Madden 16, review: Significant changes make this year's edition worthy of the Superbowl

With plenty of games modes you’ll have to decide which one to tackle first

Nothing is quite as 'over the top' as EA Sports' Madden series

Nobody does 'over the top' quite like the Americans, yet when it comes to Madden they somehow manage to outdo themselves. Madden 16 is no exception, and it feels like the latest instalment has undergone the most significant number of changes in the past decade of the game.

The catching element has completely changed, giving you options to seal possession, run after catch or go for the spectacular. As you’d expect, the better players in the NFL can pull out all the stops in the air, giving you the chance to try and recreate Odell Beckham Jr’s incredible catches last season. Unsurprisingly, it’s the New York Giants’ wide receiver who takes the front cover of the game.

There's different types of coverage, too, as players can now choose between defending the man or the ball - though this can sometimes be made significantly harder by awkward camera angles.

With plenty of games modes and career challenges to boot, you’ll have to decide which one to tackle first. The classic Franchise mode sees the gamer take control of everything from the GM to the training field, with the task to take your side to Superbowl 50 and beyond.

You can also play in Ultimate Team mode, EA Sports’ unique online mode that sees the best of the best pulled together to create never before seen teams to take on other Madden 16 users across the globe, while you can go down the individual route to try and make it from the day you leave college to catching the winning pass in the Superbowl.

The loading times are bearable, and made all the more easier to endure as player tasks and stats will flash up while you wait just to give you something else to think about. To elaborate on those player tasks, each season in Franchise mode will see players given targets for the season and individual game weeks such as reaching a certain rushing yardage or preventing three touchdowns in one game.

Each drive will also see Drive Starters will help give your players more experience and confidence. However, the decision will come in do you go for the quickest way to get the touchdown, or do you decide to run/pass with a certain player to achieve the drive starter?

The Drive Starter does give the unrivalled NFL series a new aspect, though doesn’t necessarily need to be adhered to given that victories and touchdowns will provide the same boosts anyway. But let that be a very, very small criticism of Madden 16, as this year’s version is definitely a hit.

EA SPORTS, £44.99, PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360