Madden 19 Longshot: Homecoming - Watch the First Hour of the Story
Devin Wade and Colt Cruise are in very different places in Longshot's second chapter.
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When we last saw Colt Cruise and Devin Wade, they were both off to the NFL. In my games, at least, Wade was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings, while Cruise was drafted by the (sigh) Green Bay Packers. But as Madden 19 picks up the second chapter of the story in Longshot: Homecoming, the two friends are in very different places.
As we learn in the opening moments of the story, Wade is struggling to make it on the roster in training camp, and Cruise is seemingly out of the league entirely. Instead of facing off against Wade in preseason (or catching his passes), Cruise is is working side gigs as a musician, hanging out at his old high school, and dealing with an unexpected surprise from his father. You can see how things are going in the first hour of Longshot: Homecoming, which you can watch below.
Right out of the gate, it's apparent that Madden 19's Longshot is emphasizing classic gameplay over the contextual minigames from last year's version. Most of the challenges in the first hour of Longshot involve leading drives and scoring with certain players. Thus far I haven't so much as made a single dialogue choice.
I'll admit, I kind of miss last year's minigames. Sure they were a little contrived at times, but they did refresh the gameplay a bit, and they worked in different elements of football, like calling out assignments in the huddle. Longshot: Homecoming seems a little more one note out of the gate.
The good news, though, is that the high school games and their hilarious announcers are back. Yee-haw.
See for yourself what you think of Longshot in the video above. And if you want more coverage, I have thoughts on both Madden 19's gameplay and franchise mode. You can also find our complete guide to Madden 19 player ratings here.
Madden 19 is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and for the first time in a long time, PC. Madden 19's release date is August 10.