Madden NFL 16

 PlayStation 4
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 198 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 198
  2. Mixed: 42 out of 198
  3. Negative: 67 out of 198
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  1. CharlieScott
    May 26, 2016
    7
    Positives
    + Smooth, fun gameplay
    + Skills trainer teaches actual football concepts + Draft Champions is a fun little side game, given meaning by providing ultimate team rewards Negatives - Only real game play difference seems to be the WR vs DB dynamic which turns competitive games into each team taking turns throwing lobs to their best WR. - Still too many cheese "money plays"    Positives
    + Smooth, fun gameplay
    + Skills trainer teaches actual football concepts
    + Draft Champions is a fun little side game, given meaning by providing ultimate team rewards

    Negatives
    - Only real game play difference seems to be the WR vs DB dynamic which turns competitive games into each team taking turns throwing lobs to their best WR.
    - Still too many cheese "money plays" that are impossible to stop regardless of defense called
    - Connected franchise continues to lack the spark of other sports games' career modes
    - AI logic still missing simple football concepts e.g. Receivers often will be wide open in a zone, but instead of "sitting down" as real WR are taught, they continue to run around the field, leading to poor throws
    - Momentum on passes towards the sidelines still carries the receiver out of bounds even if he catches it with five yards of space between him and the sideline
    - Same recycled commentary. Wouldn't it be better to hire two actors to get a more natural, varied commentary rather than pay Simms and Nantz for the same tired lines?

    Overall
    Madden continues to be a fun letdown every year. As the only game in town, there is no pressure to fix issues so if you're a huge fan like me, you're stuck with hoping EA decides to make the obvious fixes every year instead of throwing in another useless mechanic that unbalances the game. I'll buy it every year and enjoy it, but it is frustrating to see seemingly simple problems go unfixed for years at a time.    … Expand
  2. Methatswho7520
    Sep 15, 2015
    6
    Ok so let me get this straight, One receiver makes one awesome play now the entire league can make super spectacular catches???
    It really gets annoying when you're trying to play defense, get to 3rd and long, then here comes super speed and super catching ability out of no where from mediocre receivers! it happens every game! i feel like the defense has gotten more slower and unresponsive    Ok so let me get this straight, One receiver makes one awesome play now the entire league can make super spectacular catches???
    It really gets annoying when you're trying to play defense, get to 3rd and long, then here comes super speed and super catching ability out of no where from mediocre receivers! it happens every game! i feel like the defense has gotten more slower and unresponsive than ever, while they do gang tackle which is cool, it seems like most of the time there are way too slow to keep up with anybody my dbs constantly getting beat on long throws even when the ball is dropping right in front of them, but somehow the receiver makes a one handed grab with one or sometimes 2 defenders covering! its making me sick! I do like how the game looks and sounds but so far thats about it! please make it a lil more believable, I like seeing spectacular catches but lets tone it down! and lets let the corner backs be able to actually make a play on the ball, not just tipping it up in the air. I'm giving it a 6 bcus I am a madden fan, but if they're gonna make this into the throw bombs all day game why bother playing seriously, I would have hated if I spent 99 bucks like some ppl did.    … Expand
  3. CubWoods15
    Aug 28, 2015
    5
    After playing this game for several days now I can say that I wish i hadnt wasted my money on this title. There are many current problems and glitches with the game that make it unplayable in my eyes.

    1. The game has crashed and stuck multiple times where I have to close the application only to open it back up to find out none of my game data was saved 2. In my career mode when I    After playing this game for several days now I can say that I wish i hadnt wasted my money on this title. There are many current problems and glitches with the game that make it unplayable in my eyes.

    1. The game has crashed and stuck multiple times where I have to close the application only to open it back up to find out none of my game data was saved

    2. In my career mode when I reached the draft after my first season the game went into a draft simulation mode where I had no control of the game. After closing the game multiple times and trying to return to my franchise it went right back into simulation mode throughout the rounds at an extremely slow pace. I ended up leaving my console on and letting this simulation run for 3+ hours as I didn't want to lose my franchise achievements and progress.

