Honorable Mention #3: Madden NFL
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Managing Editor Ed McGlone: This year’s edition of Madden might not be the bravest, but it’s certainly among the most polished we’ve seen in recent years. Last year, EA Tiburon shook things up to freshen up a franchise that was getting more stale with each passing iteration. This year, they started to straighten up all the photos on the wall so to speak, and build on what they accomplished with Madden NFL 16.
All sides of the ball got attention this year. Ball carrying is more involved, the defense is smarter and deeper, and you actually have something to do during field goal attempts and kicks. There’s also a genuine effort to make Madden 17 more of an esport this year. Competitive play has received an overhaul, complete with a more detailed ranking system.
It’s rare that annual sport games go and reinvent the wheel. Developers really just don’t have the time. Instead, what you want as a sport game fan is that the gameplay gets refined and smarter every year, and that new modes/features freshen up the experience. Madden NFL 17 did all that, and did so without messing up or removing anything that worked well last year.
