3 Ways Madden NFL 17 Is Actually Better

Football season quickly approaches.  With it, comes the next installment of the long running Madden NFL series from EA Sports.  Annual sports titles are a staple in gaming now and many of us have gotten used to some of the over inflated promises made each year.  Oftentimes we are promised the world but receive very small and modest incremental updates.   Improvements usually equal just a few new animations here and there and a roster update.  This has been a long standing complaint from Madden players in particular.  But after playing Madden NFL 17(via EA Access) I can honestly say that this year there are at least three significant improvements.  Which is a very good thing.

1. Commentary 
For the last few seasons we've been forced to listen to Jim Nantz and Phil Simms repeat the same tired, uninspired lines over and over(and over) ad nauseam.  This year, Nantz and Simms are replaced by Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis.  The play by play is a lot more enthusiastic and color commentary (unlike Simms) seem to be actually following the game.  Not only that but EA promises to consistently update commentary throughout the season.  Madden has never impressed with its commentary and it remains to be seen if the commentary will end up being repetitive noise like previous years, but so far it's a huge step in the right direction.

2. Secondary Coverage
If you've played Madden at length you know that playing with certain teams allowed you to really exploit the defense, particularly the secondary.  With certain teams and QBs you could shred the coverage teams, resulting in routine 40 and 50+ scores.  While it hasn't completely been fixed, Madden has added several new zone packages to improve the way the secondary plays.  Safeties and corners are also more aware and good coverage LBs ACTUALLY cover.  There are a lot more strategic options for defenses in the passing game.  It's not perfect and I don't doubt that someone soon will start finding loopholes, but the improvement is clear and present.

3. Running Game 
The running game has seen some changes and I believe they are for the better.  Ball carriers can now juke, truck, and hurdle with much more efficiency thanks to the revamped controls  You're also given the option to fight through tackles and press for extra yardage.  These improvements may seem small but impact the game in significant ways.

Die hard Madden fans are going to get the game regardless.  But if you love football but have been less than impressed with Madden over the years this MAY just be the year to have a look.  There are significant improvements over Madden NFL 16 and it's seems that, at least this year, EA decided to put some effort into making the series better.