EA used to be a powerful name in the industry, and during that time, their logo on a box usually meant quality was contained inside. They held strong up until this decade, wherein they made not one, not two, but dozens of poor decisions in their various gaming divisions. They have been voted the worst company for a few years, which really says something about how the fans view them. That seems a bit sad, doesn’t it?
No one wants a company (or game, for that matter) to fail unless that company, or game is promoting something truly distasteful for humanity. The point of this piece then is to look back at the good times to remind everyone from the haters to the steadfast supporters that EA was, and still could be, a great company. These fifteen examples are all based on console reviews, and we only chose one entry per series to keep everything balanced. That said, let’s look at EA’s fifteen best according to Metacritic.
Updated December 23, 2020 by Thomas Bowen: Whatever one’s views are on EA’s use of aggressive microtransactions and the company’s over-reliance on certain franchises, it’s hard to argue that it hasn’t contributed to the growth and development of the industry. Over the years, EA has released some of the biggest and most influential games ever made and continues to pump out best-sellers at an alarming rate.
EA might not be to everybody’s tastes and it may not deliver as much as some gamers would like when it comes to their annual releases, but – when all is said and done – EA is a company that consistently produces great games. Anybody who doubts that fact needs only look at the publisher’s impressive back catalog of games.
15 Dragon Age: Inquisition (89)
Whether or not the upcoming Dragon Age game will have what it takes to surpass Dragon Age: Inquisition remains to be seen. If it does though, it will be one hell of a game. Inquisition is a title against which very few modern RPGs are able to measure up and is arguably the very best that this series has to offer.
Featuring a fantastic branching narrative and a wonderfully intuitive combat system, it’s difficult to find too many faults with the series’ latest entry. There are perhaps times when its story can get a little complicated, but even those who don’t fully understand the game’s narrative should at least enjoy its delivery thanks to some great writing and some even better voice acting.
14 Titanfall 2 (89)
The original Titanfall was billed as a COD killer; while the latter’s continued existence should serve as a clear indication that the former failed in that regard, that’s not to say that it wasn’t still a very good attempt. It reviewed well and, perhaps most importantly, it sold well enough to convince EA to greenlight a sequel. Titanfall 2 was and remains a great title that’s right up there with the Call of Duty games, even if it lacks the clout to truly topple them.
It is often said the sequels should learn from their predecessor’s mistakes, and few games exemplify this better than Titanfall 2. It improved on the original game in practically every area, leading to a level of gameplay fluidity that players had long been yearning for. There were no half measures taken in this game, nor were there any compromises made when it came to the game’s online multiplayer. As such, it provides an action-packed experience that players are unlikely to forget in a hurry.
13 Apex Legends (89)
Seen by many as the spiritual successor to Titanfall, Apex Legends was a little slow coming out of the blocks. Following its solid review scores and some positive word of mouth though, the game managed to attract around 70 million players worldwide by October 2019. It’s also won numerous awards and become incredibly popular in the ever-expanding eSports scene.
One of the game’s biggest selling points is Apex Legends‘ diverse cast of characters, each of whom have their own unique skill set. This variety allows the game to cater to a wide range of playing styles while also remaining fresh for those who grow tired of maining the same character. The developer also provides regular updates, preventing the game from ever feeling stale.
12 MVP Baseball 2004 (90)
Compared to some of EAs other sporting IPs, MVP Baseball was fairly short-lived. There were just five games produced between 2003 and 2007 before an exclusivity deal between 2K Sports and Major League Baseball forced EA to step aside. The company did flirt with the idea of making college baseball games but pulled the plug on the project following middling sales and reviews. Despite its early demise though, the franchise was able to deliver one of the greatest baseball games of all time.
It could be argued that MVP Baseball 2004 served as a precursor to 2K Sports’ MLB games. It single-handedly defined what a 3D baseball game should be and is one of the most intuitive sports games ever created. It also looked absolutely fantastic for a PS2 game. Perhaps best of all, the game also provided plenty of improvements over its predecessor, which helped players to feel as though they were getting value for their purchase rather than simply paying for some updated rosters.
11 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 (90)
This score is based on the GameCube version of the game. PGR Tour started out as a game series in 1990 and it wasn’t until 1998 that they brought Tiger Woods into the series as a mascot.
