Madden NFL 16 is coming at a blessed time, since the real-life NFL has been riddled with bullets of scandal and controversy. Here are some of the issues: Domestic violence, concussions and CTE, ball-deflating Super Bowl champions accused of rampant cheating. One or all of these issues are enough to turn off any number of NFL fans, which is what inadvertently made this year's edition of Madden a little more important. With Madden - the only game in town when it comes to pro football - both casual and die-hard fans find a sort of mirrored, pseudo-escapism from the national pastime. It's NFL football, of course, but some like to think of Madden as the NFL without all the bullshit. It's a vessel that allows us to build our NFL experience our way.

 

The real changes come in the actual gameplay, with alterations on both sides of the ball. When throwing a pass, you now have three options when you switch to the receiver. Holding down the Y, X, or A buttons while the ball is in flight changes the way the player goes after the ball. Holding Y means the player gets aggressive, and attacks the ball at its highest point, trying to make the grab above a defending player. However doing this leaves the player open to big hits. Holding X means the receiver moves his body in order to run and gains yards after catching the ball. Holding A means the player aims to simply gain possession of the ball, bracing himself for an impact after catching it. Using the possession catch option does mean defenders can more easily get in front and intercept the ball, however. These three simple button presses really do change the way each throw turns out, and it’s a great addition.

 

The actual on-field gameplay hasn’t changed significantly. There are tweaks, however, subtle differences that make running the ball and playing defense feel better and more controlled than previous years. In Madden NFL 15, I often brushed my lineman on running plays (and by brushed, I mean I would run flat into their back with no effect). Madden NFL 16 encourages slower movement until the right moment in the hole, because clipping a guard will result in you tripping and falling. Players move and hit more realistically than ever (though the game does seem to have an obsession with slamming running backs repeated with defenders until it looks like they should be dead). The game looks and feels like real football.

 

Madden NFL 16 is a prime example of how a sporting series should evolve: enhanced simulation dynamics, creative additional modes and full control in our hands. Some might fault the real-life incarnation of the sport itself, but it’s hard to say the same for its virtual counterpart. This is nothing short of embarrassing. On one side, we have American football and its virtual counterpart in Madden NFL 16, an impressive game that heightens the thrills of that gloriously over-the-top pastime. On the other, the sport’s forefather in rugby is horrifically represented in World Cup 2015. How did it happen?

 

As with the past few years, Madden NFL 16 retains Jim Nantz and Phil Simms as the commentary duo for each football game. This go around, the two are really beginning to beg for replacements. Their input into the game is vague, disjointed, and sometimes just plain wrong. There have been a few situations that saw my running back having a dominating day on the ground, only to have Nantz and Simms discredit him and say the success of the offense was all on the quarterback. It is one thing to be an annoying commentary team, but to be wrong is just unacceptable. While so much of the presentation in Madden NFL 16 is spot on, the announcing booth does its best to bring down the experience.

 

According to Telegraph, there are more different tools at the player's disposal. Passing had an upgrade and catching a ball got even more aggressive as there are more options. With these diversity in tactics, "Madden NFL 16" is much more closer now to the real thing compared to its previous titles. It's as if watching a real Sunday football game. EA had to reinvent the game each year, as football is an annual event. Having bug and other problems seem to be inevitable in every game, even with other types or genres. And even with all the ruckus, EA Sports is still confident about "Madden NFL 16". At the moment, this is the highest rated "Madden" game since 2005, according to Metacritic ratings. Last year's title alone was considered as the second-highest selling video game in the US, trailing only to "Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare."