03:27 AM - August 25, 2015 by Millennium
Madden NFL 16 has officially arrived today. Make sure you play a few games and share your impressions with the community!
Madden NFL 16 News Post
03:27 AM - August 25, 2015 by MillenniumMadden NFL 16 has officially arrived today. Make sure you play a few games and share your impressions with the community!
Madden NFL 16 Videos
Member Comments
I've owned every Madden since 1988 when I got it for my first pc the Apple IIGS and this is by far the best Madden that I have played. In my opinion since 2005 it has been a constant decline downhill with some of those years being a slight downgrade and some years it was like it fell off a cliff. For the past 2 -3 years I would buy and after a week I was back to playing All Pro 2k8 and cursing EA for exclusivity and not having a legitimate up to date football game to play.
This game on the field is a fantastic representation of football. Everything is much more fluid this year and just looks organic and has that feel that anything can happen on a play. Every game I have played has had something new and one of those wow moments that make you stop and actually appreciate the attention the developers paid to the little things.
In addition to just the overall feel of the game, two huge things for me that they have fixed that have been missing, one for a couple years and the other forever is the disparity between stars and backups and penalties. Madden has never done penalties well and nails it this year. My first encroachment where I went into the neutral zone and the olineman moved and the call went against me was fantastic to watch. And stars play like stars and backups play like backups. Most noticeable at the QB position and WR/DB.
I’m not going to comment on off the field because in my opinion CFM (for me anyway) is completely broken right now with the major bugs (drive goals & rookie ratings). Optimistic they will patch it, but really it should have never left testing with those issues. This hurts because I hate playing online since I enjoy pure sim gameplay and online tends to be a win at all cost no matter the exploit or how, for lack of a better term, video gamey the player makes the game look (sprinting to the sidelines to throw, etc) and I have always been a franchise first player. That being said, the gameplay this year is so good I've found myself having a blast with Ultimate team and even more so with Draft Champions.
The one thing that I found myself wishing is that they took pieces of the opening Steelers v Cardinals sequence and put that into the gameplay. Obviously not the whole branching storyline but the emotion and player closeups that they did. Not sure if the NFLPA would allow generic voices for players (I would think so given qb cadences are generic) but if so then pay some voice actors to come in and record some generic voice lines and add that to regular games. The QBs talking up the sidelines at half or before key drives, players scoring and jawing after, coaches talking up players. All of that would blow the immersion that 2k5 had (that was so great) out of the water and give this game a soul.
This game on the field is a fantastic representation of football. Everything is much more fluid this year and just looks organic and has that feel that anything can happen on a play. Every game I have played has had something new and one of those wow moments that make you stop and actually appreciate the attention the developers paid to the little things.
In addition to just the overall feel of the game, two huge things for me that they have fixed that have been missing, one for a couple years and the other forever is the disparity between stars and backups and penalties. Madden has never done penalties well and nails it this year. My first encroachment where I went into the neutral zone and the olineman moved and the call went against me was fantastic to watch. And stars play like stars and backups play like backups. Most noticeable at the QB position and WR/DB.
I’m not going to comment on off the field because in my opinion CFM (for me anyway) is completely broken right now with the major bugs (drive goals & rookie ratings). Optimistic they will patch it, but really it should have never left testing with those issues. This hurts because I hate playing online since I enjoy pure sim gameplay and online tends to be a win at all cost no matter the exploit or how, for lack of a better term, video gamey the player makes the game look (sprinting to the sidelines to throw, etc) and I have always been a franchise first player. That being said, the gameplay this year is so good I've found myself having a blast with Ultimate team and even more so with Draft Champions.
The one thing that I found myself wishing is that they took pieces of the opening Steelers v Cardinals sequence and put that into the gameplay. Obviously not the whole branching storyline but the emotion and player closeups that they did. Not sure if the NFLPA would allow generic voices for players (I would think so given qb cadences are generic) but if so then pay some voice actors to come in and record some generic voice lines and add that to regular games. The QBs talking up the sidelines at half or before key drives, players scoring and jawing after, coaches talking up players. All of that would blow the immersion that 2k5 had (that was so great) out of the water and give this game a soul.