Among all console entries, this is by far the best of them. The EA Sports division certainly hit its stride with a bunch of great features and solid gameplay making Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003 one of the best golf games of all time.
10 Dead Space 2 (90)
This score is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game. For us, the original Dead Space will always be the best one of the trilogy since it can be thanked for bringing back survival horror games in a really big way.
That said, everything about this sequel mechanically is superior to its predecessor. On top of the gameplay feeling tighter and the graphics looking better, letting Isaac talk was a real plus to the story. EA, bring back Dead Space!
9 NBA Street Vol. 2 (90)
This score is based on the PS2 version of the game. NBA Street and this sequel were two great spiritual successors to NBA Jam. That game was a bridge between casual sports fans and more hardcore one.
It was just a fun arcade-like experience. And even though this game was a bit more complex, it still catered to a wider audience.
8 NCAA Football 2003 (91)
This score is based on the GameCube version of the game. Contrary to the official NFL games, EA also used to make college based versions. They were on par with said official entries.
The only reason they stopped was a dispute on making money off of college students for a video game. The last version was NCAA Football 14 in 2013. This article on USA Today goes a bit deeper into the controversy.
7 FIFA Soccer 10 (91)
This score is based on the PS3 version of the game. In the span of three years, this series was at its best. This got a 91 while FIFA Soccer 12 and FIFA Soccer 13 both got 90s. As the world’s most popular sport, it has always sold high, which is why these games also review so high.
It’s not that the reviewers are biased, it’s that the sports team at EA were really dedicated to their craft, knowing that so many soccer fans were eagerly anticipating each new entry.
6 Medal of Honor (92)
The original Halo was the first example of a first-person shooter feeling as natural on a console as they normally do on a PC. So while the original Medal of Honor on PS1 does not come close to that level of comfort and intuitive control, it was still a fun game for its time.
This was still in an era where World War II shooters were still mildly novel and weren’t totally over-saturating the market.
5 Rock Band (92)
This score is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game. The first Rock Band was a good first step in taking what Guitar Hero had started and turned it into a better musical dream.
Rock Band 2 then hammered out the details, refined everything, added more tracks, and allowed for the majority of the original library to be ported over, thus creating one amazing game for parties. No matter what instrument one had, they were in for a good time.
4 NHL 2002 (92)
This score is based on the PS2 version of the game. As far as Metacritic is concerned, this is the highest rated official hockey game on the site. This series was great up until the most recent years. Like most other EA games, the support for it seems to be mediocre.
They still get scores ranking in the green, but it really feels like a passionate yearly cycle of development compared to this entry. The number of options, roster, and graphics have gotten better, sure, but NHL 2002 is still pure gold.
3 Burnout 3: Takedown (94)
This score is based on the Xbox version of the game. It is also the best reviewed Burnout entry in the series, which should be obvious by this list. The two previous games were good tries at a more fast-paced racing game with an emphasis on car destructibility. However, Burnout 3: Takedown is where things really took off bringing the series to a new level of awesome.
It set the pace for the next two sequels, Burnout Revenge and Burnout Paradise, which were also amazing. If only EA would see the value in this series again. Let’s retire Need for Speed for a while and bring this back!
2 Madden NFL 2003 (95)
When EA released John Madden Football in 1988, few could have imagined that the series would go on to become one of the most successful of all time. Yet, 32 years later, that’s exactly what it is. Although fans have begun to lose patience with the low effort upgrades of modern Madden titles, things were very different at the the turn of the century. Players were treated to a huge leap forwards in terms of both graphical fidelity and gameplay with many seeing the 2003 edition as the pinnacle of that growth and development.
At the time of its release, the graphics were phenomenal and the reworked franchise mode provided endless hours of fun. There was clearly a lot of time and effort put in to crafting a genuine American football experience and that effort was certainly not in vein. Future entries may look a lot better, but none have yet been able to surpass the game when it comes to charm and authenticity.
1 Mass Effect 2 (96)
This score is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game. As a side note, the third game got a 93. So earnestly, either of these Mass Effect titles make a solid number one EA title for consoles of all time. The ending of the trilogy is divisive, but boy, what a journey.
What the second game got right above all others was its refinement of the gameplay systems. The shooting and powers were better, and that sense of “getting the band back together” is always a good hook for a game. Plus it got rid of a lot of dead weight, like the driving segments and the long elevator rides.
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