Another year, another Madden. A lot of people will easily pass by Madden NFL 16 because they fear that, as with games in the past, they will simply "slide by the basics" without any new fundamentals. And while some games prior have been guilty of that (still trying to forget that QB cone business), this year's game actually makes a few strides towards greatness. It doesn't entirely hit the mark, especially when it comes to its somewhat stagnant commentary, but there's no question that football fans will eat it up like a Sunday afternoon feast.

 

The other big change this year’s NFL 16 is a more gameplay driven one, which focuses on providing more options for passing and receiving. It’s not unusual to see Madden attempt to freshen up the controls each year, and this year I feel like they’ve made some positive changes. Essentially every time you throw the ball to a receiver, you have the option to take control of the receiver and hold down X, Y, or A before the catch. Holding down X means your player will transition quickly into a run, and attempt to break away from a defender. Y will see your player doing all he can to catch the ball, perfect for those last second hail mary passes. A is all about retaining possession after the catch, which might not seem immediately useful, but does provide a service for goal line plays.

 

Not that that's a knock against Madden 16. The new throwing and pass-catching tools offer more flexibility, and the emphasis on airing the ball in many ways mirrors the real-life NFL's shift toward more of a passing game. If anything feels off, it's the way these shiny new passing game toys upset the overall balance. Beckham's jaw-dropping catch seems downright pedestrian once you start to see backup receivers making similar plays. It's not that the aggressive catch guarantees a reception every time; it doesn't. But it's odd to see unbelievable physical feats pulled off by non-elite players on a semi-regular basis.

 

The third iteration of the series on current-gen platforms, Madden NFL 16 continues its growth. There’s not a myriad of changes this year, but what has been tweaked is noticeable and makes for a fantastic game of pigskin. Draft Champions is an expertly designed addition that proves to be refreshing in an era of sports game complexity. Taking the elements that make fantasy football so addictive and applying them to Madden whilst making the whole mode great for casual players and hardcore alike, it will likely see the bulk of most player’s game time this year. Add that to improvements on the field, impressive tweaks to Madden Ultimate Team and Connected Franchise as well as the triumphant return of a licensed soundtrack and Madden NFL 16 is a clear winner.

 

Even with EA Tiburon’s plans seemingly coming together in Madden NFL 16, there are still a few tiny flaws with this year’s product. Despite visuals that look better than ever, glitches remain on both the animation and AI side of things. The occasional clipping of two players trying to occupy the same space in transitional scenes between plays. Inhuman ragdoll movements after a tackle. Unnatural ball trajectories when released from the QB’s hand. Players standing perfectly still in the middle of the field before, during, and after a play - or, when they do move, it’s like they’re on an electric football field and not moving smoothly like their ten teammates. These are, admittedly, minor annoyances, but are still enough to break the immersion, especially when those players who refuse to move cost you big plays on offense or defense.

 

Overall, I am quite happy with this year’s installment in the Madden NFL franchise. While the changes may not be as sweeping as we have seen in the past, Madden NFL 16 feels like the most complete Madden I have played in well over 10-years. I cannot recall a time where I wanted to play every single mode offered in the game over and over. That is the case this year. The new addition of Draft Champions is a delight and CFM and MUT continue to shine. There remains plenty of room for improvement, but there is no question the franchise has moved closer to a more authentic, true to life NFL experience.