Madden is back for another NFL season, continuing its impressive run to over 30 years, the majority have been decent games. Even though we have had some great Madden titles in the past, there’s a few that stand out and Madden 17 is one of them.
Madden NFL 17 opens up with a fantasy game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Redskins. This is paying homage to the Rams, since the Rams are returning to Los Angeles. It drops you into the fast paced action as you step up as the quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley, the 2015 offensive rookie of the year. Plus, you get a taste of the new features. The introduction sets it off well; it introduces players into the atmosphere, making you feel like you’re there with your team. Not many sports games immerse players so well but Madden 17 is magnificent at giving that experience. Madden 17 has shifted its focus defence that was so present in Madden 16, EA Sports has shifted its focus on the ground game. The much needed Spin moves, hurdles and jukes have all be re-designed, looking and feeling and playing more realistic than previous editions.
The passing has improved greatly and was a feature that needed a much needed face lift. Players are looking for the ball and are making the runs dependent of the play you select handle much better and focus on trying to get around defenders, ultimately receiving your pass. This comes into play with the above mentioned hurdling and evasive spin moves. Moves are separated into two categories, speed and precision, with R2/RT and L2/LT handling each one, respectively. Precision moves are stronger than Speed moves, but have the greater potential for fumbling. These moves are actually more important than you think and will offer an opportunity for better and more creative passes than previous Madden titles.
Another feature that is welcomed is Run Path Assist and Automatic Moves in place to help out. These changes to the ground game are welcome, but it’s nothing too significant as a whole, and mainly feels like they affect the overview aspect of the sport from last year. That said, they haven’t made any bad improvements, they just don’t feel too dramatic. As mentioned above that runs have improved and this is helped by no longer being restricted by basic run and pass plays. EA Tiburon has opened the playbook, so if you wanted to fake a punt there is now variety of ways to get that crucial first down or TD. The defenders now also have a better chance of blocking a field goal or a punt thanks to the coverage schemes.
While majority of the changes focused in Madden NFL 17 are more towards the offensive side, defensive play has slightly had some tweaking too. Defenders will now automatically manage their specific gaps on the line, able to have a window to see and break off from to tackle running backs. This lets line-backers and other defensive players know where to go so that they can break through the offensive line and disrupt the play before it gets going. Tackling was great in Madden 16 and had a much needed improvement over 14 and 15. Tackling feels just as good this time around and is so satisfying when you stop the opposition, causing them to tumble and pick up play.
Even these changes are massively significant, they all help the flow of the play and offer a significant experience that is not only enjoyable but shows that EA cares what Madden players want, these improvements show this. This is where another feature that has been reworked comes into play and that is the beloved Zone coverage so the quarterbacks have more difficulty trying to toss the ball up field. The way EA Tiburon has managed to tweak this is to add new coverage assignments, they have added 10 new coverage assignments instead of the previous 4 they included in Madden 16. This gives players the ability to create a defensive style that best fits cancelling out offensive patterns of the team you are facing. It may seem a bit much but it works well and if you want to stop certain plays, players like me greatly appreciate the additions.
Franchise mode remains and is the main point of your single player endeavours as you embark on your own campaign that lets you play as your favourite team over multiple seasons. The roster interface as been improved over last year’s poor attempt. The interface now includes cut downs with recommendations on who to shift out of the squad and who to sign. This is a great edition that saves a lot of time, especially when you are making week-to-week adjustments.
Its main draw with this mode, whether you are playing as a player or the owner, really comes down to seeing how much you have impacted that team over the seasons you play or own them. There’re a lot of decisions to be made and it’s thrilling to embark on the journey of being an owner or a player. A mode I highly recommend. Ultimate team is back and even though it’s still a pretty new feature to the Madden series it is still as addicting as last year’s edition. It is a microtransaction focused mode and may not appeal to everyone, but you can take flight solo to build up some coins to improve your squad.
The new commentary team of Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis is a significant improvement. Phil Simms and Jim Nantz are no longer the commentators for this edition and finally the dialogue doesn’t feel as forced or over the top as it did in previous Madden’s. Generally all-round Madden 17 flows a lot better and EA Tiburon has promised frequent updates in the commentary department which is great for keeping the game alive and up to date with events that are happening in the NFL universe.
Overall Madden 17 is a great improvement in regards to features and the Franchise mode. It’s still the same game we’ve all come to love over the years, but EA Tiburon have done an excellent job on improving on features that needed some slight improvements or adjustments. There are a few noticeable downsides that may be annoying for those that wish to play online co-op as that is no longer present. The long loading times are also an issue. Put that to one side however and you have a fantastic Madden title, possibly the best to hit the franchise for the past 3-4 years.