    3. The run game is almost non existent and pass blocking for qb on my career mode is pathetic. In most scenarios you have right around a second to get rid of the ball

    4. The gameplay does have decent fluidity and realistic motions and the soundtrack is awesome. Without these traits I would have given it a solid 2...Overall the game isnt even close to being worth the $    … Expand
  4. imspankyfosho
    Sep 5, 2015
    5
    After years of playing NCAA Football (Rest In Temporary Peace) and recently upgrading to a PS4, I decided to give Madden a shot. After reading rave reviews, on how this Madden will be "the one" I was excited to get back into football gaming. Well thats now a 60 dollar joke because Madden feels more like the Mobile app than a console football game.

    First thing I want to address is the    After years of playing NCAA Football (Rest In Temporary Peace) and recently upgrading to a PS4, I decided to give Madden a shot. After reading rave reviews, on how this Madden will be "the one" I was excited to get back into football gaming. Well thats now a 60 dollar joke because Madden feels more like the Mobile app than a console football game.

    First thing I want to address is the games pace, or tempo. Are we watching a live broadcast? or are we playing a football game? Its hard to tell and in my opinion and it completely destroys the tempo of the game as a player. The game pace is way too slow, but the quarters are over quickly. If you sustain a 12 play drive chances are you will be into the second quarter before you score, or the other team gets a chance on offense. I know you can adjust the quarter length, but that means you would have to play 9-12 min quarters to simulate realistic stats. In the old game you could have 2-4 drives in a quarter depending how well you played defense, You could produce close to realistic stats within the 5-6 min quarter time.

    The different types of throwing is a cool adjustment, but I find having to chose the correct catching style as a receiver repetitive and unnecessary the major of the time. In NCCA you could chose the catch type in the pre play so that all receivers would be going for a secure catch, or a big play catch. I prefer that over the new system. The performance catch is nice in the end zone for when there is a mis match but it gets often abused in unrealistic situations. 3rd and 24, its cool, just use performance catch.

    Overall I will probably play this game a lot less because in order for me to really enjoy the game play I have to set the quarter length high, and reserve enough time to play a game in one sitting.    … Expand
  5. JayLightBar
    Sep 1, 2015
    5
    Please don't tell anyone, but I do enjoy me a sports game every so often. This will be a pretty short review. The game is mostly unchanged from last years model, it looks 'Slightly' better, and yet if it plays any better or has more sideline interaction, I have yet to see it for myself. This is mediocre. But who thought it would be any different?
  6. Zin_Master
    Aug 27, 2015
    5
    Once again, against better judgement, i shell out $60 for a game that is no better than the one before (more often than not, the game is actually worse). My review here is based strictly on game play, and has nothing to do with added features (there are a FEW that are note worthy, but do not warrant the game a higher rating based on price point). The major upheaval here is the "addition"Once again, against better judgement, i shell out $60 for a game that is no better than the one before (more often than not, the game is actually worse). My review here is based strictly on game play, and has nothing to do with added features (there are a FEW that are note worthy, but do not warrant the game a higher rating based on price point). The major upheaval here is the "addition" of receiver buttons, which allow any trained monkey to hold down a selected button that the game tells you, to perform a spectacular catch. You can do the same on the defensive side. No more selecting the DB and undercutting and jumping the receivers route. Nope! just press the button on the screen and spectacular plays ensue. On a positive note, the soundtrack is decent.… Expand
  7. GreenMachineG
    Dec 9, 2015
    6
    Yet another Madden game. It's good fun, and has crisp clean gameplay. Madden rarely disappoints, but I have noticed this game allows for a lot more crazy plays than older titles, and it makes it feel a little too over-the-top crazy at times. Still hoping for a Madden with a little more in-depth Dynasty/Campaign mode, but that's coming from an RPG lover who actually enjoyed the old NFL HeadYet another Madden game. It's good fun, and has crisp clean gameplay. Madden rarely disappoints, but I have noticed this game allows for a lot more crazy plays than older titles, and it makes it feel a little too over-the-top crazy at times. Still hoping for a Madden with a little more in-depth Dynasty/Campaign mode, but that's coming from an RPG lover who actually enjoyed the old NFL Head Coach games.

    7.0/10    … Expand
  8. plagueferret
    Aug 29, 2015
    5
    Madden is always a sticky subject, a lot of features from previous madden games get renamed and said to be new in future madden projects which is pretty much the case here. As well, although the graphics (as usual, its an EA game, like the Michael Bay of video game world) are outstanding except for the animations that dont line up, the camera guys on the sideline cant seem to hold theMadden is always a sticky subject, a lot of features from previous madden games get renamed and said to be new in future madden projects which is pretty much the case here. As well, although the graphics (as usual, its an EA game, like the Michael Bay of video game world) are outstanding except for the animations that dont line up, the camera guys on the sideline cant seem to hold the camera properly, the ball just kind of magically apprears in hands because its close enough, or physics freak out and bodies fly everywere. So far these are the most frustrating pieces ive seen (in no particular order).