# 142
therizing02 @ 08/26/15 09:36 AM
I've stated how much I love the improvements to game play and especially the animations. Well done, EA.
At this point, without slider adjustments, I have seen 1 maybe 2 in game injuries in more than 10 games. Last night Bradford got injured in a CFM game in the second quarter and at the start of every Eagle drive for the rest of the game Nantz felt the need to say "Bradford got injured, but now he's back..." Probably heard something of the sort at least 10 times. The needs to be looked at.
Not a big fan of the menus in CFM. This mode needs a major upgrade. I still don't feel engaged in the entire league like I do every Sunday from September through February. There is just no connection to what else is going on. I feel like I have to hunt for information about what is going on in the league.
EA really needs to look at what an NFL day looks like. We have information about the games pushed to us for 14 straight hours on Sunday. Scores, stats, injuries, everything. I feel like I know everything that's going on around the league at any given point. If I leave for an hour and come back it takes about 15 minutes to get re-engaged with what's happening. I never have to dig for information.
In Madden CFM I feel like I am on an island with my team. Yes, the news feed is somewhat helpful, but I have to navigate to get to it. I have to dig for injury information, standings, and stats because the box scores of other games don't have a scoring summary. Really? CFM feels like it's my team and a lot of information scattered within a nightmare of menus. It's hardly "connected".
Is it a surprise considering that the team that works on CFM is DISconnected from the rest of the dev team? Get everyone in the same building for starters. How about a ticker for scores? Studio updates? NCAA football had both. It also had smooth menus and scoring summaries for at least 50 games every weekend. Is that not possible with next gen technology? FIFA has live audio cut in updates of other games while you are playing a game in manager mode. Additionally, FIFA has a significantly larger database of players, teams, and audio files. How come Madden is so slow to get this done?
Finally, I really like some of the new camera angles, but stop selling me on these "major presentation upgrades". I could care less about hiring people from NFL Films if the work they are doing is hardly engaging. It's similar to hiring a famous announcing team with poor implementation. Take a look at FIFA and NBA2K for what presentation is all about.
At this point, without slider adjustments, I have seen 1 maybe 2 in game injuries in more than 10 games. Last night Bradford got injured in a CFM game in the second quarter and at the start of every Eagle drive for the rest of the game Nantz felt the need to say "Bradford got injured, but now he's back..." Probably heard something of the sort at least 10 times. The needs to be looked at.
Not a big fan of the menus in CFM. This mode needs a major upgrade. I still don't feel engaged in the entire league like I do every Sunday from September through February. There is just no connection to what else is going on. I feel like I have to hunt for information about what is going on in the league.
EA really needs to look at what an NFL day looks like. We have information about the games pushed to us for 14 straight hours on Sunday. Scores, stats, injuries, everything. I feel like I know everything that's going on around the league at any given point. If I leave for an hour and come back it takes about 15 minutes to get re-engaged with what's happening. I never have to dig for information.
In Madden CFM I feel like I am on an island with my team. Yes, the news feed is somewhat helpful, but I have to navigate to get to it. I have to dig for injury information, standings, and stats because the box scores of other games don't have a scoring summary. Really? CFM feels like it's my team and a lot of information scattered within a nightmare of menus. It's hardly "connected".
Is it a surprise considering that the team that works on CFM is DISconnected from the rest of the dev team? Get everyone in the same building for starters. How about a ticker for scores? Studio updates? NCAA football had both. It also had smooth menus and scoring summaries for at least 50 games every weekend. Is that not possible with next gen technology? FIFA has live audio cut in updates of other games while you are playing a game in manager mode. Additionally, FIFA has a significantly larger database of players, teams, and audio files. How come Madden is so slow to get this done?
Finally, I really like some of the new camera angles, but stop selling me on these "major presentation upgrades". I could care less about hiring people from NFL Films if the work they are doing is hardly engaging. It's similar to hiring a famous announcing team with poor implementation. Take a look at FIFA and NBA2K for what presentation is all about.
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I agree, CFM needs major improvements all around.
By the way, the repeating announcing will be fixed in an upcoming patch.
And welcome back, Jistic. Sliders in the near forecast? I don't think you will need many adjustments with this years offering on all-pro..
