Madden 16: New Feature Review and Scores from Experts Online

Gameplay is king in Madden 16. Specifically, the passing game has seen a great deal of attention, and the results are praiseworthy. The initiative is called Air Supremacy, and it has breathed new life into the Madden series.

You can now decide if you're going to attempt a run-after-the-catch (RAC) grab, a possession catch or an aggressive reception. This functionality brings the receiver into the game front and center, but the new controls don't completely ignore the defense.

Defensive backs can now choose whether they want to play the ball or the receiver. There's a short window of time to make this decision, but the risk-reward concept is a lot of fun.

The passing game is the biggest gameplay addition, but Draft Champions is the game's new mode. Here's how EA Sports describes DC:

"

Having identified the challenges, we asked ourselves “What is the core fun of Fantasy Football that will work for Madden?” It is pretty obvious: Making the pick. Choosing the player that is going to carry your team. Draft night is the best part of Fantasy Football. The goal of Draft Champions was giving players draft night over and over again.

"

Ultimate Team is cool, but if you don't have a huge amount of time at your disposal, or the money to buy respectable players, you're going to love DC. There's so much strategy involved in every aspect of the mode.

Whether it's a matter of choosing the right coach/playbook for your playing style, or deciding which base players to replace with stars and legends, DC gives players several compelling questions to answer. Here's a video from QJB on YouTube demonstrating the mode:

Most reviewers also approved of this year's game. Per Metacritic, Madden 16 received a conglomerate score of 83. Two of the reviewers listed on the site scored the game a 9 out of 10 overall. I scored Madden 16 an 8.4, so most were in the same vicinity with their scores.

Here's a look at seven of the published reviews for the game.

Publication	Author	Score
PlayStation Lifestyle	Louis Edwards	9
Polygon	Owen S. Good	9
Game Informer	Matthew Kato	8.75
GameTrailers	unlisted	8.8
GameSpot	Miguel Concepcion	8
Hardcore Gamer	Steven Hannley	4 out of 5
Destructoid	Steven Hansen	6.5

Owen S. Good of Polygon.com is one of the reviewers who scored the game a 9. Good writes:

"

Madden NFL 16 has taken unused and long-forsaken parts of the series' gameplay and given them meaning, delivering a truly consistent, understandable and enjoyable game after a decade in the wilderness. Madden NFL 16 is noticeably more challenging, but successes that feel earned are much more satisfying.

"

Louis Edwards of PlayStationLifestyle.net had similar things to say. He's already looking ahead to Madden 17. Edwards writes: "Madden NFL 16 truly is more than just a roster update as EA added enough new features to kick the game up a notch to another level. The question now is: what can they do for Madden 17?"

We've got an entire year remaining before Madden 17 is released. My advice is to enjoy the best Madden in years right now, and keep your fingers crossed about next year's version.

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Other review links from the table:

• Destructoid
• Game Informer
• GameSpot
• Hardcore Gamer
• GameTrailers

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