The game hasn't changed too much to say that it's an overhaul, but successful perks have been made in a number of areas to signify it as a football experience in itself, and it's really something. A lot of the features from previous games return, including Ultimate Team and Connected Franchise, but some new dynamics with passing and receiving, along with the ability to create a better defensive rush and get your Fantasy Football groove on with Draft Champions, really go a long way into giving this series the push that it needs. Yes, skeptics, that means even you have a reason to try it. While the 2016 version of EA’s yearly Madden franchise doesn’t feel too dissimilar to 2015, there are definitely changes worth noting as positive improvements or additions. There’s a few drawbacks here too, some technical hiccups abound, but overall I’m left with a pretty positive impression of Madden NFL 16.

 

First and foremost is the remarkably fun and addictive Draft Champions mode, new for Madden 16. Draft Champions picks up the cards-as-players mechanic from Ultimate Team (still one of my favorite Madden things as well this year), but puts a Hearthstone Arena like twist on team building. At the onset of Draft Champions, players are put through a 15 round draft, where three cards of varying rarity are presented, and you’re asked to choose one of those three. It can be a tough choice to drop two out of three solid players presented, but ideally you’re building a team that matches the play strengths of the coach you selected in round one.

 

In both cases, learning how to use these tools is the easy part. It's often a matter of tapping a button versus holding it down, or knowing to hold A (on an Xbox One controller) for a possession catch or Y for an aggressive one. The challenge - as with most things in Madden - is in reading each play correctly. Tutorials tell you when to lean on one maneuver over another, but reading that in the heat of a game as defenders rush in is tricky. Not all of Madden 16's changes tweak the gameplay. Franchise mode - where you cultivate an existing team or player (or create one of your own) through one or more seasons - introduces individual and team goals. These mini-challenges vary in length, with some lasting no longer than a single set of downs and others lasting a full season.

 

Of course none of this matters if there’s issues at quarterback, so EA has introduced new touch passing mechanics for the team’s resident ball lobber. Holding a receiver button creates a bullet pass, with the QB throwing as hard as he can. Tapping a receiver button results in a lob, airing the ball out downfield. Double tapping a receiver icon causes a touch pass, allowing the QB to throw the ball into zone coverage. Holding L1 and pressing a receiver button triggers a high throw, which can be combined with the previous three passes. These are effective when the intended receiver is taller than the cornerback. Holding L2 and pressing a receiver button creates a low throw, allowing the receiver to quickly head to the ground. Finally, shot plays are a new concept where receivers run deep routes while tight ends and the running back stick around to block.

 

This allows QBs to take a shot down the field to exploit a mismatch (which is the perfect fit for a Bruce Arians type offense). I mentioned at the outset how impressed I was with the visuals and soundtrack in Madden 16. Everything from the gear to the head tracking has received noticeable upgrades. Coaches look better and the stadiums truly shine. The lighting for night games also looks incredible. The attention to detail is stunning and its eye popping from the moment the team’s lineup for opening kick-off.

 

Some of the errors occurring in the game, include random encroachment coming out of the huddle, severe ratings regression in Franchise, ratings being boosted to absurd levels during Franchise games, broken SuperSim that gives QBs a number of carries that rivals starting running backs, custom playbooks not always appearing and draft classes that come in too high in certain attribute categories. A patch should be coming soon to address these problems and bugs and to create a much smoother Madden experience.