't go any farther? WHY?
Final and worst "graphical" issue. The cpu seems to be able to throw through your defenders, It's not ever time but it, at least for me, is more often than not. I can have a guy in perfect coverage and the ball travels straight through them. This isn't a "they would have blocked/swatted/caught" that issue, its a ball going through the torso of a defender... unfortunately this seems to only go one way.
Non graphical issues. I can't trade my cards in for tickets, pretty sure that's a huge part of this game, it just doesn't work. According to a dev in the community "they are working on it"... DID ANYONE TEST THIS GAME?
Maybe I'm terrible (I almost certainly am) but I'm pretty sure you can't throw the ball if a defender is close to you. Do I mean the defender is tackling you? Nope. Do I mean the defender is in some sort of animation where you can't possibly escape... pretty sure no? I drop back I see a receiver I mash their button nothing happens I get sacked. The qb won't even attempt to throw. At least visually in my opinion there is time to throw... a lot of time. Screw with the accuracy and power but don't stop the throw! Whatever bubble triggers this is way too large.
Pass defense is so confusing to me. I have definitely intercepted the ball, but more often and I mean A LOT more often I have a player in a good place to make a play and I hit Y (intercept) and... nothing. They don't jump, they don't do anything. I don't care if I make the interception I care that the game respects my input. This feeds in to often when playing defense an offensive player will catch the ball and I will select the closest player and the game will override me and move the player I have selected towards the closest opposing player (never the one with the ball). Again did anyone actually play this game before they released it? Are the positive votes for the fun graphics and not being madden? Am I just insane? I have a lot of issues with madden but it doesn't override my input... it might choose a player I wasn't intending but it doesn't move a player away while I'm controlling it or ignore an attempt to jump at a ball.
WHY ARE THE CPU KICKERS INCOMPETENT? I have seen 3 made extra points out of probably 20, it makes no sense.
Is there a point I missed to line play? I can win... if it bothers to give me a prompt (maybe 33% of the time?), but a play barely lasts long enough to matter. Does my team get boosted by me winning the line play button press? I do feel like they get faster stops when I win. I haven't once won a line battle in time to sack the QB with the player I'm controlling. It's infinitely better to control the safety and then whats the point of the QTE at all?
WHY THE HELL ISN"T THERE A PUNT RETURN FORMATION!
The card system doesn't work. Using cards every down gets incredibly old and most of it (I'm very early in the game considering my progress is slowed to only the luck of the loot boxes since I can't use a core mechanic of trading useless cards in for better cards). Make cards incredibly expensive, make cards only available in certain situations, make cards only available if certain triggers happen... the cards don't seem to impact anything (maybe high level ones do?), cloak ball... boy that sounds cool my whoever has the ball is invisible! The first time I saw it was an online game against a human, sure fooled me my opponent only gained 1 yard! CPU vs me playing cloak ball, tackled for loss... WHAT A POWERFUL CARD. Tar pits... NO ONE HAS EVER STEPPED IN ONE. Speed might matter? Maybe? It's not blatant if it does. Same with turtle. Honestly Ive enjoyed the forced no card games than the card games. All it does is slow down play, and when online waiting for people to make choices is a great way for me to not want to play anymore.
My online experience consists of players running their qb to one side and the throwing back to the other side of the field while all the defensive players including the moron played by me chase the qb. The WR on the side of the field catches it and runs a long distance if not for a TD. I hate online football it's always some BS loophole play just to win, why do people think that is fun?
I want a better serious football game than Madden, I want a game to replace blitz (or later even nfl strreet) that I loved playing in college at the turn of the millennium. This game is trying to be both and it's hurting from it. I can lob or bullet, there is line play, my players earn xp (though Im not sure if thats off individual achievement or just yay you won type progress). On the other side we have fun jump jukes and tar pits and super speed. Just give us actual gameplay fun. I don't know if they are worried about being sued for creating NFL Street 2023 but that would have been so much more fun. I wish I could refund the game but I kept hoping it was me and not the game, now I'm stuck hoping that this game is actually something the devs want to make better and not (like a lot of stuff released in the past 5-10 years) abandonware when the devs don't feel like trying anymore. I really hope they prove me wrong.
I wrote too much, there are a lot of other issues in this game but I honestly do hope the creators figure this out. It's less pay to win than madden MUT but when I build a team in madden and win (vs cpu as stated above at my skill level I despise online play) I feel good, I break run or I pull off a great throw, I have moments I feel happy about what I accomplished. I haven't felt that in this game yet. Maybe when you get better players/teams you feel like you are doing something, but so far this game is exploiting weaknesses that the cpu won't adjust to. Madden is janky and has issues, Wild card is janky and has issues. I wanted better.
And stop with the CPU's obsession with the RB throwing plays, it gets so boring so fast!
Edit: I can't believe I forgot the thing that drives me most insane. The CPU will not adjust to play calling at all. Throw successfully for 6 straight downs and then call a running play? The defense will load the box. The cpu has no sense of history in the plays, that's a problem!
