Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

[Armor and Sword]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

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.

[mjavon]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

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.

[JayBee74]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

When are they going to fix the stiff arm? I just want to be able to extend my stiff arm out at will when running. The stiff are is suppose to keep players from getting close enough to you to make a tackle, so why does this game wait for the defenders to get up on you for a stiff arm animation to may or may not trigger, most of the time it does not.
Think of how much more fun the run game would be if you could actually execute stiff arms on defenders in the open field; Sad thing is that the stiff in Madden has been a complete joke for decade, the last time the stiff are was useful was in the PS2 gen.

The stiff arm is like a wet noodle, but the overall running game is underwhelming. Would have been nice if the great improvement in the passing/catching game was paired with an equally impressive run game.

[DJ]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

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.

If only you didn't go to Auburn ... j/k! Agreed 100% AA on the impressions. I've played 3 games now and I've seen the CPU QB's legit over/under throw receivers and other times just flat-out miss the receiver all together.

Happened to me, too. Eli was trying to throw one deep to Randle off of playaction and the ball just sailed on me ... and not the usual throw down the sideline where the ball will just float out of bounds to inflate the incompletions, this throw was down the seem and Eli missed Randle by a good 10-15 yards.

As I play more, I'm noticing that for the first time in a long time, ratings and matchups matter. Wish we could assign DB's to certain CPU WR's, but that doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the game. It is pretty cool to see a slot WR being covered by a LB and knowing that if you use RAC, you've got a good chance to catch the ball in stride and zip past the LB before he has a chance to bring you down, or warp to you and bring you down like in the past.

Forgot to mention the crowd is much improved this year, too. Love the reactions to big plays.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

It's a small detail, but I find it frustrating how year after year dirty unis ends up not working correctly in Madden. FIFA is a great example of how it works in real time. I was shocked when they implemented it last year, my guy would hit the ground in a rainy game and have a mud streak where he hit. I'd love this from a details/immersion standpoint in Madden.

[gunnnaGB]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

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.

Penalties is horrible and non existing for online play BUDDY and it don't make any since why #Fail

[jbd345]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

This game is great. The fact that they got the train horn in for the bills on third down and its correct is very impressive. A solid 8.5/10 for me.

[m1ke_nyc]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

Draft champions is fun and has a lot of potential going forward. I'd like to see them expand on it. Maybe you keep your team until you lose instead of just after 3 wins your done. Also it should keep track of your history like your team with the longest win streak. Which players you put up the best stats with. That would make the mode deeper but what we have now is a good start

[Exile04]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

I have been playing since last week and have a solid 15 hours in now. Here's my impression. Should note did not play last year.
I am having fun with the game, i have worked the sliders a little to make the game play more even and as it should (how i feel it should), still needs tweaking.
The biggest thing for me in the last 2 games are penalties. I have seen obvious DPI's that we called it was great even if they were against me. one was on a long pass 30 yards to the endzone and my CB bump the WR off his route, but them on the 1 yard line. The other was across the middle. DEF holding i have seen 3 or 4 in the last 2 games and OFF holding about 5.
Stats seem to be close to right, but the tackling stat seems off my leading tacklers are FS and SS. but with slight changes to Sliders all the other stats seem to be coming in right. (should note: last game SEA(me) vs SF(CPU) Kap went something like 7-21 for 120 i know my DEF is good and the gameplan they used didnt really pass alot but seems a little low for a 30-10 blowout).
I think my biggest issue right now is the running game, running into the back of OL and not moving, and off field stuff like the challenge it is to look at player info for trades and things like that. Also bugs that has been reported that i have seen is calls against one team but its actually goes against the other, the player skills boost from dynamic goals.

[glenzariczny]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

Didn't get much time in with this game last night. Was only able to get a half in. Played all-pro out of the box, and it was WAY too easy, I was playing as the Seahawks so that may have a little to do with it, but I was still up 24-3 on Denver at half, and felt like I could do whatever I want on offense. Will bump it up to All-Madden tonight and see how it goes. With that being said, PENALTIES!! Finally a Madden game with realistic penalties that affect drives. In one half I saw a DPI in the end-zone, and a defensive offsides. Two things that have been basically non-exsistent in Madden for the last decade, also got an offensive Holding, and a false start. Overall this game will be a gem once some of the slider guys get their sets out, and they fix CFM. Gameplay is outstanding.

[Postman17]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

CPU controlled Elli Manning sucks in this game. Playing Play Now, All-Pro default sliders. I played him two games with Dallas the first game he only threw for 86 yards, the second game he only threw for 111 yards. Anyone else experience this type of performance from Eli or any other good Qb's?

I been playing with Eli and lighting it up with him. I guess its how you play it.

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

In coach mode, CPU QB taking sacks on screens because they don't pass the ball needs to be addressed. My QB took 5 sacks on screens because he wouldn't throw the ball to the HB. Instead he just kept back pedaling.

I wish the roll out mechanic for QB was a trait. IMO the CPU QB don't do it enough when the situation calls for it. I also wish we had access to the new “Behavior Coordinator" for we could edit it ourselves.

