Madden NFL 17 - Standard Edition - PlayStation 4

It's that time of year again, the air is crisp, the days are getting shorter, pre-season football is on and oh yes the newest Madden is out. Last year's Madden was as close to perfect as you're going to get, however EA got a few inches closer to perfection. I didn't dive too far in to see all the changes to franchise mode yet as they hyped it heavily this year because UPS delivered it late and I had to go to work. But from what I did get to play wow. The defense is tight, the running game is improved with the precision running and they even added new elements to the special teams game. There are two new commentators that just from the few games that I have played are already tons better than the last few teams they have had in there, and if EA sticks to their guns they are going to have these guys in the studio on a weekly basis adding more to the game. I have been playing the Madden series since it's debut on the Sega Genisis back in 1989 and this is by far the best version they have put out. It's a solid improvement over last year from the few exhibition games that I played. As I dive into franchise mode a little more I will give my opinion on that.Now for all the people complaining that it's the same stuff every year with updated rosters, well yes it actually is. You can't re-make the wheel football is football. So EA adds new gameplay elements every year. Overall this is the best Madden to date and I have yet to find flaws with it.

I am writing this review based on Franchise play only. I don't play online versus others so I can't comment on that. This is the first Madden I've purchased since the 2011 version since previous versions had a lot of awful reviews. I decided to give 2017 a try and so far I've not been disappointed. The graphics are crisp and the gameplay is smooth. The load times seem a little long, but nothing over the top. If you played Madden before, most of the controls are the same, although they've added a couple of new options when controlling your player which I have found to be useful. You also have a lot more control in direction for kicks and punts than in previous versions.You can do weekly training for your players that earn them experience points. The players also earn experience points during the game and you can add these to their attributes to make them better players. Meeting weekly goals for both the players and the coach provide additional bonuses as well.Another item I have enjoyed is the commentary and highlights. In previous Madden's I have played, the commentary was just canned repeated lines. In this version they actually talk about the gameplay and it much less canned lines than before. Additionally they show highlights during halftime and at the end of the game which makes more a much more realistic playing experience.

I've seen this iteration get some flack. And I get it. IF...you're buying Madden every single year. But then what would you expect besides mostly incremental updates? I last played a lot of Madden in 08 (you read right) when it was a PC release still. I've put a little bit of time into Madden 12 and 25 on the 360 but no more than several games. And then I buy a PS4. Let me say. I love Madden 17! It is definitely next-gen. The game balance is wonderful...I have had to really work hard to be a quality passer and runner on offense. And on defense I really get a feel that my play calling matters big time and if I give up yards or a score it truly is on me. In a franchise now and I'm 7-3 and every win was hard earned. My previous Madden experiences have always been of huge blowouts. Not so here. Effort is required to keep your lead. I'm grateful to have picked up such a great football game. And the secret to not being disappointed in my opinion? Only buy Madden every 2-4 years, and you'll see the great innovation.

This review is for the PS4 version.I am not one to purchase the new sport game releases that have slight improvements year after year, so this is my first Madden game since the 08 version. So, I can’t judge this game versus last years as my perspective is from a nearly 10-year old version of Madden. I decided to grab this year’s game after seeing it go on sale for 19 dollars.There have definitely been some improvements in gameplay and graphics since the version I have for sure. I really like the training improvements that help get me adjusted to the gameplay. One of the things I always struggled with in my old Madden was learning to play the various moves. This has a good training system that also motivates you to do well by awarding medals.I like all the different options for gameplay whether as coach, quarterback, or receiver, although my personal preference is as the quarterback. There are a ton of improvements over my old Madden that make the game better from the career mode to the drafting. It is pretty cool that the roster and commentary get regular updates helping to keep the game fresh.The graphics are sharp and look really good. The player modeling and stadiums look really cool. Even the pregame show and halftime stuff makes me feel like I am watching a real game. The game commentary is good and varied and not just the same stuff over and over. The sounds of the game are realistic and really bring you into the game.I have always struggled with the game controls and for the most part they haven’t changed from the old Madden I have but the game does give some good training to learn.The gameplay is good and better than the old game I have. The game is more balanced offensively/defensively with a good running and passing game and a smarter defense. The kicking is a bit more challenging than the basic kicking in my old game but I like the changes as it makes it a bit more difficult to make kicks.To me this is a fun football game that does most things well with some good improvements that give a realistic feel to the game.4 stars

It’s wonderful