It's that time of year again: football season. High school football has already started, college football ramps up this week, and the NFL season is less than two weeks away. That also means it's Madden Season. This year's installment came out August 25th, and I bought it August 27th. I haven't played it a ton thus far, but I have played it enough to at least share some impressions of it.
Gameplay
The big calling card for Madden 16 is the new gameplay controls in the passing game. This year, you have a lot of different options as to how you want to throw a pass. You can throw a bullet pass, a touch pass, a lob pass, a low pass, or a high pass. This gives couch quarterbacks a lot more control. They can throw a low pass on hitches and curls to try and prevent interceptions, they can put some touch on a pass over the middle just over the linebackers' heads, and they can heave a jump ball and hope their star receiver comes down with it. This brings us to the other part: catching the ball. This year there are several new catching animations, and different new ways to catch passes. You have the option of making a possession catch (better chance of holding on to the ball), RAC, or Run After Catch (better chance of gaining yards after the catch), or aggressive catch (for jump balls). There are also new catching mechanics on the defensive side of the ball. Now you can switch to the closest defender and try to defend a pass or pick it by either choosing to play the ball or play the receiver. I haven't quite gotten the hang of all of the new passing and receiving controls (especially pass defense, which I often struggle at), but I have used them to my advantage a few times. In previous versions of Madden, I would rarely ever be able to complete deep passes, and they would often result in interceptions. I've already found more success this year. At least a few times I have thrown up a deep jump ball and a receiver has come down with it, even in double coverage. Don't worry, it doesn't make every single jump ball end in a spectacular catch. A lot of times, my receiver has caught the ball in the air but lost control of it coming down. The Madden team has also focused on making players more realistic in the game. They want you to be able to clearly notice the difference between a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers and one like Blaine Gabbert. I've used a few quarterbacks so far, and I can tell you there was a noticeable difference between someone like Brock Osweiler or Johnny Manziel and a slightly better and more experienced quarterback like Colin Kaepernick. I've missed some wide open throws with worse quarterbacks. I think the same goes for other positions, but the position I've really noticed it in so far is quarterback (I've only played a few games, so I haven't been able to notice any profound differences). Overall (so far), gameplay has really been improved this year and makes for a more enjoyable experience.
Presentation
Madden is still behind titles such as NBA 2K in presentation and graphics, but they have still made significant improvements. The graphics are better, especially in the stands and on the sideline. Virtual coaches actually resemble their real-life counterparts this year, and the crowd seems into it more. The bland commentary doesn't seem to be changed, but there are some presentation improvements, including more player celebrations, which adds more excitement to the gameplay. I'd also like to see big moments feel even more exciting and pressure-packed, but it's still a more enjoyable atmosphere. Another qualm I might have, and one I've read about in other reviews, is the inability/difficulty of skipping cutscenes, as well as the opening scenario between the Steelers (whom you control) and Cardinals in Super Bowl 50 (I don't even like the Steelers). This slows down the game a bit, but that's just nitpicking. Off of the field, the menus are mostly still in "blocks", but they are much better organized and more visually appealing. EA Trax also makes a welcome return, providing decent music instead of the same generic instrumental music over and over. Presentation in Madden still lags behind other sports games, and there are always some glitches and bugs, but that doesn't mean it isn't still a visually appealing game that provides an exciting atmosphere.
Draft Champions
Unfortunately, I've only been able to try this much-heralded new mode once, because I have to buy a subscription to Playstation Plus to play it, which I find stupid. However, the one time I played it (I got a two-day free trial), it felt like a strong new addition. In this mode, you pick between three coaches and get a base team of average players, and then you go through a 15-round draft. Each round you are given the choice between three different players, and the quality of players can vary round-per-round. For example, I passed on a quarterback in an early round for a better player at another position, thinking I could get a quarterback later. I wasn't able to, and I had to start Matt Schaub. Those are the kinds of decisions you must make in Draft Champions. Another is whether to pick the best player available or pick a player who fits your coach's philosophy. In the 15th round, you get to choose between three legends. Then you play three games with your team (either head-to-head or vs. CPU) and hope to win the Draft Champions championship. If you lose, you're done. It's a very quick and easy mode. I like the whole fantasy draft thing, but I'd like it if they expanded on the mode or combined it with Madden Ultimate Team, which they may do in the future. It's a good start, though, and it is an enjoyable mode (other than the fact that they make me have to pay to play) filled with strategy and risk-taking.
Madden Ultimate Team
I've never really gotten into Madden Ultimate Team (MUT), but for those who are really into it, I think it's more or less the same, with some minor improvements.
Franchise
Now time for my favorite part of sports video games, Franchise Mode. I haven't gotten really in-depth in Franchise Mode yet, because I'm waiting on Madden to put out a patch to fix all of the bugs in the mode, but I have started one. I usually like to fantasy draft to start it out, and I hope they continue to improve the fantasy draft interface. I do like the fact that you no longer have to scroll all the way over to see all of a player's attributes. You can now see them all on the player card. There is also a much more user-friendly visual depth chart so you can easily make personnel changes. I haven't gotten to scouting and the draft, but improvements have been made on that front as well, including combine stats, which I like. There are also new player goals and notifications during games about where players are with those goals. As it has been, it allows you to start as an owner, a coach, or a player, and still has features like Owner Mode, relocation, interviews, etc.
Overview
I didn't think that highly of the last couple of Maddens, but, although it still has it's drawbacks, Madden 16 is a major improvement and worthy of buying, as it's more than just a roster update. Thanks to improved passing mechanics and realism, as well as the enjoyable new little mode Draft Champions, it's a big step in the right direction.
Grade: 8/10
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