Madden NFL 16 Community Impressions

[HenryClay1844]

I"m not an American football fan anymore, but I think this is the best gameplay they've ever had. The presentation though -+- is still behind FIFA MLB the Show and NBA2k.

[roadman]

Oh, I wanted to sneak a negative in on the prologue.

I have a Xbone and during the cinematic portions, the sounds were very choppy. I'll check the bug thread on that one.

Sneaking in one more, which I still think is important. The CPU AI under 2 minutes to play. There is no sense of urgency, no calling timeouts, no hurry up offense, etc....

[JKSportsGamer1984]

+ Physics are definitely improved (but still not where it needs to be)

+ Love the gang tackling (although it still needs to be cleaned up)

+ Love that they cleaned up the post play (players no longer clipping / morphing together)

+ CPU QB AI is definitely improved & QB's are playing like their real life counterparts

+ The new passing mechanics are a nice addition & much needed

+ Love the new handoff / play action fake animations

+ Love that they added various Ball Carrying styles! Bout time!

+ Like the new camera angles on replays & cut scenes

+ Like the new stat bubbles on players. Nice touch

+ Love the improvements to the crowd

- The Sidelines are still lackluster smh (all players wearing high socks, all players wearing the same facemask, players not wearing their accessories, no names on the back of jerseys, etc..) This is holding the look of the game back & must be a priority going forward. We need chearleaders too!

- When in a no huddle hurry up situation players still run right through other players (clip/morph) when running back to the line of scrimmage. Again, this is an immersion killer. They need to add player avoidance (similar to the sidelines) in these situations. They do avoid at times just not all the time. They cleaned up the player clipping/morphing post play but neglected to do it for the hurry up offense. Please fix this!

- RB's still run up their blockers back without pushing off at times & RB's arms still bend behind their back with the ball stuck in their hand smh. I thought this would've been fixed by now! EA, RB's should contextually tuck the ball when in traffic or when near a defender to prevent this from happening. PLEASE fix this! I can't stand when a runner's arm gets stuck behind his back with the ball stuck in their hand. I can not begin to tell you how much I hate to see this! It makes me want to turn the game off every time I see it! I know this is tied to the physics engine but this has to go!

- Spin moves are way too effective & over powered. We shouldn't have RB's like Christian Okoye pulling off spin moves like Barry Sanders. There's needs to be a bigger differential in how RB's are able to utilize certain moves. RB's still feel too similar. It's time to give RB's their own player specific animation packages. This is sorely needed in Madden!

- CPU RB's still don't utilize their entire arsenal & aren't as effective as they should be (I should fear going up against Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, etc..)

- Players still feel a little floaty & not connected to the field. Players need to feel more weighted to the ground. Player momentum still needs improvement.

- Tackling (while improved) still feels sloppy at times. Defenders still flop to the ground like they're lifeless on gang tackles. There's also way too many pillow soft hits in the game. I do see my share of big hits, but I'm seeing a lot of soft hits that have no thump to them what so ever with players going down too easy. This should've been fixed by now in year 3 of the physics engine. Hopefully this can be tuned or patched.

- Goal Line defense is still basically non existent. There needs to be a battle in the trenches especially on the goal line or on short yard attempts. Defenders should be getting low & plugging the holes. It's still too easy to score on the goal line. This has to be addressed going forward!

- Blocking logic/AI is still suspect at times. I'm still seeing offensive linemen give up on blocks too soon & letting defenders go right around them. Still not seeing defenders push or collapse the pocket like you see on Sundays. Lineman look confused at times not knowing who they should block. Offensive lineman often times just break down & attempt to block an area of the field as opposed to blocking the nearest defender. This is a legacy issue that has plagued Madden for years. Blocking (while improved) still needs major improvement. Everything starts with the trenches!

- Way too many One Handed catch animations! In typical EA fashion, ODB Jr makes a once in a lifetime catch & now I'm seeing those types of catches in Madden 5 to 10 times a game smh. This needs to be toned way down. I'm not talking about aggressive catches in general, just these ridiculous one handed catch animations that you rarely see IRL. They don't have to eliminate them just tone them way down.

- The sound quality for the on field action isn't that good at times. Sometimes you can't hear the physicality being displayed (maybe this ties in to the pillow soft hitting). I forget which Madden it was (I think 07) where you could hear players stomping on the field when running. We need stuff like that in the game to add to the immersion. APF2K8 had great on field sound as well. I do like that EA added player chatter this year but the overall sound of the game needs a big upgrade.

- Animation quality still needs work (although it has improved)

- We still don't have True Step for all 22 players on the field (this would greatly improve the game)

- Referees are still ice skating all over the field smh. Gotta fix this EA!

- Some of the aggressive catch animations seem to be predetermined

- Still not able to assign DB's to WR's. We should be able put our best DB on the opponents best WR. This is a must & we need this to combat some of these aggressive catches. I know Rex said they were trying to get this in but EA please try your best to patch this in. It would be a shame if we had to wait until next year for this feature.

- The hit stick has been toned down. I'm not able to lay the wood like I used to. I don't like this.