# 144
RogueHominid @ 08/26/15 09:59 AM
Two more notes after more games played:
I had an amazing game vs. SEA as CHI where the dominance of their defense was felt from start to finish. On AP default, I got blown out 40-10, 12 minute quarters. I can't remember the last time that happened on AP, or on AM without it feeling cheap.
I also think that the pass rush is closer to where it needs to be than some have suggested here. I had a 1-sack game with CHI vs. SEA, a couple of 4-sack games, one dominating single-player performance--I feel like the pass rush is there for the HUM if the matchups are in the HUM team's favor.
I also think that the CPU pass rush is scaled appropriately to the talent. In my current game, Wake is making his presence felt. Bennet did the game before that, and that pressure is coming in the form of a very nice mix of sacks, hits, and hurries. I've taken a max of 3 sacks in a game, but I've had a couple games where I've been hurried and hit a good amount.
I actually hope they don't tune much in the patch. This feels pretty close to what I want right out of the box. Normally, the only game I play that I can say that for is The Show, so it's a real treat to be able to say that for Madden. I frankly can't remember a time when Madden was good straight out of the box, from a sim standard.
I had an amazing game vs. SEA as CHI where the dominance of their defense was felt from start to finish. On AP default, I got blown out 40-10, 12 minute quarters. I can't remember the last time that happened on AP, or on AM without it feeling cheap.
I also think that the pass rush is closer to where it needs to be than some have suggested here. I had a 1-sack game with CHI vs. SEA, a couple of 4-sack games, one dominating single-player performance--I feel like the pass rush is there for the HUM if the matchups are in the HUM team's favor.
I also think that the CPU pass rush is scaled appropriately to the talent. In my current game, Wake is making his presence felt. Bennet did the game before that, and that pressure is coming in the form of a very nice mix of sacks, hits, and hurries. I've taken a max of 3 sacks in a game, but I've had a couple games where I've been hurried and hit a good amount.
I actually hope they don't tune much in the patch. This feels pretty close to what I want right out of the box. Normally, the only game I play that I can say that for is The Show, so it's a real treat to be able to say that for Madden. I frankly can't remember a time when Madden was good straight out of the box, from a sim standard.
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# 146
SwaggerCoach @ 08/26/15 10:06 AM
Played for a solid 6-7 hours yesterday. Had a ton of fun - glitches, bugs, and all!
Gameplay is vastly improved. For all the reasons that have been pointed out. Playing the CPU is actually challenging again. I can't remember the last time that was the case!
Soundtrack is bangin'.
CFM had some new wrinkles and added difficulty.
Scouting is a new challenge this year - so far I haven't been able to take advantage of it in an unfair way...feel like it might be a fair challenge.
WR/CB interaction is a lot of fun. I just wish the safeties were more aggressive.
Been dabbling in MUT and noticing the game is not awarding me wins in solo challenges...I've had 3 games where I won and I did not get credit.
This year's Madden is a blast...definitely headed in the right direction. If they can sand down a few rough edges, this game will be a gem.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Gameplay is vastly improved. For all the reasons that have been pointed out. Playing the CPU is actually challenging again. I can't remember the last time that was the case!
Soundtrack is bangin'.
CFM had some new wrinkles and added difficulty.
Scouting is a new challenge this year - so far I haven't been able to take advantage of it in an unfair way...feel like it might be a fair challenge.
WR/CB interaction is a lot of fun. I just wish the safeties were more aggressive.
Been dabbling in MUT and noticing the game is not awarding me wins in solo challenges...I've had 3 games where I won and I did not get credit.
This year's Madden is a blast...definitely headed in the right direction. If they can sand down a few rough edges, this game will be a gem.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Played my Madden Yesterday and last. So Let me Preface this with This is my first next gen Madden . i have a bit of a learning curve but I love it so far Played Steelers vs Ravens. I lost 20 to 14 But it was challenging Both teams were held to under 40 yards rushing. I had some good runs but some Bad decisions also as I got a feel for the game I got better. still learning the controls for next gen so I allowed some big plays. but wow this game looks and plays so real. I will be on Madden all day just wanted to take time to say Great Job EA .....And about time.
