‘Madden NFL 17’ Release Date, Gameplay and New Features; Will the Game Be Worth the Upgrade This Year?

By Mark Rollins
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski, cover star of 'Madden NFL 17' NFL/EA

When it comes to sports games, the market is so good that you can release a new version every year.  This is the case for NBA 2K17, as well as WWE 2K17, and it is also the case for Madden NFL 17.  The football simulator is one of the biggest game releases of the year, but often, sports games are criticized for not giving enough new features to justify an annual upgrade. 

As far as what is new in Madden NFL this year, there still hasn't been any gameplay videos released to the public yet.  There probably won't be any for a while since the release date is still months away, but we know that New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will be on the cover.  According to Gamespot, EA decided the cover, not by vote, but just selected him. 

According to Gotta Be Mobile, there will be some changes in store.  The Madden NFL 17 player ratings will "matter more than before", which means that players will see how players respond to commands to perform a special move.  Special moves have become very important these days for sports gamers, as certain athletes have proven themselves more versatile on the real field than the virtual one, like Steph Curry. 

Some of the special moves and new features include new tackle dynamics for allowing the player to break a gang tackle and go in for a touchdown.  There are also talks of more blocked kicks, more kick errors, not to mention a new kicking mechanic that could prove a lot more challenging.  Good luck making the field goal or even that extra point now. 

There is also going to upgrade to the running and the fakeouts, even allowing the player to get past many players in a single move.  There are also going to be some special moves that will take the ball-carrying to the next level. 

One critical new addition is that you can push a button first to decide who will win a tackle battle.  There will also be a new Projected Path Indicator, which is a GPS route based on the current direction and current placement of the line.  Madden NFL 17 will also allow for Auto or Assist when you play, which will get you some help from the computer, and there is also a new Defensive Auto Flip feature. 

What is going to make Madden fans flip is there is going to be an inclusion of a Force Defender, a way of forcing a runner back inside.  There will also be a better chance of defending "Money Plays".  But the one change that is going to happen is the physics, which could affect players play for Madden 17 heavily. 

The players will get a chance to see the new upgrades for themselves.  As far as the release date is concerned for Madden NFL 17, you are looking at August 23rd on the Xbox One, PS4, PS3, and Xbox 360.  Those that want to play the game early have that option on the Xbox One thanks to EA Access, so you might want to get on that if this is important to you.  The game will cost $59.99, with special editions costing $79.99 and $99.99.  

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