    1- The menu's take forever to load, and you cant cant skip the ingame feedback even with it turned off which causes you do keep smashing X in frustration after 10 seconds of cinematics between each play.

    2- The player physics are absolutely terrible. Im not even sure how to explain...

    3- ALL MADDEN difficulty cheats like hell, to the point were you will get 150 passing yards a game and Peyton Manning will manage 53 passing yards a game. Magic interceptions out the ass.

    4- No game face, just a few blobs to choose when creating a character. On the other hand EA did not even bother to put much effort into the characters faces this year except for specific ones. Example: look at Philip Rivers face ingame.

    5- Its all about MUT, yes everything ingame is trying to push you towards MUT, why? like all other EA sports games its the micro-transaction pay to win, and you will win a card here and there playing ingame, but they really want you to buy those packs.

    6- A new mode (draft champions, that lets you win MUT cards) but zero new effort put into franchise except for being able to play draft day the movie and trade up for a pick.

    Well i hope you enjoyed my review, and i do love football and madden but like a call of duty game im becoming tired of spending money on things that are copy and paste each year. No reason to buy a $60 roster update. The throwing mechanics i will say feels alot better than in previous madden games, but its nothing really new.    … Expand
  9. BrazaBryan
    Aug 29, 2015
    7
    The gameplay has definitely improved since 15. There are some small issues here and there, but nothing too crazy. As for everything else though, it doesn't seem like EA put much effort into improving. It still has the same awful commentary, cheesy camera angles/graphics, and stale game modes. It just disappoints me when i see all the changes being made in games like NBA 2k and Madden isThe gameplay has definitely improved since 15. There are some small issues here and there, but nothing too crazy. As for everything else though, it doesn't seem like EA put much effort into improving. It still has the same awful commentary, cheesy camera angles/graphics, and stale game modes. It just disappoints me when i see all the changes being made in games like NBA 2k and Madden is just content with making very minimal changes.

    Of course, the one game mode that does function properly is MUT - that's where all their money is at. I'm almost starting to think that they purposely released a game with broken modes in order for everyone to try MUT. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think I'm on to something.    … Expand
  10. smwright914
    Aug 25, 2015
    6
    I registered just to leave a review for this pathetic franchise. When I walked into game stop I had a feeling I'd be coming back soon to trade in what was sure to be another crappy edition of this "franchise" which is really a joke. First, the WR/DB DB interaction is as expected something to be refined or dropped in later editions. While the intent is to deepen game play and uniqueI registered just to leave a review for this pathetic franchise. When I walked into game stop I had a feeling I'd be coming back soon to trade in what was sure to be another crappy edition of this "franchise" which is really a joke. First, the WR/DB DB interaction is as expected something to be refined or dropped in later editions. While the intent is to deepen game play and unique interactions you are ultimately at the mercy of animation mania. The playbook still contain one too many plays you would never run and have never worked on any madden on any dificulty above pro. I'm not looking for moses unless I have solid gameplay and it will be a matter of days before I find the cheese needed for the sandwich. What really made lose my ... was after spending an hour getting through SB50, the intro, setting up my franchise...I was practically salivating for a solid gaming experience...week 1 and there was torrential rain. RAIN. Those are big marbles when you can constantly find a new or old bell/whistle to market/repackage and can't even get rain right. Last time I checked the USA was not a rain forrest. For that matter how many actual NFL games have rain in September. It is stupid. I just cannot for the life of me understand how anyone can take this game that seriously. Way to push the envelope on the next gen EA.… Expand
  11. aadms
    Nov 27, 2015
    6
    A score of six is definitely better than the last Madden games which have ranked near zero for the last eight years. I recommend it because of the sound, graphics, and game atmosphere that is presented in this iteration. The graphics alone are worth the jump to "next gen".

    But.................this game still needs more love and polish before it can become a good football game. Starting    A score of six is definitely better than the last Madden games which have ranked near zero for the last eight years. I recommend it because of the sound, graphics, and game atmosphere that is presented in this iteration. The graphics alone are worth the jump to "next gen".

