Unfortunately for EA, Madden 21 has been marred by development issues, some which are and others which are not their own doing.

Developing a game during the age of COVID obviously isn’t easy, but fans are already up in arms about the lack of support for this year’s Franchise mode. Madden 21 is offering a brand new game mode in The Yard, and a new story in Face of the Franchise, but can these new features make this year’s game an enjoyable experience?

Judging from the small sample of official reviews that went up just hours before the game’s launch—which in itself is, normally, not a good sign—Madden 21 may face an uphill battle with fans.

IGN - 6.0/10

IGN gave this year’s Madden a 6.0-out-of-10 score, noting that the small improvements are not enough to feel like the series has progressed since last year, and that there are noticeable performance issues even after a patch.

They also admit that the aforementioned new game mode, The Yard, is fun, but feel that the lack of support for Franchise mode and innovations across the board make this year’s offering a miss.

“Madden NFL 21 is a great example of why competition breeding innovation is a good thing. Without a comparable NFL experience on the market, EA has allowed its marquee sports franchise to fall behind in almost every significant way,” writes David Jagneaux.

Read IGN’s full review of Madden 21.

Forbes - 6.25/10

Forbes’ review score of Madden 21 is only marginally better, coming in at 6.25. They enjoyed the novelty of The Yard, but have accepted the graphical limitations of this generation’s console.

Unfortunately for this year’s game, Forbes thinks that the lack of focus on Franchise mode, while keeping everything else status quo for the most part, has made Madden 21 one of the weakest entries in years.

“While the gameplay is in as good of a spot as it’s been for a while, Madden 21 is dragged down by neglected features, stagnant and/or underdeveloped concepts,” writes Brian Mazique.

Read Forbes’ review of Madden 21.

GamesRadar - 3/5

Like many other reviews, GamesRadar praises The Yard mode, with its arcade-style and trick-play-happy gameplay. However, the lack of focus on Franchise mode is also a problem in GamesRadar’s eyes, and they also note that Madden Ultimate Team (MUT), which has been the cash cow for the Madden franchise, has seen a noticeable lack of attention this year.

“With Madden NFL 21, like the perennially doomed Browns, Lions, and Jets, forever seeking consistency in their staffs and stars, it feels like the Madden team needs to hit reset once more,” writes Mark Delaney.

Read GamesRadar’s Madden 21 review.

Madden 21 is available now for PS4, Xbox One and PC.

Are you excited for this year’s Madden? Have you played it yet? Give us your early reactions to the game in the comments section.