Sports video games are often derided for being too similar from one release to the next — an unfair and inaccurate perception held by some.
But there is always the legitimate question of how different an annualized game can be in such limited development cycles, especially one that attempts to replicate a real-life sport.
Madden NFL 17 is the latest proof that, when the development team has stability and clear direction, big improvements can in fact be achieved.
This series has struggled since 2005, having produced good but not great games while its growth stunted due to a "vision" change every couple years by leadership.