# 148
SkinsBoYee @ 08/26/15 11:05 AM
Got to say, really happy with what I am seeing so far in this years game. Penalties!!! Penalties! It is so great to see penalties in the game. Its like their this little thing you have to account for that makes the game seem so much more real. Have had some games where they where being called left and right. Other's not so much. This is perfect.
I think the line play is pretty great too. Last year was a sack fest. This year seems they got it tuned to about perfect. I play on the DL and you need to use your moves. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Thats called football. Its is awesome to see a DL line that wrecks havoc and you can see it in the QB play when linemen and backers are flying at him. I think they got this down. Played the as the Texans vs. the Chiefs last night and their DL is sick. The pressure was nuts. Had Wilfork blow thru the line on a crushing sack on Smith. Out for 7 weeks, Broken Collar bone! That's what I am talking about!
Love the menu's as well. Great look.
I think the line play is pretty great too. Last year was a sack fest. This year seems they got it tuned to about perfect. I play on the DL and you need to use your moves. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Thats called football. Its is awesome to see a DL line that wrecks havoc and you can see it in the QB play when linemen and backers are flying at him. I think they got this down. Played the as the Texans vs. the Chiefs last night and their DL is sick. The pressure was nuts. Had Wilfork blow thru the line on a crushing sack on Smith. Out for 7 weeks, Broken Collar bone! That's what I am talking about!
Love the menu's as well. Great look.
Gameplay has improved, running is fun, one button defensive controls makes you feel like you have zero control and makes playing defense boring to say the least. Face scans look awesome, wish they would finish everyone though, maybe by 2020? I am a simulation guy so Play now is the only mode I will play until they make some huge changes. Why is there still not an NFL today feature where you can pick and choose each week's games from the home screen? Also, why are there still no additions/upgrades to the equipment? I am not an engineer, but how hard could that possibly be to add in some new equipment, it's pure EA Sports laziness IMO.
CFM sucks. That's as mild as I can put it, it 's probably terrific for all of the fantasy land people that love to make stuff up in their heads and play with fake players 40 years into the future, but for those of us that just want to play a regular season and have stats calculated and simulate an NFL season, CFM is a joke. I get it EA Sports, you are catering to the majority with this crap, but at least give us the option.
I "tried" to start an offline season, failed the 1st attempt because I was taken directly to week 1 of the season when I wanted to start with the preseason. Then in my 1st preseason game, I began on defense...after two straight third down penalties, the Dolphins went for it on 4th and 7...ON THEIR OWN 40 YARD LINE...that was all she wrote for me, I quit and went back to Play Now immediately. The cherry on top of all of that, was the fact that every 10 seconds, I had a "Goal" bubble in my face, which made it hard to even focus on what was happening in the game. Seriously, it's amazing how nice the game actually looks, but you can't ever see it because of all the goal and stat bubbles popping up all over the place.
Madden is fun as hell in Play Now, everything else is just a waste of space to me. For this I would give madden an OVERALL RATING of 5/10.
People have been screaming it for years, but seriously EA, go play NBA2K and write down some ideas, because the less is more approach is obviously lost on your company.
CFM sucks. That's as mild as I can put it, it 's probably terrific for all of the fantasy land people that love to make stuff up in their heads and play with fake players 40 years into the future, but for those of us that just want to play a regular season and have stats calculated and simulate an NFL season, CFM is a joke. I get it EA Sports, you are catering to the majority with this crap, but at least give us the option.
I "tried" to start an offline season, failed the 1st attempt because I was taken directly to week 1 of the season when I wanted to start with the preseason. Then in my 1st preseason game, I began on defense...after two straight third down penalties, the Dolphins went for it on 4th and 7...ON THEIR OWN 40 YARD LINE...that was all she wrote for me, I quit and went back to Play Now immediately. The cherry on top of all of that, was the fact that every 10 seconds, I had a "Goal" bubble in my face, which made it hard to even focus on what was happening in the game. Seriously, it's amazing how nice the game actually looks, but you can't ever see it because of all the goal and stat bubbles popping up all over the place.
Madden is fun as hell in Play Now, everything else is just a waste of space to me. For this I would give madden an OVERALL RATING of 5/10.