- I like the idea of the "get skinny" option but it needs to be reworked. It should not be assigned to a button it should just happen contextually. There are times when I just want to cover up the ball only to have my RB do the get skinny animation at the most inopportune times. Just let the animation automatically happen similar to how RB's spin off their blockers when stuck behind them. Having it tied to the same button as protect the ball is a bad idea. There also needs to be more get skinny animations. How are you only going to put one animation in the game & have all RB's do the same move? There should be an animation where the runner leans sideways to get skinny. The way they have it now is the RB just puts his head down with a slight twist similar to a trucking animation. Please address this EA.

- Presentation is still lacking (including commentary). It's disappointing that there's a ticker in the game but they use it for goals instead of scores & updates from around the league smh. EA dropped the ball on this. We need highlights from games around the league & a weekly wrap up show during CFM. These are the things I expected & thought were a no brainer for this generation. EA has to step it up in this department. We also need to go away from cut scenes & add Real-Time presentation. It's long overdue!

- We still are not able to manually set the temperature of games. I want to be able to play cold weather games without it snowing, etc...I don't understand why Madden got rid of this feature. We need the real time weather feed that was in NCAA football.

- Touchdown celebrations are completely out of wack. I shouldn't see Eli Manning doing the Nene after a score smh. Also, how are you going to add Ladanian Tomlinson to the game but not have his signature celebration? Come on EA! Also, we need team celebrations in the end zone after TD's. Looks extremely odd when your player is celebrating by himself whereas in the NFL you rarely see that.

- In Zoom cam when pulling the camera back presnap in a 5 wide empty formation, the outside receivers are cut off out of view on the edges of your screen. This is a problem because you can't see the matchup or who your edge receivers are when it happens. I don't recall this happening last year & I know it's not my TV. Not sure if it's a glitch or if the Zoom cam just needs to be adjusted. All they have to do is pull the Zoom back presnap about an inch to fix this. I only use the Zoom cam & this problem is kind of killing it for me. PLEASE fix this!

Overall I like the improvements & I'm satisfied with the game but as usual with Madden it still falls short of greatness. Seems like every year I see the potential in the game but it always leaves me wanting more & waiting for next year. Hopefully a lot of these issues can be addressed in a patch (especially the issue with RB's arms bending behind their back with the ball stuck in their hand, the Zoom camera issue & clean up the physics). Madden 16 can go down as a great game if a lot of these issues get fixed along with the numerous bugs (see the Bugs & Glitches thread).

[The_Gaming_Disciple]

The last Madden I bought was 04' when Mike Vick graced the cover. I am really enjoying this game. The intro with the Steelers and Cardinals had me hyped last night as I started the game. The running in the game feels fluid and real. I enjoy the tackling way better and it feels more realistic. I especially enjoy the defensive cam because I enjoy player lock. The skills trainer was in depth and informative.

Hopefully EA NCAA will come back with these graphics and gameplay. I'm also glad the penalty sliders are more effective.

Go FSU!
Go Bucs!
Go Winston!

Playstation forever

XBox can take this L!!!

[GisherJohn24]

Had 10 hours to play this bad boy before the release and I can easily say I had no trouble forking out the dough to get it. I'm sold.

So...I thoght today so I thought I'd give my two cents how I Feel after some serious game time

Madden took years to come to form IMO. I've played it since it's first arrival on the beloved Sega Genesis and look what we got now? It's had a rocky road here and there, and I understand it's been under heat for being too much like the previous years game, but no worries, they give you just enough to make it feel new. I feel Madden 16 is worth the price tag, and certainly for someone who took some years off.

Madden 16 is the first football game to utilize penalties to their potential. I can't remember the last time I had a pass interference call in any football game. We finally have them and they work! Pass interference calls? Yep sure are. Holding? You know it! Defensive holding? Sure thing. Late hits penalty calls? You bet! This makes the game feel more like a real game and I think for the most part, most will welcome this addition. I haven't decided if they're over done yet, but so far, it's pretty standard on what you see in a real game. It really adds to the realism if you're into the more simulation aspects.

Controls feel polished and smooth. It still has the classic controls of Madden that long time fans can jump right in. Truck stick, hit stick, spin move, hurdle, juke, etc.... Long time madden fans will be right at home with it. The newest things are the aggressive catch and possession catch functions. The aggressive catch can make for a amazing eye candy that you have never seen in a football game before, it's so real people walking into the room are thinking they're seeing ESPN highlights. With aggressive catch activated with *Y* on the XBONE or triangle on ps4, you can make for some spectacular catches and they look spectacular on both sides of the ball. Defensive will also make some amazing attempts to gain possession. Defense can do the same thing, so it's kind of a crapshoot what happens depending if they go up for the aggressive catch. You can make some mistakesif you get hit using the aggressive too much and interceptions can be more gracious. I do like the new function, but as with anything, including the penalties, if you don't like them, turn them off.

