While it is true that baseball was once America’s past time, it has become nearly undeniable that American football is the sport of the country. Part of this has to do with the success of the NFL, and millions of fans tuning in each Sunday. Of course, another aspect of the game’s popularity has to do withcollege football and its special kind of loyalty and fandom. But even beyond high school or peewee football, the love of the game for most of America started in the backyard.
Madden NFL 21is trying to tap into the love of the sport beyond the NFL. There is a unique style of play that takes place in playgrounds, streets, and backyards around the world that some ofthe best football gameshave tapped into, likeBlitz, NFL Street,orBackyard Football.With the brand new game mode called “The Yard,” the development team at EA Sports is trying to create something wild and chaotic, replayable and deep, and enjoyable both alone and with friends.
Madden NFL 21will certainly be packed with new features and improvements on its simulation formula, but with this year’s game, the team wanted more. Producer JP Kellams and his team came together to create something with twitchier gameplay, extra flair and style, and moments that the standardMaddenjust doesn’t provide.
What is The Yard
The Yard is a 6v6 game mode that was inspired by backyard football. The focus of the mode is to create intimate “wow” moments thanks to freedom of expression on the football field. The multiplayer of The Yard is designed to be more social than in past years. And players will be able to stand out with a cool avatar all decked out in sweet gear.
The Yard has the potential to be a new pillar for the series. AsFranchise mode (something fans desire to be improved upon)is the pillar for the true season-to-season simulation, and MUT is an awesome fantasy football-style mode, The Yard is a social experience designed for pick up and play fun.
New Gameplay and Backyard Rules
Gameplay in The Yard is very different than in standardMaddenmodes. Some things like game speed haven’t been changed and the physics are the same, but everything else truly has a backyard feel, from lateraling the ball to special scoring rules. The game is 6-on-6, as opposed to the standard 11-on-11 on a normal NFL game, the field is much smaller, and as far as each match is concerned, they will last anywhere between 5 to 10 minutes.
In The Yard, the ball is constantly moving. The ball can be thrown behind the line of scrimmage an infinite amount of times, meaning the quarterback can toss the ball to the running back, the running back can throw the ball (still behind the line of scrimmage) to the wide receiver, and then the receiver can toss the ball down the field back to the QB. Players can also snap the ball directly to anyone, meaning the QB can be a decoy while the ball is snapped to the RB instead. This opens up the possibility for even more cool plays. On top of crazy plays behind the line of scrimmage, the ball can be lateraled back and forth to runners on the field, which means as a defender it isn’t necessarily smart to fly to the ball right away and leave someone open.
The back and forth style and movement of the ball will take some getting used to, but eventually, players will be able to pull off some insane trick plays. The developers specifically designed the playbook for crossing patterns and movement across the field, setting up for natural hook and ladders and flea-flickers.
The gameplay isn’t the only thing that feels like the backyard, as even the scoring and rules are very different than standardMadden NFL. Field goals don’t exist, so players can choose to go for 1, 2, or 3 after scoring a touchdown (lining up further back for each attempt). There are also opportunities for bonus points, including an extra point for scoring on a long pass or a play that involves a double pass. Depending on the situation, it’s possible to score as many as 12 points on a “play.”
There are also just a couple of penalties, including pass interference, but for the most part, they aren’t seen often. The line of scrimmage is also handled with a timer, like the old “three Mississippi” rule and the QB can’t rush unless he is blitzed. Each field that is played on, whether it be Lambo or Miami Port, has unique house rules. Miami Port has no first downs, for example. Playing on the different locations is both visually appealing and a nice small mixup in terms of the slight rule differences.
Avatar and Prototypes
The gameplay of The Yard allows for amazing moments, but the avatars are where players can really stand out. When the game is booted up for the first time,Maddenplayers will be asked to create an avatar. There are some base faces to start with, and then features can be altered with pre-designed styles (almond eyes, pointy ears, etc). While it may not be easy to make the avatar look exactly like the player’s real-life counterpart, the choices allow for a pretty close similarity.
Once a face is created, the avatar can then be changed with cool gear. New helmets, cleats, gloves, and visors are just the tip of the gear iceberg. It’s possible to wear jerseys halfway (Ezekiel Elliot style), and even a hoodie can be worn underneath. Along with standard NFL gear, there are plenty of other cool totally unique toMaddenpieces of apparel, specifically designed by Frank DiPinto, the game’s brand creative designer that was brought in from outside the world of gaming. Gear is unlocked over time and progression, and other pieces can be purchased with the in-game currency.
Each player gets one single Avatar to customize and show off, but they are given many prototypes to level up. Prototypes allow players to rank up for various roles on the field. For example, there is a Lamar Jackson style prototype named “Truss” that favors QB scrambles. Each prototype can be leveled up to about level 15, and during the ranking up process they can become faster, better tacklers, etc. There are prototypes based on many players, including Christian McCaffrey and Derwin James, and the idea is that the Avatar is the person who belongs to the player. JP (the producer of The Yard) said that more prototypes will come over time, although they weren’t ready to announce when and how.
The Team and Squading Up
When getting ready for any match (online multiplayer or single player), players must select one of the prototypes. But just because someone may have selected theLamar Jackson prototype, cover athlete ofMadden NFL 21, that doesn’t mean they are tied to the QB position. Players play on both offense and defense, so once a game is started, they must select where they will line up. It could be that Kirk Cousins will line up in the QB/Safety role, and Lamar Jackson will line up in the Slot WR/Nickel Cornerback. Meanwhile, when playing as the Christian McCaffrey prototype it may make sense to line up as the RB/OLB position, but again it may also make sense to have him line up as the WR2/CB2. Players and prototypes are not defined by their position; they can be flexible.
The flexibility of the positions allows for strategy in picking teams. Players could choose to go heavy on the defense, with Jalen Ramsey as the WR/CB1 for example. Or going with an all offensive squad will mean more missed tackles, but perhaps more explosive offensive plays. When playing in a 1v1 game online, players will draft various players for each role on the field to create that powerful squad.
When playing online in The Yard, the options are 1v1, 2v2, or 3v3. In each mode, it is still 6v6 as far as football players on the field, but the number of human players can go from 1v1 to 3v3. The 1v1 mode is fun for anyone who wants full control of the field and the ability to beat down opponents. But the game shines in 2v2 and 3v3, with communication and adjustments being the key to victory.
Progression in The Yard and The Yard: Underground (Mobile)
Progression has become a key element to video games, as players enjoy seeing their progress in tangible ways. In The Yard, progression works in two ways. The first way has to do with the prototypes, which have already been discussed. When players use each prototype in-game they will level that prototype up, which will reward the prototype with skill points that can be used to make the player faster, throw deeper, etc. Each prototype has its own level progression.
The other way that progression works is through the Avatar. Whether it be by playing online or in the single-player mode, players earn cosmetic rewards as they level up. There is also a store for purchasing additional cosmetics. There is also a mobile version of the mode callThe Yard: Undergroundthat carries over progress with the Avatar and prototypes.
The Yard has all the makings to be a really special mode inMadden NFL 21. WhileMaddenis great for simulation and even fantasy football-style gaming, a more social and stylish experience is one that may have been lacking. The Yard fills that gap. When the full game launches at the end of August, it will be interesting to see how fans gravitate towards this fresh mode.
Madden NFL 21releases August 28 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Game Rant was provided a media build on Xbox One for this preview.
