Madden NFL 17

 Xbox One
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 66 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 66
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 66
  3. Negative: 22 out of 66
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  1. gameandwatch
    Sep 13, 2016
    9
    This game is so much fun. I have not played Madden in 3 years (for the 360), so I didn't know what to expect going in. From the presentation to the gameplay, it really feels like a complete football game. I think a lot of the negativity is because the game might be too realistic for some. Like the running game, for example. You can't just hold speed burst and expect to have an effectiveThis game is so much fun. I have not played Madden in 3 years (for the 360), so I didn't know what to expect going in. From the presentation to the gameplay, it really feels like a complete football game. I think a lot of the negativity is because the game might be too realistic for some. Like the running game, for example. You can't just hold speed burst and expect to have an effective running game. Sometimes lanes develop, sometimes guys miss blocks, sometimes all your guys win their battles and you get a 60 yard TD. You have to be patient and wait for the play to develop, and other times you have to bounce it outside. There's an inherent risk/reward feeling to every play and it makes it that much more realistic.

    For the passing, I find it to be a bit overpowered but then the NFL has become a passing league so perhaps that was the goal of EA. The most fun part is reading the D before the play. There is always some sort of hot routes you can run to make it more effective. I don't understand the complaints of receiver drops. If I see a safety come into the box and my #1 receiver is alone on the outside, I'm probably gonna take a shot downfield. And that is how the NFL works too which I like. You can put nice touches on fade routes, low passes for curls and high passes if you have a big receiver like Josh Gordon for example. It really feels like you have a lot of control in everything you do.

    The AI is pretty good too. They'll jump routes, stick to their zones pretty well, blitz fairly effectively, and make good defensive plays on the ball. They get beat, fall down, struggle to generate pressure just like any defense would. The hitting feels great, and when you can line up a guy for a big hit it gives you a good feeling inside. I'm still getting used to the 3 different techniques for defending a pass, but so far I'm liking it and they can be very effective in different circumstances.

    Cons:
    -Sometimes you'll hit the edge on a run and have one defender to miss and instead of letting you continue outside it will auto-juke and slow you down and you'll get tackled. I'm not sure you can turn this auto thing off, and sometimes it can actually be really beneficial, but there have been instances where a possible huge gain was negated.
    -A few bugs
    -EA servers can be slow

