As certain as the temperature turn cooler or cold in winter, EA Sports is bound to release another version of Madden football on consoles. In this instance, the release is for the next-gen PS3 console system.

The newest edition of Madden football is the most visceral experience yet and EA Sports boasts that it is the most realistic yet. In some ways it may well be, but in others, this game fumbles that ideal away.

The game is full of ambience, from players chattering away on the field and sidelines, to the way the presentation plays out with a full television-style halftime report. The animations on the field are superb as well. Sure, you may not recognize all the players, especially with helmets on, but EA Sports has taken great effort to put in signature animations for each starting quarterback and all the kickers. That means that when Peyton Manning goes through his pre-snap gyrations, you get a front-row seat, either from the offensive or defensive perspective.

Also new is the Pro-Tak animation package that allows for gang tackles on the defensive side, but also allows ballcarriers to try to break out of the tackles using the highlight stick (right thumbstick). If you have ever watched an NFL game, seen a ballcarrier disappear into a pile and then somehow, miraculously, come out the other side, well, that is now part of the Madden experience.

The game has also been slowed down to allow gamers to see the action and make decisive gameplay choices rather than having to rely on lightning reflexes. What this means is that if you are carrying the football, you have a bit bigger window of opportunity to juke past a would-be tackler.

Madden 10 comes with a solid assortment of game types, each accompanied by some tweaks to the game style. Franchise mode, the bread and butter of the game, has a new interface and custom draft classes to new rookie scouting systems, elite coaching boosts, player progression and a new injury frequency system – among other tweaks.

Online features 2-player co-op mode, as well as online franchise mode with live drafts, player transactions, and league message boards.

You have the opportunity to create an NFL superstar as well and play through the season, working your way toward the hall of fame. There are a few missteps here, though, and that comes in the case of the practice sessions. Aside from increased familiarity with the controls, there seemed to be no real benefit for training in the practice sessions.

Other game modes include quick play and some mini-games. There is also a “Madden Shop” in the game that allows gamers to expand their playing experience by purchasing items (like maximum progression for one player) through a micro-transaction model.

The game is not without flaws, though, and a few of those reared ugly mugs during the first game played in the franchise mode. Seattle was the franchise team of choice and was in San Diego for an exhibition contest. The Chargers’ drive stalled out on the Seattle 20 and instead of kicking a field goal, the Chargers punted it away … that’s right, a punt … 20 yards from the end zone. Oh well, these things are bound to happen. In the third quarter, Cris Collinsworth made an announcing error when he said the game was clean and was in the second half without a penalty being called. Actually, Seattle’s first offensive play went for an apparent six but was called back to the 24 yard line of San Diego because of an illegal block in the back. And the clock continued to run after an errant San Diego pass sailed out of bounds in the third quarter.

Sure some of those are nit-picking, but that’s part of the review – to point out the good as well as the bad.

Madden Football 10 is still an enjoyable game. The Rookie mode is perhaps a touch too easy, but the game does provide sliders so that you can put the game on the higher difficulty settings and dumb it down from there to accommodate your skill level.

The soundtrack includes a wide assortment of music, from familiar bands like Iron Maiden through Judas Priest, Nirvana, Beastie Boys and Pantera to not-so-familiar groups like Bang Camaro, Killswitch Engage, Set Your Goals and The Vanity Plan. Approximately 34 tracks make up the musical portion of the program while Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth handle the announcing chores. John Madden jumps onboard in the Ask Madden element of the playcalling and often you may hear him giving his opinion while Collinsworth or Hammond are speaking, creating a bit of narrative chaos.

Still this is a very enjoyable game. There is integration between the PS3 and PSP games as well, with the ability to import plays designed on the PSP version. If you have NCAA Football, you can import your graduating players as part of the rookie class.

Gameplay: 9.0
The interfaces are solid and work well, and the game controls are designed to allow players to jump and get into the game without a lot of fuss.  

Graphics: 9.0
Big hits, spectacular catches, sleek juke moves are part and parcel of this game. While not all of the players resemble (facially) their real-life counterparts, they do have the signature moves and animation – and you might just recognize a few of them as they walk across the field. From the user interface to the pre-game and the game, this is a graphical treat. The half-time presentation is likely the weakest element here.

Sound: 8.0
Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth are in top form, comment-wise, though sometimes the wrong sound byte is played and it results in one of those “that’s not what happened!” moments. And while the music is fine, it seems that Black Sabbath might be the choice of background music at a lot of stadiums … at least you are likely to hear Paranoid in many of the stadiums you play at.

Difficulty: Easy/Hard
The game’s rookie mode is a tad too easy but fortunately the game ramps up the difficulty settings and you can go into the settings and using the sliders for the user and CPU, tailor the difficulty to suit your tastes.

Concept: 8.8
While to the casual observer the Madden franchise may not seem to have undergone a ton of changes, other than visual, the list of adjustments is impressive and will definitely impact the gameplay experience.

Multiplayer: 8.9
Robust online presence couples with a dandy co-op mode to create a wonderful experience.

Overall: 8.7
There are a few moments where you might be left scratching your head about AI decisions, and the audio can be off target, on occasion, but this is the best looking Madden game to date and the new elements really give players the opportunity to learn and grow in the game. It plays very well, and there are enough features to keep players engrossed, online and off, for quite a while.