We've been doing continuous coverage this week for Madden NFL 16, covering all the bases, from NFL 16 Ultimate Team to picking the best teams for the job to dominating the field on offense. Now, it's time to focus on the defensive side of things, as keeping your opponent out of the end zone is just as vital as penetrating your own. There are some new tricks to learn with this year's defense, so let's get started with some basic tips that will have you mastering your domain in no time - and maybe even scooping up a loose ball in the process! Don’t try controlling a corner back or linebacker before the snap, stick to a defensive tackle until the ball is passed or run beyond the defensive line. The defensive tackles have been massively improved this year, with QTE-style cues to try and get a good jump off the line of scrimmage to be your opponents and attack the quarterback.

 

To block passes, you'll have to first make sure you're between the ball and WR. That seems obvious, but you have to realize that blocking passes is not the only way to play defense. If you're ahead of the WR, you can wait until he actually touches the ball before planting his face into the ground. That alone may jar the ball loose, and even if it doesn't, it won't get them any additional yardage. No matter your character type, you'll have the option to play as a current NFL pro or as a Hall of Fame legend - or to start from scratch with a custom character. The latter option lets you set your own backstory; you can be an undrafted rookie looking to make a statement, or a former NFL 16 great who's come back as a big-shot owner.

 

American football is man-chess. To the casual viewer, sure, it looks like a bunch of dudes throwing their full weight against one another in a race to carry an oblong ball 100 yards. That is a big part of it all, but there’s so much strategy going on though. It’s just very easy to miss when you’re not a student of the game. That’s one of the key things EA Tiburon set out to fix in Madden NFL 16. Even football novices will find the tools to dig deep into the game, sometimes intimidating array of options. And the game is better for it. In a nod to the ever expanding interest in the X's and O's of football and the rise of film-watching from casual fans, EA Sports added significant improvements in player control and tutorials designed to teach fans and gamers about the game. This, more than anything else, was the biggest difference in the game for me. And it's a very welcome improvement -- my son's not old enough to play but I would give him this game because it could teach him about various coverages, defensive schemes and ways offenses attack those schemes.

 

To be fair, of the sparse new features included in this year’s model, one of them works pretty well. Essentially it’s a strafe function. When you’re playing something like a linebacker, you can click in the left trigger allowing your movement to exist along a 2D plane, all while facing the line of scrimmage. This comes in handy if you’re stalking a quarterback or doing your best to stay in front of your hole. In Maddens past, your player would have to bolt towards the sideline in full stride to keep up with a play. It still worked, but it looked really goofy. For a franchise that’s gone through an embarrassing number of new features, this one legitimately works, and you’ll probably be seeing it in future installments.

 

So far, this is the most fun I've had playing a "Madden" game in awhile, and that doesn't figure to change. I just scratched the surface of all "Madden NFL 16" had to offer in time for this review, and the new defensive gameplay gives this edition endless replay-ability. It's refreshing to see the franchise taking a big step forward after listening to the fans, and hopefully this step forward is on a new path to continuous improvement. For now, I'm going to be thoroughly enjoying "Madden NFL 16" and all it has to offer, but a little part of me already can't wait to see what they do next year.