Axis Football 2026 Review: 4th and Long | The Gamerheads Podcast

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2

Also on: Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC

Price: $19.99

Lately, I’ve been on a sports games kick, putting time into Retro Bowl, playing some Legend Bowl, and recently reviewing Jaleco Sports: Bases Loaded. So it feels appropriate that I take a look at Axis Football 2026, the newest contender in the football genre. And while I love seeing more games step onto the field against Madden (pun intended), and Axis Football 2026 has made moves in the right direction, there’s no denying it still has a long way to go to catch up.

If you played Madden back then, you know the control schemes were pretty simple.

First off, the game feels like a late 90s to early 2000s Madden-era football game, and because of that, I found it easy to pick up and play. I think the developers leaned into that approach, since there is no tutorial to walk me through how everything works. If you played Madden back then, you know the control schemes were pretty simple. Offensively, I can select my plays (or ask the coach), and I can call audibles before the snap.

Running the ball is a bit easier than passing. I have a break tackle button and a boost button at my disposal. When it comes to passing, I’m given two options. I can either use a reticle to aim where I want to throw and then hit a button to execute the pass, or I can go with the simpler and more familiar approach of pressing the controller button tied to a specific receiver. That’s the system I stuck with, although I did try the reticle method, and it felt too foreign for me to get used to.

Players also feel like they’re skating on ice as there isn’t much weight behind their movement.

Defensively, it’s much of the same: selecting plays, switching between players, and making tackles. From a familiarity standpoint, Axis Football 2026 does a lot right. The problem is the execution. Defensive players don’t really seem to know how to tackle. Most of the time they just run into the ball carrier, which often lets the offense break free or pick up extra yards.

Players also feel like they’re skating on ice as there isn’t much weight behind their movement. On top of that, I ran into a few glitches that really soured my experience. The most notable were the game crashing outright, or my players freezing after catching the ball. Put together, these issues dampened my overall enjoyment of the game.

While franchise mode is a step in the right direction, the presentation falls flat.

That’s not to say the game isn’t ambitious. It is, and it feels like more resources were put into the new features, while not enough time was spent tightening up the on-field mechanics. Axis Football 2026 features an expanded franchise mode with stat tracking, including top players of the week, top players in the league, and team leaders. I can also trade, pick up free agents, and there’s a draft and salary cap as well.

Franchise mode also offers commentary, although about half the time it got the plays wrong. For example, it would say something like “the defensive player broke through for a sack!” when the running back had actually just rushed for ten yards. I also appreciated the idea of having an analysis team give their thoughts on who will win the game. It’s all delivered through a text box, and although sometimes they mixed up which players were on which teams, it was still a nice touch.

If I want to get really creative, I can even create my own team, customize jersey colors, choose a logo from a list of pre-generated icons, and even design plays. All of this adds to the experience, but it still wasn’t enough to overcome the issues I had with the gameplay

While franchise mode is a step in the right direction, the presentation falls flat. The stadiums feel boring, with nothing unique about their design or setup. There also doesn’t feel like much of a crowd, and the noise that does get pumped in sounds manufactured instead of immersive. It seems like the developers wanted Axis Football 2026 to feel like a televised game, but there isn’t much to sell that illusion. There’s nothing between quarters or at halftime, and there are no cutscenes when a player pulls off an incredible play.

There is an instant replay option, but it’s a manual process. I would rather have the game automatically cut to a replay after a well-executed play. I also noticed an advertisement sign on the field for “The Chosen,” which might be another game, but it felt out of place and looked more slapped together than intentionally placed. I know this may be a lot to ask for, but if the goal is to build something closer to Madden, then the execution and polish need to be there. Otherwise, it just falls flat, and unfortunately that’s how a lot of Axis Football 2026 felt to me.

Final Grade: C

I want to see more competitors take on Madden because it pushes Madden to step up each year. While Axis Football 2026 includes some novel ideas, like an expanded franchise mode and an attempt to make the game feel more like a televised experience, it doesn’t do enough to fully pull it off. If developers want to go down that path, they need to execute and deliver a polished game. Otherwise, it becomes too easy to spot the issues when comparing it to Madden.

There are other ways to approach it, too. Games like Legend Bowl and Retro Bowl succeed by leaning into a stylized presentation, but Axis Football 2026 runs so close to Madden that it’s nearly impossible not to make those comparisons. Beyond the presentation, I also experienced crashes and glitches that took me out of the game. Axis Football 2026 might be a good pick for players who enjoyed the early Madden era, but don’t expect much beyond that. It’s a step in the right direction, but it feels like the game needed more development time.

Review code provided by Stride PR.