    But.................this game still needs more love and polish before it can become a good football game. Starting with animations; it's not fluid enough to make you feel like they're actual players. They still look like lumbering robotrons. The next-gen in this case would be to make the players have more realistic motion. Another thing is realistic crowds. While there are more different types of fans in the stands, when you're blowing a team out, the stands are still packed full cheering away in the waning minutes of the 4th quarter like its the Super Bowl. Plus, there are no cutscenes of fans reacting, no weather conditions, nor any special recognition if your team is playing in the post season. These add up to a very weak season presentation.

    Next, Franchise Mode: Franchise mode still sucks because it cares little about the feel and atmosphere of a football season. Commentary in "tweets" is all you get about what is going on in the season. And if you constantly choose alternate uniforms for your team to wear for each game, that's the only "tweeting news" you get for your team. It's stupid. You can't make new players for the draft, and you can't customize uniforms except switch around helmets and jerseys. Customization of players and characters continue to be woeful inadequate as you can only choose from the same damn twelve character models you have to choose from that we've had for the last ten years. Worse, they decided that you'll be tied to either a specific head coach, or just a player, and not the entire aspect of the team for the franchise mode; so it shouldn't be called franchise mode but Coach or Player Mode. Finally, you can't select other teams' games to play them during the season. Your stuck selecting if Home or Away teams win. This is another step back in franchise mode.

    Bottom line: Best Madden game since 2005 in the fact it took a huge jump in graphics and sound and game atmosphere, but needs to take the "next-gen" step in animations, bring back customization. They also need to get back to creating a fun and engrossing franchise mode that lets you play the franchise and not just get stuck with one head coach or player. Yes, I got stuck being Jim Caldwell and there was nothing I could do about it. If 2k was allowed to put out their own version of NFL football, I'm sure they still would blow this EA iteration away    … Expand
  12. IownYou
    Dec 22, 2015
    6
    Madden NFL 16 is a buggy game with a mountain of legacy issues that the Tiburon development team have been carrying over since Madden 06, which should be no surprise since this game is still carrying code from that atrocious build that went into development 10+ years ago.

    The number of simulation aspects missing from the game are anger-inducing considering Tiburon's mantra of developing    Madden NFL 16 is a buggy game with a mountain of legacy issues that the Tiburon development team have been carrying over since Madden 06, which should be no surprise since this game is still carrying code from that atrocious build that went into development 10+ years ago.

    The number of simulation aspects missing from the game are anger-inducing considering Tiburon's mantra of developing the "most realistic simulation football game ever". But when you read the Twitter tweets of WWE auditioner Rex "Come at me bro!" Dickson, Clint Oldenburg and other Tiburon devs, you begin to realize why this game is missing so many things; it's because they don't care.

    When you peruse some of Oldenburg's tweets, you'll see him tell fans that something we see on Sunday is not in the game because they are "only concerned with simulation football". However, he doesn't seem to have a grasp on the realization that his comment is a contradictory statement since you can't claim to care only about simulation football when you at the same time disregard aspects of what makes a video game reflect what we see on Sunday's. 2K didn't develop their football games that way, they simply put their hands in the dirt and put these things in the game without complaining and without contradictory doublespeak, but anyone who knows anything about game development knows that the big divide between EA Tiburon and 2K Sports is that 2K is and always has been more talented and more driven as a development team than EA Tiburon and the final products have reflected that reality.

    -----

    If you read my review of Madden NFL 15, then I guess what you can take from this is that the game is on a cycle of taking 1 step forward and two steps back, and the team developing it is largely oblivious to it or are really good actors. Either way, Madden NFL 16 is one of the least technologically advanced games in sports gaming, running on clunker code that dates back to the late PS2 era with animations that are fit for the 1st gen PS2 era, with AI best suited to the PS1 era. Madden is going nowhere. It's still a fun game, but it's neither technically sound, fundamentally based, or refined the way a game that's been in continuous development since the 80's SHOULD be. What Madden is instead, is a spectacle of what a culture of complacency, lack of competition, and general development ineptitude produces.

