There are certain titles and indeed genres that can be defined pretty accurately with one word; Final Fantasy, for example, brings to mind the word 'epic', GTA screams 'controversy' and Max Payne mumbles 'brooding'. On the other end of the scale, games such as UFC: Throwdown, Men In Black and Terminator could be summarised by adjectives like 'woeful', 'lamentable' or in some cases 'crippling'. EA and the now rather aged Mr. John Madden's latest release - Madden NFL 2004 - is one such title that's equally simple to condense into a single word: 'inacessible'.

I have tried. Oh how I've tried, but I just don't get it. In almost every NFL title I've played, there hasn't been a bad word to say about either the presentation or the control system and it's obvious that a lot of time and effort goes into the genre, but the end result is always the same, leaving me totally unaware of how the game works, what makes a good 'play', who does what and how you're supposed to improve. It just doesn't compute in my tiny little European brain.

Madden goes a little way further than most in the genre, in that it holds your attention and attempts to give you an insight into the mechanics of the Yanks' national sport with a 101 mode. The trouble with this, though, is that even the most basic of the tutorials are aimed at the more proficient (i.e. American) gamers. That's not to say that you don't get anything from them, it just feels a bit like teaching modern tactical warfare to a 6 year old; okay, they'll pick up a few words but most of the fun comes from 'playing wiv' da ikkel men'.

The all-new playmaker control system allows you to, and I quote "change receiver routes pre-snap and mid-play," and also offers "direct blocking downfield during a run and more." Great, I love it! Wonderful. I am truly jubilant, but what does it mean? As far as I can tell it's off the ball movement, which is fun until you realise that it makes no difference to the play, pre-snap or otherwise. Other additions since Madden's last outing include the huge owner mode, where you can change every aspect of the club, from building luxury boxes to upping the parking fee and the integrated playcalling presentation, which lets you watch the action while you're choosing your plays.

Stats and figures are here in abundance, but are not quite as daunting as they could be and are helpful enough to aid you in your trading decisions. The EA Sports Bio makes an appearance as well, which gives you a way of tracking your achievements across the whole EA Sports brand and rewards you for your achievements with bonuses and unlockables.

Madden is a pretty title. It has the depth behind it to make it an excellent crack, especially for the single player, and the presentation as a whole is superbly done. Some well-fitting licensed tracks along with the duly gruff sound effects enhance the feel of playing such a rough sport and the animation conveys the emotion excellently, with all the pre-play helmet bashing and foot stomping you could wish for. It's let down slightly by the rather sluggish camera, which rarely permits you to see all your playmakers at once, but Madden 2004 is the nicest looking NFL licensed title to date. On a more positive note, the commentary is the best I have ever heard in a sports sim, it's helpful and you so rarely hear the same thing twice that it's a real joy to listen to.

Madden simply will not excite unless you happen to be a NFL nut. It's too deep to pick up and play, on this side of the Atlantic at least and it doesn't have the exuberance of NFL Blitz to keep you looking at the screen long enough to finish a match, let alone a season. You can't say that it's a bad game, however, in fact it's just the opposite; the control system is intuitive and fluid, it's nicely customisable, and it has no major problems. Little more can be said. If you're into NFL, this has a friendlier feel than 2k3, with more emphasis on the playmaking and is much more realistic than Blitz. Along with in-depth training, ownership and trading modes this is about as complete as it gets and has the potential to be one of the most played titles in your collection. If you can get your head round it, that is.

PLEASE NOTE: The online aspect of Madden NFL 2004 is yet to be reviewed and the scores awarded to this game may be altered once this is incorporated.

Reviewed by Tom LeClerc for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).