Madden NFL 17 Review Roundup

It's that time of the year again, where Madden NFL 17 serves as the harbinger for the end of summer and the beginning of the football season. Critics have already started to deliver their verdicts, and so far, the reception is positive.

If you're interested in this year's football game, then Best Buy has a deal you might want to consider. The retailer will give you a $15 gift card and a $10 coupon towards the purchase of Madden NFL 17 if you trade in a copy of Madden NFL 16 for PS4 or Xbox One. Additionally, you can buy a Madden NFL 17 Xbox One S bundle for $300.

Madden NFL 17 also releases for the PS3 and Xbox 360, though it doesn't include many of the features and improvements that the current-gen versions do.

We've collected a series of reviews and compiled them in an easy-to-read list below. For a wider view on the critical reception, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Madden NFL 17
• Developer: EA Tiburon
• Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360
• Release: August 23
• Price: $60

GameSpot -- 8/10

"If EA Tiburon's goal with Madden 17 was to build upon the solid foundation set by the last two iterations, the studio mostly succeeded by fine tuning its production values on and off the field while also focusing on its strengths in its Ultimate Team and Franchise. Rather than deriding this latest Madden for featuring more of the same features from previous years, there's instead comfort in the familiarity of trusted and refined features like weekly updates and the comprehensive Skills Trainer. Save for the aforementioned play-calling bug and the loading times, this is the most accessible and welcoming Madden in this console generation, which is an accomplishment for a sport that can appear complicated at first glance." -- Miguel Concepcion [full review]

GamesRadar -- 4/5

"...Madden 17 makes a convincing argument that it's not just another annual roster update. With sole ownership of the NFL license for over a decade now, EA's Madden franchise has long since had any kind of real competition. In the time since acquiring those exclusive rights, the series has been occasionally accused of phoning it in and failing to make significant progress, year to year. With major changes to some of the game's core mechanics, and an impressive revamp of the now marquee Franchise mode, Madden 17 has done its best to avoid any such accusations, and succeeded." -- Mike Wehner [full review]

Attack of the Fanboy -- 3.5/5

"Madden NFL 17 certainly isn't a release for the series that introduces sweeping changes for the annual franchise. Smart tweaks to familiar modes, a slew of accesibility features, and a presentation that continues to impress, it's hard to knock this year's package for what it contains. NFL 17 builds off of the base that we've seen established over the last couple of years, for better or worse." -- William Schwartz [full review]

Forbes -- 7.75/10

"Madden 17 scores in many ways, and there's more to like than there is to hate, but we can't ignore the flags on the field. Gameplay, presentation, and customization have taken strides, but there's still work to do." -- Brian Mazique [full review]

Shacknews -- 7/10

"Of course, all stories need an ending. To the point, Madden NFL 17 is a quality Madden game. It does a lot of things right, and fixes most of the major shortcomings of previous editions. If you've lapsed in the series or just want to know if you should grab this year's game, go forward knowing that you will get a lot of mileage from it. It's good. At the same time, however, it is still absolutely a Madden game, and in the 12th year of EA's exclusivity deal with the NFL it's hard not to pine for a little competition. Sunrise, sunset." -- Bryan Carr [full review]

USGamer -- 4/5

"With this being the culmination of the current 'arc' of Madden games, it's tempting to ask where the series should go next. Certainly, story mode is a compelling direction for a license with rich resources like NFL Films. Owner mode could use a total revamp, and so could normal ranked online play. But after being a laughingstock at the turn of the generation, Madden has made enormous gains." -- Kat Bailey [full review]

IGN -- 8.6/10

"Madden has finally found its comfort zone between the tackles, and offense and defense have reached a great balance. The community's gameplay wishes were granted with a new focus on Franchise mode, led by the Play the Moments feature. Outside of its mood-killing commentators, Madden 17 is just about everything we've been waiting for since EA Sports took full control of the NFL license. Football is back, and it's only a yard or two short of becoming an all-time great." -- Dustin Toms [full review]