    Expect more of the same in Madden NFL 17.    … Expand
  13. homer4president
    Nov 18, 2015
    6
    The game is an huge amount of fun in the fantasy draft mode because your teams are closely matched. The ultimate team mode would be amazing if it were not such a blatant cash grab by EA. Also be prepared for overly long frequent load times.
  14. ehmo84
    Aug 27, 2015
    7
    Another year and another madden is here. In this review I am going to focus only on my impressions about the game regarding gameplay and cfm. I do not play any of the other modes and hence have no opinion about them.

    Gameplay: The gameplay this year definitely looks like a step in the right direction. One of the big issues I had with madden 15 was the defensive warping. The defenders    Another year and another madden is here. In this review I am going to focus only on my impressions about the game regarding gameplay and cfm. I do not play any of the other modes and hence have no opinion about them.

    Gameplay: The gameplay this year definitely looks like a step in the right direction. One of the big issues I had with madden 15 was the defensive warping. The defenders seemed as if they are 100 times smarter, faster and more agile. On top of that all defenders will play the ball very aggressively, abandon their coverage and go after the ball, while at the same time the offensive players will just continue running their routes without paying attention to the swarming defenders. Well this year so far I have noticed that the interactions between offensive and defensive players are a lot better.

    Moreover, on all madden difficulty you can complete 20 yard passes. In contrast, last year nothing past 7-8 yards was working unless you lob it deep. The defenders were so fast that no matter where they were on the field they can always catch up to the ball on any pass that was more than 15 yards away.

    The tackling animations have been improved as well. They look a lot more organic and bring a lot more fun when playing.

    Overall it seems that the game has a lot more realism to it and feels more organic with respect to football fundamentals and physics.

    CFM: CFM has seen quite a few changes from last year. I don’t have time to touch on all of them and will just focus on what I like the most. I like the new scouting engine. Unlocking only the 3 best grades as well as the true talent level of the player combined with grades from a scouting combine bring a great deal of realism to the entire scouting process and quite frankly I find it very enjoyable. The menus seems a lot easier to navigate now and the new player cards look very intuitive.

    No comes my biggest disappointment for this years game so far. The glitches that were reported and later confirmed by EA have really bothered me and quite frankly have made cfm unplayable. Hopefully, EA can fix those and in a timely manner.

    I am giving a score of 7 because of the major glitches to cfm mode. If it were not for those I would probably give it 8 or 8.5 due to the vast improvements I have seen this year.    … Expand
  15. i037
    Aug 28, 2015
    5
    To start, I haven't played a Madden game since 2005. I was a huge fan back in the days but then got sick of it. But finally decided to get back in. The core of the game i was used to is still there and its still fun, but I have too many major problems with it to give it a good score.

    First gripe, unskippable cut scenes. I hate watching games. I prefer playing them. Second, the animation    To start, I haven't played a Madden game since 2005. I was a huge fan back in the days but then got sick of it. But finally decided to get back in. The core of the game i was used to is still there and its still fun, but I have too many major problems with it to give it a good score.

    First gripe, unskippable cut scenes. I hate watching games. I prefer playing them. Second, the animation is horrible. The rag doll physics make it look like rather than players tackling each other, they're falling against each other. Third, the controls don't feel as responsive as the once were. EA has decided to sacrifice responsive controls for more realistic looking animations.

    Overall, I'm not liking the experience so far. I probably won't be purchasing another Madden game for a while after this.    … Expand
  16. Gamercritic777
    Mar 21, 2017
    7
    Always good fun. Sadly rubbing banding very obvious in this game as well. I guess all sports games have it? Be the best QB all through the season to then suddenly throw 5 INT's per game. Really? Especially when the nearest opponent is 30 feet away when your WR is about to make the catch. Overall enjoyable.

Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Best PS4 Game of 2015
48
#48 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
63
#63 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 37
  3. Negative: 0 out of 37
  1. XGN
    Oct 26, 2015
    85
    Madden NFL 16 returns with a greater focus on receivers and quarterbacks, throw and catch the ball like you really want to throw it. The gameplay combined with the all new Draft Champions mode makes this the best football game over the last few years.
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  2. Play UK
    Oct 25, 2015
    80
    A solidly-built, good-looking and immensely fun American football experience. Madden is only let down by a few engine gripes and the limitations of the sport it emulates. [Issue#262, p.72]
  3. GameCritics
    Oct 12, 2015
    95
    The sheer immersion of Madden NFL 16's gameplay makes this the best football video game since the series's salad days, and the most improved football experience since NFL Gameday first graced the PS1.
    Read full review
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