It's football season again and that means one thing: Another Madden title. I've been playing the Xbox 360 version of Madden NFL 13 for the past week and here are my thoughts on the game.

Gone are the traditional Superstar and online and offline franchise modes, now all mashed together in Connected Careers mode. You can create a coach or player, play as current ones, or start over from scratch the legends like John Madden, Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders. I decided to create a running back for the Detroit Lions, and was sitting on the bench my entire first season. Gaining XP to boost overall stats is a very slow process, and player progression is much slower than in past games.

The new Infinity Engine finally adds the realism that past Madden titles failed to achieve, but it's not without comedy. Players will constantly be flopping to the ground after plays and limbs will be flailing around.

For Xbox 360, the Kinect allows you to yell out audibles, call timeouts, challenge plays and more without having to use the controller. It's hit or miss, but the ability to use it is nice for those who prefer this method. I'll gladly stick with the controller.

Check out my full review at www.theoaklandpress.com.

Get even tinier random thoughts at www.twitter.com/JeffHoard921.