It is a great time to be a football fan. The NFL season if quickly approaching, fantasy teams are being formed and EA Sports Madden 17 is now out in stores. EA has put a huge emphasis on improving the gameplay, graphics, features and mechanics to give Madden fans world wide a game they will love and be proud of.

We are in a era of football where the focus of an offense passing attack is highly emphasized. But I was surprised and happy that this years version of Madden has the running game spotlighted more. Running the ball seems more physical and real than years past. You can really appreciate how explosive someone like Todd Gurley after you watch him break tackle after tackle and leave players in a blender with multiple elusive run animations Madden allows. If you love running the ball, this year Madden is for you. But the controls and gameplay are different but trust me once you get used them you won't be disappointed.

The offense is great but EA Sports couldn't leave out the defense. Defense as a whole has made a tremendous improvement. I had issues with the defense's gameplay from Madden's of the past. It seemed robotic, it lacked fluidity and it was a lot of glitches and animations that didn't go in the defenses favor. But with Madden 17 you don't have to worry about that. Defenders seem to play smarter and make better reads playing zone, man or stopping the run. They created a new feature called " auto flip" which allows the defensive formation to match the opposing offense giving the defense a better chance to succeed. So if you were that guy that just threw the ball up to Odell Beckham Jr. and got a touchdown no matter what in Madden 16, you better come with a different approach this time around.

You can't forget about Special Teams, yes special teams is very important. Madden 17 has new and improved trick plays added to the playbook and kicking a field goal and punts are more challenging. The kicking game is now a three-button system, which seems easy to grasp. But if you make one mistake during your kicking process expect a punt to shank and a field goal to be NO GOOD! Even if it's a simple 25 yard PAT after a touchdown.

My personal favorite feature "Franchise Mode" has been neglected for many years but this year Madden gives franchise mode a makeover. Everything is smooth and easy. It gives you three choices of play style; you can play just the offensive side and focus on scoring points, you can play as the defense and stop every team from getting a first down or playing the full game, giving you control of both sides. I recommend playing the full game. But updating and improving your players is easier. You now have practice mode where you can go through drills based on the your upcoming opponents tendencies and gameplay to give you a better chance of beating them. In the end, you have full control to lead your favorite team to Super Bowl 51.

I've had Madden 17 since the first day of its release and I only dislike two things about it. One is the fact it came out right in the beginning of the new semester and Rob Gronkowski is on the cover because I dislike the Patriots with a passion. But besides that this the best Madden game I've ever had and I have had played close to every Madden created. From the new color commentary and the fluid gameplay this is truly a tremendous upgrade. But no game is perfect and Madden 17 isn't. You still might find something wrong with it. In the end I recommend you buy this game. If you love football you will not be disappointed.