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Pop Culture Remix Review: Madden NFL 27

September 8, 2026
00:00

"Madden NFL 27’ enhances graphics, improves controls and makes gameplay bigger than ever. But some will find that just playing football is a little harder, too.

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Paul Asay: It takes nearly 200 people to keep an NFL team humming. But in the newest Madden video game, it's all up to you. Madden NFL 27, the latest edition in the long-running Madden franchise, adds yet more features and photo-realism to the game.

But the core is the same: play a single game or run a team for several seasons. Create a player or put on your coach hat and let artificial intelligence do all the running, passing, and hitting. Overwhelmed? Hey, you can always quit school.

And that's the biggest downside to this game: it can be a huge time suck. You'll need to navigate some mild cursing and some songs too. But overall, the game remains suitable for most players, even if playing it can be a challenge. Catch the best game reviews at pluggedin.com/radio. We'll have you dancing in the end zone. I'm Paul Asay for Plugged In by Focus on the Family.

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About Plugged In Entertainment Reviews

Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."

Each month, PluggedIn.com is visited more than 1 million times by people looking for detailed information about what's really in popular movies, videos, television episodes, songs and games. Entertainment industry ratings only tell you so much. We go deeper, diving into specific content and the meaning behind it. Our award-winning website also offers news and blogs.

About Adam Holz, Paul Asay and Johnathan McKee

Adam Holz After serving as an associate editor at NavPress' Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In's reviews along with hosting The Plugged In Show and the Plugged In Entertainment Review radio feature.  

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books. He has over 20 years youth ministry experience and speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, He can be heard each week on the Plugged In Entertainment Review radio feature and The Plugged In Show. You can follow Jonathan on his blog, getting a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.

Contact Plugged In Entertainment Reviews with Adam Holz, Paul Asay and Johnathan McKee

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