Madden 17: Expert Review Scores and Fan Reaction

NFL fans waiting for the season to start can keep busy with Madden NFL 17, which was released on Tuesday.

Whenever a sports gaming franchise drops a new edition, gamers must always ask the same salient question: Is this any different from last year's model? Other than updated rosters, crisper graphics and a different cover, is it better enough than the previous installment to warrant a $59.99 investment?

Most reviews indicate the new Madden takes a step forward through subtle yet effective tweaks. The Franchise and Ultimate Team modes remain intact, and the online experience goes deeper than other sports games.

With the latest installment now available, let's take a look at what the experts are saying.

Reviewer	Site	Grade
Owen S. Good	Polygon	9
Dustin Toms	IGN	8.6
Matthew Kato	Game Informer	8.5
Miguel Concepcion	GameSpot	8

A common area for criticism in any sports game is stale commentary. Unless EA Sports hires people to individually call every Madden game played across the globe, there's no easy solution to avoiding redundancies.

Yet a couple of new announcers have changed things up by offering new voices and perspectives. Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis replace Phil Simms and Jim Nantz—whom NFL fans will hear plenty on Sundays anyway.

Davis, a former defensive back, will soon start his second year with Fox Sports. Gaudin, meanwhile, is even more unknown as the voice of Georgia Tech sports. He described the surprise of receiving this national platform to Polygon's Owen S. Good in June. 

"I felt like I was being punked when I got the LinkedIn message from the talent director, asking about an opportunity with Madden," Gaudin said.

GameSpot's Miguel Concepcion, who scored the game an eight out of 10, complimented the announcers' enthusiasm and immediate chemistry.

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Unlike some prior Madden commentary pairings, it’s easy to believe that Gaudin and Davis were often in the voice over booth at the same time. It shows in their rapport, despite the fact that they’d never worked together before. Their inflections are well timed during and after plays, which goes a long way to show how engaged they are.

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Good recently credited the new team as "more natural and conversational than the establishment talkers Madden has used in the past." He called the game a "rewarding experience" and graded it a nine.

"There is so much to do in Madden NFL 17 that it's hard to speak to all of its appeals and improvements," Good wrote. "The best I can say is it's the most fulfilling experience one can have with the NFL, short of being one of its players or coaches."

Gaudin and Davis, however, did not receive universal praise. Despite giving the a game a positive review of 8.6, IGN's Dustin Toms called the new commentary team a "pair of wet blankets" without chemistry or conversational banter to entertain gamers. Either way, there's always the mute button.

After revamping the passing offense, the latest Madden focuses on the ground game. Movement in the trenches looks more realistic than ever, which forces gamers to make smarter decisions when running the ball. 

Game Informer's Matthew Kato, who gave the game an 8.5, explained how the alterations impact rushing strategy:

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Instead of just picking your hole and turboing through it, the revamped blocking schemes give players more to consider. Even though the holes are a little bigger, I wouldn't say running is easier. In fact, an in-your-face danger surrounds the defensive players as they crash in to disrupt the play or hold off an offensive linemen with one arm and come sliding down the line to gobble you up in the backfield with the other. The interplay between the offensive and defensive lines at the line of scrimmage is dynamic, exemplifying football's human chess match.

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When finding open running lanes, gamers can inflict more damage through a refined batch of running moves. MaddenTips' ZFarls displayed them in action:

Even the celebrations are detailed. A player, John Dee, pointed out DeAngelo Williams' "curtain call" touchdown ritual to the Pittsburgh Steelers rusher:

The running game isn't the only area that received a tuneup. Whereas gamers could previously sleepwalk through defense, Toms noted an added emphasis on coverage responsibilities:

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Newly introduced gap assignments have me focused more on the defensive front seven, giving me the opportunity to shut down any given play if executed properly. That’s a huge and important change, because in the past few Maddens the defensive gameplay has been so boring I felt like I could put the controller down and let the CPU play for me. Now I’m engaged on every single defensive play, because you have to be in order to succeed.

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All of the expert reviews addressed above rated Madden NFL 17 within the range of 8.0-9.0. Perhaps the critics are getting soft. Game Informers' users graded on a tougher scale, allotting a 6.75 rating.

The latest installment of the long-running franchise looks to have fortified gameplay deficiencies while returning the popular gaming modes without much overhaul.