Madden NFL 17

Time on strap on the helmet and shoulder pads as you get yourself ready for MADDEN NFL 17. Another stellar entry into the series, NFL 17 brings some new things to the table and performs a perfect touchdown with all of them. If you are looking for a well-designed game that takes a few steps into new territory then this is one for the history books. With new mechanics and some notable updates to existing ones, NFL 17 will be a perfect addition to any sports fans collection. Let’s get into it.

Gameplay

This game, as you would expect, throws you right onto the front lines of the match like FIFA 17, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, NBA 2017 or any number of other sports games. It’s up to you to take control of a player and do your best to keep the odds of success in your favor. I found the characters movements to be very smooth and enjoyable to enact and watch. As your sprinting through the opposition’s lines, you need to make use of your three main moves of spin, juke and stiff arm as you blast across the field like a meat train on steroids.

There is something profoundly satisfying in making the full 50-yard touchdown by executing a perfectly times spin, break and spin as you weave through the opposition. The controls are tight and well-mapped, you don’t find yourself fumbling very often and that helps to keep the action moving quickly and smoothly. For all intents and purposes, in its simplicity, this is probably one of the easiest and most enjoyable games in the genre.

You have the ability to upgrade your team members and, for once, they aren’t actually useless in the game. You can trust them to make decent plays and back you up properly when making a run yourself. This isn’t something that comes up often, so I was very pleasantly surprised by being able to rely on an AI for a change.

Visuals

The visuals in this title are good, even for its age. The action is all clear to see and the motion of the characters is easy to understand. Sometimes, when your player takes a hard hit and gets piled on, everything turns into a jumble of body parts but that’s pretty realistic.

Aside from the movement, this game was released in 2016 so it’s not perfect by any real measurement. The field looks like it is made of plastic, and the players are little more than generic 3D characters in uniforms. That said, the looks clearly aren’t what the game is about and the gameplay counters this fact perfectly.

Soundtrack

Once again, as with many titles like this, there is a fantastic soundtrack included for your enjoyment. In this lineup, you can hear 40 songs from artists like 2 Chainz, Flume, Brantley Gilbert, Bishop Briggs, Steve Aoki and many, many more. There is also the original score from Madden NFL 15 to be found in the EA Trax.

Pros

• Great controls
• Excellent soundtrack

Cons

• Lackluster visuals