    Overall great game, if you're looking for an authentic football experience look no further. The game will reward you for learning the intricacies like route timing and reading the defence, and the randomness keeps it fresh and fulfilling.    … Expand
  2. LetsGoBucs09
    Aug 23, 2016
    9
    I played this game early through EA Access. I thoroughly enjoyed the 10 hours I received. Player animations were much more realistic. The run game has received much needed attention. Defense is actually playable again. The aggressive catch has been tuned way down. The only reason I gave this a 9 is that Ultimate Team still feels like a money grab. Great game overall.
  3. aLpHaTeChNiCiAn
    Aug 27, 2016
    8
    Very similar to last years madden, with a few subtle changes that are steps in the right direction.. though it is great to be playing madden again and i love this time of the year, they do still have a few kinks to work out.
  4. FickNerry
    Aug 24, 2016
    9
    This may be the best madden game to date. I love the commentary team of Davis and Gaudin. A lot of in depth analysis that is small but makes the game seem like you are playing on Sundays. The gameplay is smooth and organic. The superstar players seem to play like they should. The fumbles I have had an issue with but its okay. I love the kicking meter. It makes the game seem so realistic.This may be the best madden game to date. I love the commentary team of Davis and Gaudin. A lot of in depth analysis that is small but makes the game seem like you are playing on Sundays. The gameplay is smooth and organic. The superstar players seem to play like they should. The fumbles I have had an issue with but its okay. I love the kicking meter. It makes the game seem so realistic. All in all, this is a must buy. being an avid franchise player they made the necessary steps to evolve this game. Thank you EA… Expand
  5. Lubetek
    Aug 25, 2016
    8
    I've been playing Madden games since Madden '94. I bought this game every year up until Madden 2011 which I skipped. From that point till now I only buy Madden every other year. The game has been getting stale for so long and I have found by skipping the game every other year I get more for my money on the years I do buy. I miss the days of Madden Vs NFL Gameday. Having the choice and theI've been playing Madden games since Madden '94. I bought this game every year up until Madden 2011 which I skipped. From that point till now I only buy Madden every other year. The game has been getting stale for so long and I have found by skipping the game every other year I get more for my money on the years I do buy. I miss the days of Madden Vs NFL Gameday. Having the choice and the competition made these foot ball games better. Now we get nearly the same thing each year but skipping a year between titles has worked well. Madden 17 has made the game fun again. I miss Madden's crazy gibberish during my madden games and Madden 17 is the first version of Madden since ...Madden himself that has provided a presentation and commentary that makes me smile. This is the closest to watching it on TV yet and I get to play it. Yes the game has issues. the rag doll effect is terrible but I can look past this because the game is finally fun again. Not just fun but entertaining. It looks fantastic, player models are awesome, everything looks great and it is now exciting to play. Commentary is the best to date and not hearing the same old phrase over and over is very refreshing. The biggest problem I have found is the save game feature. It auto-saves perfectly fine but if I try to create a save file myself the game stops responding and i have to hard boot the system. Now I just let the game auto save and I haven't had any issues since. The menu system is intuitive enough and works better than past menus. Load times are a bear but that is normal and if I'm not mistaken it is a bit better than Madden 15 (which is the last Madden I bought) Can the game get better? sure. But is it fun? Heck yeah!… Expand
  6. GainesvilleGuy
    Sep 6, 2016
    9
    Great game this year. I gave Madden16 a score of 8 last year due to solid on the field play but docked it points for, in particular, a terrible franchise mode interface that essentially made that mode unplayable. Well, this year in Madden17 the on the field play is even better and they MOSTLY fixed the franchise mode interface. It is now to the point where I can actually play franchiseGreat game this year. I gave Madden16 a score of 8 last year due to solid on the field play but docked it points for, in particular, a terrible franchise mode interface that essentially made that mode unplayable. Well, this year in Madden17 the on the field play is even better and they MOSTLY fixed the franchise mode interface. It is now to the point where I can actually play franchise mode more strategically because I can access more information easily. Still not perfect though, I suggest they add a player-to-player comparison screen in franchise mode to help decide who to start, trade for, pick up in free agency. etc. They have this screen in MUT not sure why they didn't leverage it in franchise mode? They also added formation subs to franchise mode which is awesome but they probably need to improve that functionality a bit still: a bit unwieldy now. There are also a fair amount of bugs in franchise mode but I'm assuming they will be cleaned up with patches (for instance using injured reserve screws things up and ends up making your team auto-cut players sometimes). One other great improvement is the ability to "play the moments" with an improved sim which makes it way more fun to play through multiple seasons without getting bogged down. For instance I "play the moments" through regular season and then play full games for the playoffs. You could crank through a whole season in a day if you really wanted to and still feel like you are in almost full control. And this is with the game set to 15 minute quarters.

    The improvements to on-the-field are more subtle but the defense just plays a whole lot smarter which is a huge deal. Play calling is more important than ever and the player stats really have an impact which is what a football sim SHOULD be like (especially franchise mode).

    All in all I'm really happy with how the Madden franchise is moving. I gave up on it years ago but returned last year and now with the additional improvements this year I'm excited for the future as well.    … Expand
  7. bestreviewereve
    Sep 1, 2016
    9
    Great game. The running system is very smooth, and I love it. I didn't like how the juking is, but after some thoughts of reconsideration, I realized I liked it. The jukes, spins, trucking, and all other running animations are so realistic, I feel as if I am watching a real game on TV. The graphics are phenomenal. I love the new commentators, although they do lack a bit of chemistry, butGreat game. The running system is very smooth, and I love it. I didn't like how the juking is, but after some thoughts of reconsideration, I realized I liked it. The jukes, spins, trucking, and all other running animations are so realistic, I feel as if I am watching a real game on TV. The graphics are phenomenal. I love the new commentators, although they do lack a bit of chemistry, but it does add a freshness to the series. The only reason I have rated it a 9, is because of the lack of customization and more gamemodes. I look to NBA2k. They have an immersive MyCareer, customizable jerseys, stadiums, and logos. Many other elements that I will not mention since this is not an NBA2k review. But overall a great game for any football fan!… Expand
  8. Kannond2021
    Feb 13, 2017
    9
    “Madden 17”
    Pros:
    -New graphics -Updates to franchise -Easier controls for rookies -New commentators -Multiplayer -Online Cons: -Game can be choppy -Commentators get annoying I got this game the day it was released on August 23, 2016 for $60 on the Xbox One. Madden is a game based off the NFL that EA Sports published. If you are a first timer they have a skill trainer mode to    “Madden 17”
    Pros:
    -New graphics
    -Updates to franchise
    -Easier controls for rookies
    -New commentators
    -Multiplayer
    -Online
    Cons:
    -Game can be choppy
    -Commentators get annoying

