izigame.me

Wow. This game surpassed its Steam rating probably more than any other game I've bought on steam. This is a great game. There's no "mixed" about it.
Overall4.1/5Gameplay4StoryxAccessibility*4Bugs/Optimization5Publisher Nonsense**4.5Controls4.5Interface4.5Graphics4Sound3Innovation3.5Otherx
Score from 0 = Unplayable to 5 = Masterpiece

* Accessibility = Baseline difficulty/learning-curve
** Publisher Nonsense = Launchers, micro-transactions, always-online, etc.
Runs great on Steam Deck. Only Dream Squad (Ultimate Team) requires online.
This game is almost a year old and I don't know what state is was in when it first released, but I don't agree with any of the complaints I'm seeing in the negative reviews. I have been interested in a Madden alternative like everyone else for a long time. I wishlisted the game after seeing some mostly positive stuff on Youtube, but was reluctant to buy it primarily because of the bad reviews. A good sale came along and I decided to give it a shot and I'm so glad I did.
There's so much to like on its own, but when you compare it to the few other American Football games available, it's even better. I'm not an avid Madden player, but I own several versions of it and I have never really been able to get into it. I will usually play maybe 8 hours and get bored or frustrated with it. I also have some time playing Mutant Football League which is not a bad game, but it feels SO indie that it can be difficult to enjoy at times. This game by comparison feels AAA.
Here's some highlights of what I like about this game:
-I love the interface. I appreciate how the game shows the opposing formation and what position players are where. It really helps to figure out a good defensive play. Also, it feels like the plays that the CPU recommends are often pretty good picks as opposed to Madden where to me they generally seem totally random, especially on defense.
-The tackling feels really good. The range of the tackle feels right. The impact feels crunchy. The collision detection is great. The trajectory feels like it follows what you were trying to do. I think Madden really ties you down to waiting for its animations to finish which for me makes it seem as though there's a massive input delay. WCF's controls are very responsive by comparison and not bogged down by animations.
-Speaking of defense, it's quite fun to play here. I feel like I can impact the game in a positive way, unlike Madden where I pretty much always let the CPU control my player. Otherwise I tend to do more harm than good. I sometimes do that here too, but I also can occasionally get a sack or an interception.
-While I would prefer an option to play 11 on 11, I do prefer 7 on 7. It's a little less chaotic and easier to wrap my head around. I can focus on how the play is unfolding as opposed to exclusively avoiding pass rushers.
-In terms of passing plays, it's very similar to Madden, though a bit simplified which I love. Madden has way too much going on that you're expected to keep track of to the point that it can be overwhelming and not enjoyable. In WCF you can choose a lob pass or a bullet pass, aggressive catch or regular catch. On run plays if you press the right button at the right time you get a little boost, but it's not necessary to have a successful run play. That's pretty much all the mechanics you need to worry about. It's just a little extra, but it adds a some variety without weighing down the game.
-On defense it's a similar story. I haven't quite figured out pass rush, but for the most part you press a button at the right time and you can beat your blocker. For pass protection, you just chase your man and either try to intercept or bat the pass down. While it's not easy, it's by no means impossible even for a novice (or perhaps unskilled) player like myself.
-The game kind of has micro-transactions, but they are minimal. Compared to Madden, they're trivial. Here they're treated as DLC as opposed to loot boxes. I bought the Ultimate Edition which was only a few bucks more and I now have everything you can possibly buy outside of the base game. I'm not even sure what I got, but I appreciate that this game is never going to bug me to give it more money and that nothing is locked behind a paywall. There's something similar to Madden Ultimate Team, but you just have to play to unlock stuff (as it should be). As far as I can tell I didn't get anything that's going to allow me to dominate in multiplayer should I ever to choose to play online, so I don't understand why some people are saying this is pay to win.
-The wildcard system is interesting. I think I prefer to play without it, but I'm glad it's there for some variety. I'm even more glad that you can choose whether you want to use it or not in most of the modes.
-The game is very compact at around 7GB, not bloated to the point of being obnoxious like some other games that include 50GB of uncompressed sound files.
-While it doesn't have the names or logos or stadiums of real NFL teams, it has pretty much all the real players, all on the right teams together under the name of their quarterback. I think it's a pretty cool and satisfying way to get around EA's exclusivity deal with the NFL.
At the current sale price of $7.50, this game is a bargain and I think $30 is still a very reasonable normal asking price for the base game. I don't think you're missing out on much without the DLC/Ultimate Edition, but to me it was worth a few extra bucks to get Warren Moon and Marshawn Lynch.