People have been screaming it for years, but seriously EA, go play NBA2K and write down some ideas, because the less is more approach is obviously lost on your company.
# 150
therizing02 @ 08/26/15 11:21 AM
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Glad you like the game....now get to work on a slider set!
The game plays great!
The game has really been cleaned up. I agree with all of the positives in regards to how well the game looks and plays.
The following are things I feel need to be tweaked or tuned in regards to game play. Comments based entirely on human vs cpu.
On All-Pro cpu safeties aren't aggressive enough or quick enough when covering the deep ball when they have deep halves. Haven't really messed with sliders too much but maybe the Pass Reaction slider can help remedy this. I believe that this is the reason why Aggressive Catch can at times seem overpowered. Not that the mechanic itself is OP it's just the amount of one on one opportunities that are occurring due to poor safety play.
Zones in general need to be tightened up a bit. Don't want to screw with sliders too much because man coverage is really good especially when you use all of your coverage options.
Need more responsiveness to the stiff arm. For whatever reason most every other button is responsive. Hit hurdle and you hurdle, spin you spin. Stiff arm? Oftentimes nada.
The CFM problems need to be remedied pronto. Drive goals should NEVER, EVER be a part of a simulation. That concept should have died in the idea phase. To have something that honestly shouldn't be in a sim break the only option we have to play Season or Franchise mode makes me crazy.
Otherwise great effort.
The following are things I feel need to be tweaked or tuned in regards to game play. Comments based entirely on human vs cpu.
On All-Pro cpu safeties aren't aggressive enough or quick enough when covering the deep ball when they have deep halves. Haven't really messed with sliders too much but maybe the Pass Reaction slider can help remedy this. I believe that this is the reason why Aggressive Catch can at times seem overpowered. Not that the mechanic itself is OP it's just the amount of one on one opportunities that are occurring due to poor safety play.
Zones in general need to be tightened up a bit. Don't want to screw with sliders too much because man coverage is really good especially when you use all of your coverage options.
Need more responsiveness to the stiff arm. For whatever reason most every other button is responsive. Hit hurdle and you hurdle, spin you spin. Stiff arm? Oftentimes nada.
The CFM problems need to be remedied pronto. Drive goals should NEVER, EVER be a part of a simulation. That concept should have died in the idea phase. To have something that honestly shouldn't be in a sim break the only option we have to play Season or Franchise mode makes me crazy.
Otherwise great effort.
# 152
fistofrage @ 08/26/15 12:16 PM
Played one game last night on All-Pro default. Passing seemed too easy for the human. Didn't see any penalties.
But I have heard that the sliders actually work this year so I am going to try a few things out.
The game seems like a good base and if sliders actually work, I'm sure we'll have a decent game to play.
Now as a single player, I'm really concerned about all the CFM stuff I'm hearing. If that's all frogged up, we could be in trouble. When EA patches that I'm sure there will be some unintended consequence like penalties or fumbles being removed or return of the Robo QB.
But I have heard that the sliders actually work this year so I am going to try a few things out.
The game seems like a good base and if sliders actually work, I'm sure we'll have a decent game to play.
Now as a single player, I'm really concerned about all the CFM stuff I'm hearing. If that's all frogged up, we could be in trouble. When EA patches that I'm sure there will be some unintended consequence like penalties or fumbles being removed or return of the Robo QB.
In my honest opinion. . I kinda hate this game. The online head to head has been ruined since you can no longer select anything except play books and you can no longer see who you're matched against ! I pick the Tennessee Titans and get matched against the seahawks consistently !!
# 154
TeamHawkins @ 08/26/15 12:54 PM
Online is ruined for me too. Not sure who thought it was a bright idea to not allow you to see who your opponent is selecting. But my Browns went up against Indy, Denver, Pittsburgh, and Green Bay. All four of them I lost, due to the Madden CPU garbage that occurs in ever User vs User game. Predetermined outcomes. All three were close games. But the CPU made sure I didn't win, even though I was clearly better.
