The Maximum Football open beta is available on Steam. It has the two mighty F’s going for it off the top: Free and football. Based on those two things, I highly recommend everyone give it a spin.
Head over to Steam, search Maximum Football, and download the Open Beta if you have access. If you played the game during the Doug Flutie days, you’ll immediately see the improvements across the board.
I played it last night for a spell and came away with the headline I chose for this article and a few key takeaways.
I will bullet-point them because that’s how I processed the information after my session.
- The visuals and animations have wildly improved from their previous state. Player models are no longer eyesores, and the physics-based animations have also improved.
- Those elements are still inferior to Madden 24 and the upcoming EA football games.
- The playcalling menus take some getting used to, but they offer enough variety to allow you to execute what you want with the controller in your hand.
- The playbooks aren’t likely to have the depth we’ll see in College Football 25 or Madden, which have likely upped the ante on that front.
- I don’t know if commentary and additional presentation will be added, but as it is, this is another area where you can see improvement. However, it pales in comparison to EA’s titles.
- From a customization standpoint, Maximum Football appears to be set to deliver the most fleshed-out suite of options anyone has ever seen in a football game. Because of EA’s licensing hooks, they will probably never be able to keep pace in this area. However, College Football’s Team Builder is a huge step in the right direction. If EA reveals that Madden also has Team Builder, the gap between it and anything Maximum Football produces in this area shrinks.
Based on these bullet-pointed takeaways, Maximum Football will only have lasting appeal to two kinds of football gaming fans.
Fans Who Aren’t Willing to Pay for Madden Will Be Attracted to Maximum Football Because it’s Free.
It was brilliant for Maximum Football to be a free title.
It removes a ton of pressure from development and buys time for the team to evolve the game without feeling such an immediate need to substantiate its price tag.
By delivering the game for free, the title can be presented as a consistent work-in-progress, and the community that follows it can become invested in its development.
The chances of increasing the hardcore community around the game are high since the developers have vowed to incorporate feedback from the community with every pre and post-launch update. They have also vowed the game will always be free, which is obviously an inviting concept.
If you’re a football gamer who is hesitant to spend on games, a free way to play will always be enticing. Even if you play Madden, you’ll likely try the free football just to test it out.
Unfortunately, Maximum Football is far from College Football 25 or Madden 25 in this area (remember, I’ve played all three), and there is no reason to believe the gap will close anytime soon.
I evaluate games using three very simple but layered concepts. I call this the LIT evaluation, which stands for Look, Immersion, and Touch. How good does the game look on your screen?
The Look concept isn’t exclusive to realistic visuals. Excelling in this area only requires the game to be pleasing to the eye, regardless of the art style.
Immersion: Based on everything the game offers, how deeply can it immerse me into its world or facilitate me in creating an alternate universe? Immersion is Maximum Football’s best category because of its customization suite; I can make my brand of football without as many restrictions as you’ll have in Madden or College Football 25. but I’m becoming less confident it’ll carry as significant of an advantage over Madden and College Football 25 as it would have before the upcoming versions were released.
The Touch is all about the gameplay. Does it feel good to play? Is there an addictive gameplay mechanic that I just love to do over and over?
In MLB The Show, hitting the baseball–especially a Perfect-Perfect connection–is one of the most rewarding individual mechanics in any sports video game. A perfect hit stick or juke is close in EA’s football games. Landing damaging combinations in EA UFC is that game’s version of an addictive mechanic.
Based on what I’ve seen in all of the games, Maximum Football’s Touch value won’t compare. It’s simply less LIT than the EA football titles.
Fans Who Hate EA Will Be Motivated to Support And Stick With Maximum Football
Pure hate is sometimes the most potent fuel. Some gamers passionately hate EA and all its football products.
There are users who have YouTube channels with content primarily designed to criticize EA football games and support any title that might provide a semblance of competition for the Madden juggernaut.
I also loved NFL 2K and All-Pro Football 2K8, so I partially understand the sentiment. However, I don’t hold sound business decisions against businessmen and women.
That said, I do hold developers accountable for making games that carry the LIT values. Madden was stagnant for close to a decade, and that stings.
Over the past three years, we have seen a resurgence, and there is reason to believe Madden 25 will build on recent improvements. If that happens, and my enjoyment of the game continues to increase, would I still be willing to play an inferior football game to continue my grudge toward EA?
The answer is no: I want to play the best football game available, and I’m willing to pay $100 a year to do it. Other football gaming fans may feel differently. That group will be even more attached to the obviously improved but still clearly inferior Maximum Football.
I hope Maximum Football continues improving and becomes a viable option in the virtual football world. However, nothing I’ve seen or played in the game has me any less stoked for the return of College Football and the release of Madden 25.
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