One of the biggest days on the NFL calendar has nearly arrived. Only hours remain before Madden NFL 17 hits shelves, signaling the approach of a new year on the gridiron.
Few video game series have sustained as much popularity through the years as Madden. Part of Madden's continued success is undoubtedly due to the fact it's the only licensed NFL game on the market. However, the developers have continued to look at ways to freshen up the game to make each iteration different from the one before it.
An overlooked addition for Madden 17 is the ratings database on EASports.com. It's not as if every player rating was a mystery before, but the online database allows gamers to more easily see how a player's stats are fluctuating on a weekly basis.
The top 20 players overall heading into launch are listed below:
| Top 20 Overall Players | ||||
| T1 | Rob Gronkowski | TE | New England Patriots | 99 |
| T1 | Luke Kuechly | MLB | Carolina Panthers | 99 |
| T1 | Von Miller | LOLB | Denver Broncos | 99 |
| T1 | J.J. Watt | RE | Houston Texans | 99 |
| 5 | Aaron Donald | DT | Los Angeles Rams | 98 |
| T6 | Antonio Brown | WR | Pittsburgh Steelers | 97 |
| T6 | Justin Houston | LOLB | Kansas City Chiefs | 97 |
| T6 | Tyron Smith | LT | Dallas Cowboys | 97 |
| T6 | Joe Thomas | LT | Cleveland Browns | 97 |
| T6 | Marshal Yanda | RG | Baltimore Ravens | 97 |
| T11 | Julio Jones | WR | Atlanta Falcons | 96 |
| T11 | Tyrann Mathieu | FS | Arizona Cardinals | 96 |
| T11 | Aaron Rodgers | QB | Green Bay Packers | 96 |
| T14 | Geno Atkins | DT | Cincinnati Bengals | 94 |
| T14 | Le'Veon Bell | RB | Pittsburgh Steelers | 94 |
| T14 | Tom Brady | QB | New England Patriots | 94 |
| T14 | Khalil Mack | OLB | Oakland Raiders | 94 |
| T14 | Cam Newton | QB | Carolina Panthers | 94 |
| T14 | Josh Norman | CB | Washington Redskins | 94 |
| T14 | Harrison Smith | FS | Minnesota Vikings | 94 |
| Source: EA Sports | ||||
While Madden 17 doesn't provide a significant change in terms of game modes, developers made numerous tweaks to both Franchise Mode and Ultimate Team to give gamers a new experience in 2016.
Madden 17 Modes Preview
Franchise Mode
One of the bigger critiques in recent years about the Madden series was a perceived lack of attention paid to Franchise Mode. That won't be the case with Madden 17.
This year's game adds a feature called Play The Moments, which will appeal to gamers who find themselves pressed for time. Rather than playing a full game in Franchise Mode, a player can instead opt to jump into a game's most important moments.
EA SPORTS Madden NFL @EAMaddenNFLThe fastest way to play Franchise. Introducing 'Play the Moment' in #Madden17:
At E3 in June, Franchise Mode designer John White talked about how a lot of factors are at work to determine when a player would jump in, per GameSpot's Miguel Concepcion:
None of the moments are formulaic, scripted, or forced. It's more of an organic 'What happens?' simulation. Our algorithm takes and chooses what it thinks are key moments. They're snippets but they're the snippets with the most impact. You're playing an exciting, condensed version of Madden.
In addition, gamers can decide to only play a team's offensive or defensive drives, which will also cut down on the time it takes to complete a full game.
Madden players who enjoy the more nuanced coaching aspects of Franchise Mode will appreciate the new Gameplanning aspect. Before each game, gamers can tailor their practice to how their upcoming opponent plays:
EA SPORTS Madden NFL @EAMaddenNFLExploit your opponent's weaknesses with all-new Gameplanning in #Madden17 Franchise Mode.
Through Gameplanning, gamers can earn experience points to provide an additional boost for their players.
Along the same vein, Big Decisions gives players a more expansive experience as they approach the biggest determinations about their team. Signing players in free agency is easier, and re-signing current stars to new contracts is more streamlined as well.
Player injuries is the most interesting facet of Big Decisions. Using an injured player puts them at increased risk of getting hurt again. Should the user decide to rely on the backup, said backup will earn a higher level of XP, which to a certain extent will incentivize waiting until a player is back to 100 percent health before getting him back on the field.
Ultimate Team
For the most part, Ultimate Team remains unchanged. The biggest difference from Madden 16 is the reintroduction of Chemistry, which replaces Style.
Madden Ultimate Team provided a look at the feature on Twitter:
Madden Ultimate Team @EASPORTS_MUTTip the scale in your team's favor with Chemistry for Madden Ultimate Team '17 #Chemistry #Madden17 #MUT
The goal in Ultimate Team is obviously to build the strongest team possible. With Chemistry, gamers will have some added motivation to approach their roster with a defined plan, whether it's targeting players from a certain team, players who all share a certain trait or another outlined ideal.
Those who opt for a more scatterbrained team-building design won't necessarily be at a disadvantage. But, as in the real world, those who consider factors beyond just player ratings could obtain a leg up on the competition.