    I got this game the day it was released on August 23, 2016 for $60 on the Xbox One. Madden is a game based off the NFL that EA Sports published. If you are a first timer they have a skill trainer mode to teach you the fundamentals and even the more complex things about football. That is a great part of Madden and is how I have learned almost all my basic training with reading the defence. You also learn about the route patterns and running the ball. They teach you the basics too, like spin moves, juke moves, hurdle, acceleration, fundamental for tackling, and my favorite the hit stick. Once you learn the basics you can play their game modes (franchise, MUT, and Draft Champions).
    Franchise is one of the many game modes you can be an actually player, a custom player, a coach, or a owner. Personally the player franchises aren’t my favorite, but that’s because I can’t control the whole team. My favorite is the coaching franchise I control my team and I can build the team how I want to. Owner you control everything that happens in the franchise, team relocation, jersey prices, concession prices, ticket prices, and you can even make your team a new stadium. With the updates in franchise you can play games in a short amount of time with “Play the Moments”. It breaks down the game by only playing crucial third downs, two-minute drills, redzone moments, and more.
    Now I'm going to talk about MUT or Madden Ultimate Team. In this game mode not much has changed, but you create your own team with players from around the league past or present. At the beginning they didn’t have a season mode for this instead you just played games which was weird, but at the time I’m writing this they have updated and have a season mode. MUT can be hard if you're not naturally good at Madden because you start at rock bottom and have to work your way to the top and to be good right away you will have to spend a lot of money on the player packs. Player packs is where you get players, or you can get your players from the auction block.
    Overall I felt like this is a great game all the stadiums look beautiful the only problem I have with it is that it started to feel choppy when I was offline and I was struggling my run game, which shouldn’t happen. Also almost nothing change in Draft champions from Madden 16, there wouldn’t be much to change anyway. Otherwise this game is great for first timers and Madden veterans that want to play and take your team all the way. If you want any more details about Madden 17 leave a comment and I’ll get back to you.    … Expand
  9. Akicita
    Mar 17, 2017
    8
    I love the game, but, as always in order to be realistic you have to have a good set of sliders. I play mostly as an owner using realistic sliders and playing moments. I tend to do well as I do a good job in drafting generally. Now and then I play full games. Playoffs I like to use moments for the first half then play all of the second half or 4th quarter doing the coaching. If you justI love the game, but, as always in order to be realistic you have to have a good set of sliders. I play mostly as an owner using realistic sliders and playing moments. I tend to do well as I do a good job in drafting generally. Now and then I play full games. Playoffs I like to use moments for the first half then play all of the second half or 4th quarter doing the coaching. If you just use standard sliders with any mode then the game is totally unrealistic and boring as can be. That is the normal problem in Madden and most other sports games.… Expand
  10. BigGuyKnowsMen
    Jan 31, 2023
    10
    MADDEN NFL 17 brought my father and me closer together in a way I never thought was possible. Before my father passed away, we would spend hours playing together, shouting with excitement and laughing at each other's mistakes. It was a bonding experience that I will cherish forever. The game created a shared passion between us and allowed us to connect on a deeper level. My father was aMADDEN NFL 17 brought my father and me closer together in a way I never thought was possible. Before my father passed away, we would spend hours playing together, shouting with excitement and laughing at each other's mistakes. It was a bonding experience that I will cherish forever. The game created a shared passion between us and allowed us to connect on a deeper level. My father was a busy man and didn't have much time to spend with me, but whenever we played this game, it felt like we had all the time in the world. It was a way for us to escape from the real world and just enjoy each other's company. As I reflect on my time with my father, I am grateful for the memories we made through this game. It may have been just a game, but it was so much more than that. It was a way for us to connect and grow closer, and I will never forget the lessons and love my father imparted to me through our time playing together. Even though my father is no longer with me, the memories we made through this game will always stay with me. I will always be thankful for the bond we built through our shared love of football and for the way this game brought us closer together.… Expand
  11. Jhagman
    Aug 16, 2023
    10
    This game is awesome. The offense in this game is really fun to play for once and makes the game feel playable again. It was a big improvement over 16 and was a step in the right direction.

Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Best Xbox One Game of 2016
38
#38 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2016
34
#34 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Oct 3, 2016
    70
    No surprises here. If you're in the market for an NFL game in 2016, look no further. [Nov 2016, p.79]
  2. TheSixthAxis
    Sep 26, 2016
    90
    While Madden 17 isn’t a huge leap for the franchise, it does a fantastic job of continuing to move it forward. With stellar graphics, vibrant commentary and intuitive gameplay it is certainly amongst the finest games in the series and, at this point, it’s difficult to see where the next dramatic improvement for Madden can come from.
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  3. GameCritics
    Sep 16, 2016
    85
    Madden 17 is still an improvement, and represents the best in sports sim gaming today.
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