By Kenney Kost/ne news editor

After missing the playoffs with Madden 12, EA Sports is ready for a Super Bowl run with the 2013 edition.

The new Infinity physics engine does have a few issues. Clumsy handoff animations, guys tripping over each other after the play and flying around the screen and a few clumsy tackle animations are acceptable when looking at the improvement the game has made as a whole, bringing true physics to Madden for the first time.

Several new pass trajectories allow players to lead receivers or throw it up to where only the receiver can reach. Several new tackle animations along with angle, weight and speed are all factored into how a running back or receiver responds to a hit.

Getting Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray through the hole, breaking two tackles for a 15-yard gain felt different every time.

No more cornerback/receiver issues showed up either. Corners now have to turn their heads to the ball to make a play. No more blind pass deflections. Receiver icons stay ghosted until they look back to the ball. This gives players complete control over the passing game.

The degree of difficulty seems ramped up at first until players realize they have to play more situational football, real football. Players have to make constant adjustments in their overall game plan and play-to-play with the streamlined pre-snap display, call audibles on the fly, put players in motion or change blocking schemes with no worry of the play clock winding down.

The presentation is excellent this year. Some of the things this year’s broadcasters, Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, say are questionable. Catching a pass and losing five yards may have been an amazing pass from the quarterback, but they should probably be breaking down the defense instead. For the most part, it sounds like a color commentator and play-by-play announcer ad-libbing on a Monday night.

Graphics look a little more polished. The best advancement is the realistic look of a game Sunday afternoon. No more pop music and hip-hop, just a symphony orchestra playing the familiar NFL tunes in the background. Replays do not happen as often, only when the situation calls for it.

Career mode has been completely revamped, and the online modes and interface are very accessible and fun to play. The game drops players into one hub online and allows access to their communities with just one click.

For players disappointed by past iterations of the franchise, this one is the game changer that brings the excitement back.