Twice I attempted FG's, and the ball never made it past the line of scrimmage. Instead it did a 90 degree turn and went directly out of bounds. One of my opponents was like "What the bleep?" Another instance, I caused a fumble and all three of my players stood around the football kicking it like soccer, allowing an opponent to pick it back up. But I got big hit inside the 10 yard line while the defender was being blocked, and I fumbled and it was instantly picked up and returned about 95 yards for a TD.
Anytime I had receivers wide open I was forced to throw directly to a defender nowhere near the WR, or incomplete. Predetermined outcome. And the amount of interceptions dropped makes online unplayable. Opponents are horrible even with overpowered teams, but the CPU finds ways to assist them by forcing you to drop the bad passes they make consistently. Which keeps them on the field, allowing them to keep chucking until they get lucky. And in this game, you will get lucky time and time again.
Also against Pittsburgh, there is a money defense in Dime formation that completely shuts down the run. And while I only lost by 8, it was all hell trying to compete against this cheese, AND computer garbage against me. It's just not balanced enough online. I don't appreciate having to pick the Patriots or Seahawks just to get computer help to play online.
Twice I attempted FG's, and the ball never made it past the line of scrimmage. Instead it did a 90 degree turn and went directly out of bounds. One of my opponents was like "What the bleep?" Another instance, I caused a fumble and all three of my players stood around the football kicking it like soccer, allowing an opponent to pick it back up. But I got big hit inside the 10 yard line while the defender was being blocked, and I fumbled and it was instantly picked up and returned about 95 yards for a TD.
Anytime I had receivers wide open I was forced to throw directly to a defender nowhere near the WR, or incomplete. Predetermined outcome. And the amount of interceptions dropped makes online unplayable. Opponents are horrible even with overpowered teams, but the CPU finds ways to assist them by forcing you to drop the bad passes they make consistently. Which keeps them on the field, allowing them to keep chucking until they get lucky. And in this game, you will get lucky time and time again.
Also against Pittsburgh, there is a money defense in Dime formation that completely shuts down the run. And while I only lost by 8, it was all hell trying to compete against this cheese, AND computer garbage against me. It's just not balanced enough online. I don't appreciate having to pick the Patriots or Seahawks just to get computer help to play online.
# 155
bad_philanthropy @ 08/26/15 01:01 PM
One small thing I really like is the improvements of QB running/scrambling animations. Forever slower QB's have looked hilariously clunky and slow running. Slower QB's now seem to look less like they are made of stiff concrete when they run. Doesn't mean they're effective running, but it looks a heck of a lot more believable.
The game is just really good. I desperately need for them to iron out CFM, which, let's be honest shipped in a bit of a disastrous state. I'm sure they'll get it cleaned up, but the CFM beta route might be a good idea next year—like how FIFA did a career mode beta this year.
The game is just really good. I desperately need for them to iron out CFM, which, let's be honest shipped in a bit of a disastrous state. I'm sure they'll get it cleaned up, but the CFM beta route might be a good idea next year—like how FIFA did a career mode beta this year.
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# 157
AuburnAlumni @ 08/26/15 02:00 PM
I'm gonna make it short and sweet.
1. Legitimate penalties
2. Actual WR DB battles
3. Legitimate, tangible differences in CPU accuracy. Real overthrows, under throws
Those 3 areas I mentioned are without a doubt the 3 biggest additions to ANY football video game EVER.
Sim players have been screaming for these improvements for over a decade.
To be able to get all 3 in one version...I'm happy beyond words.
Best Madden...hell...best football video game I've ever played.
1. Legitimate penalties
2. Actual WR DB battles
3. Legitimate, tangible differences in CPU accuracy. Real overthrows, under throws
Those 3 areas I mentioned are without a doubt the 3 biggest additions to ANY football video game EVER.
Sim players have been screaming for these improvements for over a decade.
To be able to get all 3 in one version...I'm happy beyond words.
Best Madden...hell...best football video game I've ever played.
# 158
Armor and Sword @ 08/26/15 02:48 PM
Early impressions coming very soon.
Let me just put a rating on it so far for me.
8/10 and reasons it could go higher.
Let me just put a rating on it so far for me.
8/10 and reasons it could go higher.
I've noticed that if the CPU breaks a big run on you, a lot of the time the running back will be spelled for a few plays after that. Very cool.
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