Maybe I should rephrase the title to just “’Madden 19′: the Latest.” It sounds way better following it up with greatest, though. Even if that isn’t necessarily true, I’m going to leave it as it is. 

“Madden 19” has been out for a little over a month now, and it’s something you die-hard football fans are going to want to try out (unless you already have it, of course).

For those who don’t know what Madden is, it’s a football video game with players from real life. It’s essentially a football fan and gamer’s dream, and it comes to life once a year. EA Sports comes out with a new version every year. They have done so since 1988 when the first ever Madden NFL game was released.

I have bought, and will continue to buy, Madden every year since 2009. I might just be saying this because I’m a huge football fan, but it never disappoints. I always enjoy playing with the new players and creating franchises. For you Madden fans, I don’t often do Ultimate Team. I know, I need to sit down and actually try and grind on a team. I just don’t have the time or motivation to move a 60-overall team up. Sorry. Anyway, I like building teams and drafting players. Franchise mode is meant for just that. I feel a sense of triumph when doing so, especially when I get that first Super Bowl win. I should mention I simulate the seasons, meaning I don’t actually play any of the games during the regular season. I play the playoff games, however. (If we make it, of course.)

The actual gameplay of this Madden is significantly more difficult than last year’s. It seems like they bump up the difficulty every year. It’s harder to get drives going on offense. They made the defense incredibly resistant and introduced a more defensive dominant aspect to the game. As much as it irritates me, I have to say it’s definitely more realistic. You can’t score on every drive anymore, where in previous Maddens it was actually quite possible to do so. If you play the game, you’ll notice the computer opponent plays zone coverage on almost every play. This makes it very hard to make long completions downfield and easier to throw interceptions. Linebackers will come out of nowhere and pick the ball off, and you won’t even see it. Something you could see in “Madden 18,” in my opinion. It allows for more turning points in the game, and you are never guaranteed a victory. Something to be excited about, I guess.

You can choose between arcade, simulation and competitive gameplay modes, exactly like “Madden 18.” Arcade allows for more big plays to happen and, honestly, makes the game more fun. Simulation is more realistic and gives you that authentic NFL gaming experience. I play on simulation, which is often more defensive with fewer points being scored. The competitive gameplay is the default gameplay style for head to head matchups with other people. It’s solely based on your stick skills, with consideration for the overall ratings of the players.

I really like that they put Antonio Brown on the cover. He deserves to be on the cover for sure. He’s been in the top-three wide receiver discussion ever since his 2013 breakout season. Being in that discussion as a sixth-round pick, well, deserves your likeness on a Madden cover. The intro animation involves all passes to Antonio Brown as well, indicating the true elite receiver he is. I am very anxious to see who makes the “Madden 20” cover.

They made the franchise mode a bit different. I don’t know if I would consider it a “good” different simply because the “Madden 18” franchise mode is really hard to beat. The one thing I do like more is the drafting of players. When a draft starts, the game zooms in and out on the podium with the logo of the team whose turn it is behind it. I don’t like how you upgrade your players as opposed to “Madden 18,” however. In last year’s game, you got experience points (XP), and it added up quickly if a player had a good season. You could boost player’s overall ratings way more. In this year’s game, you get “skill points.” One skill point is usually equivalent to one overall increase. For example, if a player has four skill points (which is actually a higher number of skill points for a season), his overall rating will likely increase by four. Because skill points aren’t as effective as XP, you don’t see as many “99 overall” players as you did in “Madden 18.” I guess that’s more realistic, but it’s a game and I feel the departure from realism makes it more fun.

So, because of my up and down accusations regarding this game, should you buy it? Of course you should. As much as I may like “Madden 18,” “Madden 19” has the latest and greatest players and should be experienced by everyone. We need to support the evolution of Madden to keep EA Sports motivated to make it better and better each year. So whether you have an Xbox One or PS4, go to Walmart (where it’s like three dollars cheaper than any other place) and purchase “Madden 19.” I promise it will be worth it, or your money back (not actually, so don’t expect a refund).