Madden 16 released, NFL game is haunted by ghost players

Early reviews of the new American football game praise a release that is light on big features but tightens up much of the game’s mechanics and strategy

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

Madden NFL 16 has been released in the UK, with reviewers praising the update — and pointing out that the game appears to be haunted.

The new game doesn’t add any major new features, but is also not “the kind of "status quo" sequel that made the likes of Madden NFL 07 or 12 forgettable”, according to its GameSpot review. Instead, it tweaks and tightens up the gameplay, adding new kinds of styles of play in an attempt to add more layers to matches.

Overall, it has received a score of 83 on Metacritic, meaning that almost all reviewers have reviewed it positively.

“Past editions of Madden have introduced new features only to retreat from them the next year,” wrote Polygon. “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.”

But one of those extra tweaks is a little terrifying. One glitch that has already been widely mocked on the internet appears to show a ghost defender, grabbing a ball and going on a run.

Such glitches are common soon after games are released, with developers usually releasing updates and patches to fix the problems. In sports games especially, players often seem to go missing, becoming invisible but still able to interact with the game.

The game was released with a bizarre trailer called Madden: The Movie, which includes actors and American football players, as well as a huge T-Rex and a huge gun strapped to someone’s back.

The game is available on Xbox 360 and One, and PlayStations 3 and 4.