Madden 16: Expert Review Scores and Analysis for Ultimate Team

People like Madden 16.

Online reviewers had predominantly favorable reviews on the game, according to Metacritic. Of the 15 reviews on the game, 14 of them were positive and one was mixed. Collectively, the Metacritic score for Madden 16 is an 83.

The highest scores came from Owen S. Good of Polygon.com and Louis Edwards of PlayStationLifestyle.net. Both men scored the game a nine out of 10.

Good wrote:

"

Past editions of Madden have introduced new features only to retreat from them the next year. But 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.

"

It's hard to disagree with Good. Madden 16 offers gameplay that is more fun than any of its predecessors, and the type of realism that will satisfy most players in search of a hardcore simulation of the game. In case you're wondering, I scored the game an 8.4, which is pretty high by my standards.

Edwards was also beaming with excitement in his assessment of Madden 16.

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EA took Madden NFL 15 and did quite a bit more than just add a roster update for Madden NFL 16. While the graphics for ’15 were already top notch, adding in a bunch of new HD scans improved on the appearances of just about every player in the game for ’16. This is a gorgeous game with lifelike animations for everything from diving for a touchdown to a spectacular catch.

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There's no questioning the beauty in the game's visuals. Just one look at the screenshots in this article is proof that the Madden series is on par with games like NBA 2K, WWE 2K and EA Sports UFC when it comes to realistic player models.

image provided by EA Sports

Madden 16's visual appeal goes beyond accurate re-creations of football players. The stadiums and even the crowds also add to their living worlds concept. Madden presentation director Brian Murray offered some insight on the development team's initiatives, per EASports.com. He said:

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In Madden NFL 16, everybody in the crowd and on the sidelines wears official apparel from the NFL Shop, including jackets, long sleeves, winter hats, and other weather-appropriate gear. No more media wearing shorts and kneeling in snow this year! The sideline media are also wearing the appropriate colored media vests based on whether they work for broadcast television, NFL Films, or as a photographer.

"

Sometimes it's the little things that excite gamers. While not every inch or nuance of NFL football was captured, you can easily see the growth Madden has made in this area over the last three years. It makes you excited about what the team can produce moving forward.

Ultimate Team Still a Draw

image provided by EA Sports

Some might see the new Draft Champions mode as an alternative to Madden Ultimate Team, but don't expect MUT to lose popularity.

In fact DC could help to draw gamers to MUT who weren't otherwise interested. When you compete in a DC event—win or lose your games—you'll receive a reward that is redeemable in the form of packs to be used in MUT. Even if its just curiosity, you could find yourself wandering over to MUT to see what you've won.

Any gamers who played MUT on Madden 15 will also receive the following rewards for returning to the mode this year, per Madden Ultimate Team on Twitter:

There aren't many new additions to MUT beyond a new-look menu and some fleshed out solo challenges, but quite honestly, the developers were smart to take an "if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it" approach with MUT. The mode is already wildly popular among the Madden community.

Too much tinkering could have resulted in a negative response from fans.

As it stands, this is just another solid part of an excellent offering from EA Sports this year. If you like football and play video games, you need to own Madden 16.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.