Don’t let Madden 22 fool you, ESPN NFL 2k5 is the GOAT

Madden 22 finally released their athlete(s) on Thursday.

For the second time ever, two NFL players will share the cover of (sadly) the most popular NFL video game to date. Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady are on it this time, the first since Madden 10 when Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu were put on the cover. Hopefully soon Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills will make it.

There is a lot to talk about with this as there is every year. Who should have been on instead? Will there be a Madden 22 curse? Both of these are worthy topics, but the one question that still isn’t asked is how Madden is running a monopoly in the gaming world.

Going back to 2005 is the last time a company other than EA Sports had the right to make an NFL video game with all of the bells and whistles. That was 2K sports, who still is surviving today with the NBA 2K series. If there’s anything that history has shown us it’s that Madden 22 will probably just be more of :

• Recycling the same Super Bowl-winning/locker room celebration
• “Upgrading” the graphics
• Using the same announcers that don’t add to the game
• The WORST glitches of all time (who could forget “His leg is rotisserie!”?)
• And finally, neglecting franchise mode

ESPN NFL 2K5 is still better than Madden 22.

It’s been 16 years since the game was released and 2k5 is above and beyond anything that EA will make available for purchase. Madden has been riddled with infamous glitches (as noted above) and micro-transactions that have created a “pay to win” atmosphere with its “Madden Ultimate Team” mode.

On top of that, Madden took the best part of the game- the franchise mode away. It has come back a way, but it’s not like the experience you can get with 2k5. Ryan Moody is one of the best at teaching the masses the differences between the two games. Just take a look at this video here:

I implore you to go through the rest of his channel and watch the negligence of EA throughout the years. They’ve refused to listen to their fans and continue to charge exorbitant prices for the game that really doesn’t change year to year.

2k5 remains superior to Madden 22 (and all others) due to its gameplay. There’s no 16 foot jumps in the air by a no-name linebacker with one hand to make an interception. 2k5’s announcers have a great presence and a TON of funny lines during the game (especially when you’re scrambling and they tell you to “get the controller away from the dog!”).

There’s a halftime show with Chris Berman showing all of the highlights of the game, and you can even watch ESPN after your game is done to see highlights of the other games in the league.  I could go on and on about how much better a 16-year-old game is versus one that gets chewed up and spit out every year that retails for $60 or more.

Do yourself a favor and find a way to play ESPN NFL 2k5. If you really want to buy Madden 22, then that’s your discretion.  The true game experience is 2k5 and I hope all NFL gamers get to experience it.