[JAFranz33]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

NFL season is here. Madden is back and maddening as ever...

When I first played the game on release day, I felt a breath of fresh air, as I do every year when Madden comes out. The anticipation of a new NFL season and a new NFL game can, in a way, deceive us from reality. I loved M16 for the first 5 or so games I played and I thought maybe this will be the year I purchase it again (IF they fix the CFM bugs).

That feeling faded out rather quickly.

The first things that stood out to me was the mundane running system. Running the ball is flat out lifeless and stale. Maybe it's the lack of "moves" you can pull off, maybe it's the patty cake OL/DL interaction, but running stinks. I love running the football, but not this year. There is no dynamic to it. Most of the time you will gain 2-5 yards. Very few 10+ yards gains, and very few stuffs in the backfield. I can sum the running up as this..***n a straight line as far as you can until you get tackled. Very few "holy cow" moments happen after handing the ball off, even with elite running backs. Yes, go ahead and tell me I can change the sliders, but I am reviewing this game based on how it plays out of the box, not to mention sliders aren't available online.

To the next thing. The unresponsive controls. I have been in great position with a DB, ready to make a nice swat or INT, and guess what happens when I push the button? Nothing! This doesn't happen all of the time, but it happens enough to frustrate me. The same thing goes for the hit stick, and for the right stick on offense. Many times, it does nothing at all. I hit Shady McCoy on a flat route, he caught it and had one on one with a defender who was easily 2-3 yards away from him. I hit the right stick to juke...nothing. He gets tackled like he WANTED to be tackled. There is no elusiveness from players who should be elusive.

Once again, crossing plays, and any type of pass down the middle of the field is overpowered. Safeties do not have any urgency in closing out on receivers. Defenders play their zones way too deep and don't pass them off correctly to the other defenders, so, if you know the defense is in zone, find that sweet spot and it's a money completion almost every time.

Players feel too much alike. I have played play now games, draft champions, CFM, MUT, and there is hardly a difference between someone like Sam Barrington and Ray Lewis. The only players I ever fear playing against are the elite WRs and CBs (and sort of the QBs, but I'll get to that). I don't fear playing against players like Luke Kuechly or Justin Houston, because they don't do jack ****, even on all Madden.

Blocking is terrible. I threw a screen pass and had 3 OL whose job was to block the 1 defender in the area, and that one defender went untouched for the tackle. That might happen once in awhile, but guess what? It happened again later in the game. Player awareness is not good.

Running up the middle is awful. The defense doesn't collapse on the ball carrier the way that they should. Running up the middle usually ends in a one on one tackle in Madden, rather than a collapsing gang tackle, like IRL.

This is all just on the field problems, I won't even go into the off the field issues, such as the confidence issues making players overpowered, the regression, draft classes not being tuned to the official roster.

I give Madden a 4/10.

The biggest problem that will plague this series is that they need to cater the game to casuals and young people. The devs are forced to make the game play in such a way that any 8 year old who's a fan of the NFL can pick up the game and play it. This hurts the "sim" nation, but we all need to understand why.

The positives are that the game looks great. Lighting is fantastic. Player scans are for the most part really good. More animations are nice.

[Skyboxer]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

Figured I'd give my quick thoughts after a good amount of time with the game.

We all know about the CFM issues etc.. That is a real bummer and frankly very disappointing. It is what it is so we'll see how long it takes the fixes to come.
On the gameplay side.. this is one of the best Madden's ever IMO.

Been messing around with settings getting a set I like and I have seen all types of games and outcomes.
Passing and running have been a blast with knowing your strengths and weaknesses on O and D.

Nothing like a great play call to destroy the opponent's O play or a great run by your RB to take it to the house.

I'm confident a slider set will be made to really nail down the gameplay.
I'm strictly a no switch guy and so far the aggressive catches by the CPU haven't been as bad as I thought it be. Still needs turned down a tad though.

Pass rush is weak but I haven't tried 0 pass block yet which is my next item oj to do list.

The issues with D cam have kept me away from that view for the most part but still play it when I lock on a D player.
Played a really fun MUT game(First time I've really played MUT) with Candyman even though I lst due to my kicker shanking a 40'ish long fg at the end Lol...

Anxiously awaiting the bugs fixes and I can start a real CFM AND our League can get going.

Bottom line for me is the gameplay shines and is FUN.
Yes there are bugs that need addressed bit the openness of the devs is a refreshing aspect of EA and I applaude them for that.
I don't excuse the bugs but every game has them and as long as they get them fixed I'll be happy.

Still need more CFM depth AND special teams need some love

As is: 7.5-10
When fixed: 8.5 - 10

[ajblithe20]

Re: Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

Don't want to post a full blown impression right now but I have noticed a lot of comments about "running being boring." I can't disagree more. The running actually sticks out to me this year as being very fun. I've had plenty of variety. But I felt like in years past running the ball was always a 5+ yard gain or stuff in the backfield. Maybe I'm wrong but I see a lot more short gains in the real NFL then anything else, and so far that feels accurately represented in this years game.