The game feel more organic than ever. 15 was great IMO already. Sure, you get the occasional times where guys flop around on piles and play possum on the field till they want to get up. Yeah, I understand it looks silly at times, but does it really interfere with the game itself after the play? No. It doesn't. A lot of review sites already say this is unacceptable and tired of seeing it I say, it's no big deal. When the game is in play, that's what counts.

The game has a fantastic running game. Blockers seem to make holes and are smarter around running down the field with you. The classic truck stick is still there, although I dont think it's as powerful as it once was as a veteran Madden player will probably agree. 16 has a ton of new animations to make the game feel more awesome. There's some brutal hits going on in this game. Although I've probably put in 10 hours already, I haven't had any injuries? hmmmm. But maybe I'm just lucky.

Passing feels good. I actually prefer to play on the game speed on "very slow". I think normal or even slow is too much speed for me, but that's just a preference. To me, the very slow represents the real game better IMO.

QB's with lower ratings finally are making more incomplete passes and they are definitely inconsistent! That's good! I noticed in 15, QB's with bad ratings were sometimes going 25 for 27 in one game! Now if your QB is just a bench guy or not very good in general, you'll see a lot of short and overthrown passes. This is a good thing again if you're playing a team with strong running game, but a passing game, not so much. QB's seem to get more rattled. As mentioned above, you're going to see some great one on one battles with the new "aggressive" catch option.

IF you want to play things safe, you can go for the regular catch or possession. Going for strictly possession, you lose the ability to get yards after a catch. Some people like to just let the cpu do all the work, that's fine, but you lose your ability to make big plays. That's the rules with madden for years, if you take over, you have a better chance at making something big happen!

Defensively is still fun with the "behind the back perspective" Sometimes I feel like the camera does some funky things after a pass, but I can usually play good defense sticking with this angle. The hit stick, while still there, doesn't seem as intense as past years? (Is this the NFL saying tone is down EA?) I sure hope not. Either way, it's good we still have the ability to make a big hit to cause those fumbles!

Presentation is slightly better than last year, but it's not light years better. And it always needs work and it's too repetitive. Some new commentary lines here and there, a bit more details about players and historical comments, but they still sound like they're reading off the cue cards too much. I'm also not a big fan of Phil Simms. He's a nice guy, but I'd rather get someone to replace him next year. Not horribly bad, but needs a rehaul for next year. Music has a nice sountrack, although I still wish they would bring back the NFL films music they used in Madden 10 and 11. Modern music is all right, I just like the old school stuff, just a preference though.

The graphics are stunning. Anyone who says otherwise, are cray cray! lol The players faces got the most love, you'll see that in the intro on the level of detail. Very detailed stadiums, amazing use of lighting and shadows and spot on reflections on the helmets. Some of the cut scenes they show in between plays etc are a bit over done, but hey, if you like presenation, there ya go!

While some people don't really pay attention, the sky schemes are glorious depending on the time of day and the sunlight peaking through clouds and how it luminates the field with the shadows are really a sight to see! Playing on snow is a blast, you'll see footprints go all over the field and there is real field degradation going on here. I appreciate those little touches.

The classic and most beloved mode is back, the Ultimate Team mode. Fans know how it works. Build your team of scrubs into the ultimate Madden team and take them online!

Speaking of online, I haven't had any major issues, EA has always had decent servers. I've only noticed a few games with a little input lag, but it's very good considering how many people were playing at once. Roster share will be awesome as always, I love being able to download all the Legends! Thanks to the community for that!

I haven't checked how deep the fantasy or franchise modes are yet, but I'm sure there is always plenty to do.

Madden 16 is a great game. Is it perfect? Nah. No football game is. But I feel it's worth your time. Anyone new to the series should pick it up. I don't know if I can justify 60 bucks if you have 15, but if you're a Madden fan like I am, I already know that you probably already have it. God bless to all the sports fans on operation sports!


Oh, BTW, where are the cheerleaders?

[NYGiants4Natic]

Quote: Originally Posted by roadman

Oh, I wanted to sneak a negative in on the prologue. I have a Xbone and during the cinematic portions, the sounds were very choppy. I'll check the bug thread on that one. Sneaking in one more, which I still think is important. The CPU AI under 2 minutes to play. There is no sense of urgency, no calling timeouts, no hurry up offense, etc....

I just played as broncos vs niners and before half the niners were driving on me under 2 min and called time outs and ran hurry up

[Gosens6]

Quote: Originally Posted by NYGiants4Natic

I just played as broncos vs niners and before half the niners were driving on me under 2 min and called time outs and ran hurry up

I've seen both of these arguments being made so far. Some guys say the AI is great in a close game down to the wire, others are saying it's the same.

What difficulty level are you guys playing on?

[booker21]

Bad first impressions. Maybe it was a bad game, i only played one game before going to bed.

1.- I Sack the QB 5 times
2.- QB threw 4 interceptions
3.- CPU Rushing was only 1.7 avg (Adrian Peterson)

I need to play more game, but this is very alarming, my first game, bad first impression.

The good
Human offense and CPU Defense was perfect.

Note: I played no switch rule and i control the CB, so the sacks, interceptions are Rush defense was all mainly without any interaction from the user.