ZTGD | Madden NFL 16 Review

Ken McKown writes: Each year Madden signifies two of my favorite events, the Fall game rush and football season. Things change for me when this event occurs. I spend my Sundays glued to a TV set, and my weeks playing all the latest games. It is a glorious occasion. Madden continues to be a tradition, and each year I spend close to 100 hours digging into the game and playing out my fantasy season (the one where my Raiders win back-to-back Super Bowls). Madden NFL 16 delivers once again, but not in the normal way. New modes are not the focus this year, instead the on-the-field action takes precedence, thus creating the best playing Madden in ages.

[soulpopped]

I'm really enjoying a lot of this year's Madden, but I'm always frustrated when I have to learn how to play this year's Madden. I've been playing Madden for 18 years -- I shouldn't feel like I'm new to the game each year! (That's not to say I don't love the new additions; I just feel each controls so differently and I feel lost. Ugh.)

[nowitzki2004]

There is more, but im loving it. Feels like there is so much more control over everything.

[Gamble20]

By no means do I say this to slam the people who still get excited for Madden every year, but in my opinion it really is just marginal improvements every year. Or simply an old generation feature brought back in a new wrapping. My biggest problem with Madden has and continues to be that it doesn't feel like football. It always feels like an arcade game. ESPN 2k5 has certainly dated by now, but at least it felt like a real football game in terms of the physics. Madden looks good in screenshots but doesn't "play" like real football.

[DeeboSlice]

I mostly agree. I still think the "charge up" thing made 2k feel arcade-ish also.

[Gamble20]

I agree with you on the charge up feature in 2k. But in terms of the graphical physics it seemed more like real football.

[nowitzki2004]

If that's how you feel... Ur opinion doesn't matter unless you actually played Madden 16, 15, 14 etc. I guarantee you if you play Madden 12 or even 14 you will see the differences between that and 16. And what kind of change do you want? Football is Football cant change it much.

[Gamble20]

I just explained what kind of change I want. It doesn't play or move like actual football. The players are too stiff and unnatural. Watch any gameplay video and You never think wow that looks almost like the real thing! It just looks arcade like and fake unless it's a static screenshot. I have played every Madden (except 16). It's not that they don't change things. It's just that the changes don't solve the core issue, which is that the game just doesn't feel right.