Robert Kollars: After spending multiple hours with the title now, I can say for me, at least, I am thoroughly enjoying Madden football again. If I had to point out the two biggest reason for that, it would the following:

Animations - Finally when I am watching the action take place on the field, it feels and looks like actual football, and less like a video game. The movement and reactions mimic what I see on Sunday(at least a lot) and the outcome of a play factors in a users skills, and his ratings.

DB/WR Interaction - Yeah, it's not perfect, but it is consistently better than what Madden fans have been subjected to for a long time. The battles that take place in the secondary draw your attention in, and actually create excitement about the possibilities that could unfold. When was the last time you could say that about DB/WR play in Madden?

Overall I am really pleased with the total package, and while not oblivious to some of the games faults, I can actually say Madden is consistently fun and realistic.

Jayson Young: Until Madden's awkward player movement and lethargic pass rush become more realistic, there's not much EA Tiburon can do to win me back as a consumer.

I can't enjoy a simulation-style football game that doesn't include an effective four-man pass rush, and that popular defensive strategy still doesn't appear to be a viable tactic in Madden NFL 16, unless you're manually controlling a defensive lineman -- thereby taking advantage of the easily mastered timing mini-games. Playing on All-Pro difficulty with the default gameplay sliders, your AI teammates will struggle to get to the quarterback, regardless of whether you're sending four, five, or even six defenders towards the ball. Since your CPU-controlled edge rushers have such a hard time getting upfield after the snap, and your interior linemen rarely push the pocket backwards into the QB's face, sideline scrambles remain overly effective if your defense doesn't have a speedy spy to deploy. "Hopeless" and "helpless" are how I often feel trying to get my defense off the field in Madden NFL 16, because I can't trust any of my 10 teammates to do their job properly, and the person I'm controlling is usually the only defender who's consistently making positive plays. It's no mystery why most online users keep going for it on fourth down, and will constantly attempt onside kicks, given how difficult it is stop a competent offensive team without resorting to glitchy nano blitzes.

To my eyes, Madden's animation quality now ranks last among the major yearly sports titles. Even NBA Live, which is also developed at Tiburon, seems to have surpassed Madden graphically (though I'll need to play the final version of NBA Live 16 to be sure). The general player movement in Madden NFL 16 is too upright and jerky, but it gets especially bad whenever you're controlling the ball carrier, as the footwork there still looks noticeably odd and doesn't feel very smooth or responsive. Madden's basic carrying animations -- not its physics-defying special moves -- could actually benefit from a more agile "precision modifier" mode, to improve user maneuverability on runs between the tackles.

The few gameplay enhancements that EA's executives have greenlit since Madden NFL 10 simply haven't targeted many of my major pain points with the series. Connected Franchise's increased reliance on confidence ratings and experience points also keeps me from ever wanting to touch what should be Madden NFL 16's primary mode of play. So to paraphrase an old John Buccigross article on the most recent NHL lockout:

I don't need Madden. It's a choice in a world with more choices than ever -- way more choices, even, than we had in 2004. There's plenty out there. You just have to look beyond the football genre -- maybe even beyond video games. But you've got choices. There's no need to get angry. Keep loving the sport. Start ignoring the game.

Caley Roark: Just a few bullet points from about an hour of play (UPS was late today!):

• Gameplay, for me is, as good, if not a bit better than last year.
• It will take me a few games to get the hang of all of the additional controls, specifically the catch and throw modifications.
• I'm seeing a lot of framerate issues, especially in transition wipes and cut scenes. Load times are also pretty bad.
• Draft Champions is a fun mode, and has more appeal for me than MUT. It reminds me of All Pro Football or the fantasy football mode in ESPN 2K5.
• I haven't seen many penalties yet, which is disappointing since it was a press point this year.
• I like the new presentation effects, including the use of FMV when introducing QBs. I was especially surprised that they used footage for the legendary players (I'm using Randall Cunningham in Draft Champions).

I obviously can't say for sure how my final opinion would be, but I did enjoy my brief time with Madden 16so far. Of course, I liked the game last year -- not as much as some of the classic titles from two generations ago -- but it feels much better than anything we got on the PS3/360.

Brandon Kosal: This is my first Madden purchase since Madden 13 for the PS3 and I am thoroughly enjoying it so far. I am not a football purist by any means. But I am a fan of the game, and Madden, like it does for so many others, has a soft spot in my heart. Some feel as though the franchise is never good enough and that there are always gameplay quirks that prevent the game from living up to its potential.

But for me, a casual fan, I am extremely impressed. The presentation is really well done, but a lot of that has to do with this being the first next-gen Madden game I've owned. The gameplay is obviously the most important thing and, so far, I have no complaints.

I've only had time for two quick games so far. Both were close encounters. I led my Lions to a home loss against the Dolphins, which means Suh got his revenge. I threw three picks in the first half, but finished strong and almost pulled off the comeback. After the first game, I spent some time with the training drills and learned the passing mechanics - how to throw a normal pass, bullet, lob, etc. It helped me in my next game as I led the Colts to a victory over the Bills. I was much more accurate in this game, and my run game was much stronger as well.

I'll touch on the defensive mechanics later this week, but overall, I'm digging the game so far. It's perfect for the casual fan, and after some slider tweaks, I'm sure the realism seekers will be able to find some common ground as well. I was a little nervous pre-ordering this game as I grew tired of Madden years ago, but my interest has been reignited. I'm already counting down the hours at work so I can rush home and play some more.