EA Sports
Admittedly, this was never going to be a bad review. That seems like a fair and reasonable place to begin.
A decade ago, on this very website, a young writer who began his young college football writing career with a blog no one truly read got his break at Bleacher Report.
As part of this move to B/R, that writer would simulate the results of every college football week throughout the season. And, shockingly, people cared.
In fact, they really cared.
No matter the week or results, the power of college football gaming became evident back then. In many ways that writer, the same one writing this very review, found his footing and entry into the college football universe through a video game of all things.
So, yes. It was never going to be bad. Let’s get the bias out in the open.
Thankfully, EA Sports College Football 25 is the opposite of bad. It’s quite remarkable.
After 11 long, painful years, college football has made its return to the space, and it has done so with a gorgeous, ambitious and wildly customizable installment.
Its sheer presence and existence would quench the average fan’s thirst. The fact that it sticks the landing in so many ways is an outcome worth celebrating.
A Gorgeous Football Game That Looks, Feels and Sounds Like Football
The last time we saw CFB on the console, the PS3 and Xbox 360 were the systems of choice. To arrive here, we traveled 11 years, skipped a few iterations entirely and wound up on the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.
Graphically speaking, we have traveled light-years. And more than any addition—a shiny new playoff, the integration of actual players rather than numbers and more—the look and feel of College Football 25 does much of the heavy lifting.
While many assumed this would be Madden with a fresh coat of paint, that couldn’t be further from the reality. The movements of players and the pace at which the game is played creates a more chaotic, arcade-y experience.
This is by no means a negative. College football is a sport built around bright colors and fast speeds. EA does a brilliant job painting this picture, and there’s something uniquely beautiful in how the game looks.
The catches and movements feel much more natural. (We’ll talk about gameplay in a bit.) But all of it—the collisions, the grabs and beyond—brings a sense of unmistakable realism.
In my second game, I was able to successfully time my jump to intercept a pass. The animation that ensued throughout was deeply satisfying.
The game is not without its animation bugs every now and then, although they didn’t appear often. For the most part, the game plays loud, clean and fast.
Tradition Matters, and They Nailed Every Bit of It
In the very first game I played, I got to witness the Iowa fans and players participate in The Hawkeye Wave—one of the greatest new traditions in the sport.
As the first quarter came to a conclusion, the Iowa fans and players turned their attention to the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital hovering over the stadium. They then began to wave as the familiar music echoed through the virtual stadium.
This tradition did not exist when the game was last released, although its presence, along with countless other traditions dedicated to specific schools, showcases the care EA Sports put into each school.
This was the proper choice, and it is everywhere.
A night game at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium feels important. It also sounds important. If you are playing as the road team, you feel it. Environments don’t just look the part; they also impact your play a great deal.
The visuals of these traditions do much of the heavy lifting, although the trademark songs and sounds that make these traditions hum are largely all accounted for, too.
The mascots are captured brilliantly—sometimes horrifically so. Minnesota’s charming Goldy Gopher will spin his giant cartoon head in circles, while real animals are captured incredibly well.
Matt Brown @MattBrownEP
Did everybody know the golden gopher could do this or pic.twitter.com/tLixjDCllx
There are cheerleaders. There are celebrations. There are moments.
Many of these moments are dedicated to specific fanbases, while others are meant to highlight the pageantry and spirit exhibited throughout the sport.
This was clearly a strategy that took years to create, and the work becomes evident even before you take a single snap.
It’s Time to Trust the Process
My first kick that came remotely under pressure was an utter mess. I caved.
Boo me for it. I deserve it.
Like a young kicker trying to keep his job or stay on scholarship, I sailed the ball wide, wide right. It looked like one of my tee shots , and this is certainly not a compliment.
As a result, I immediately dove into this new two-part kicking mechanism and found some moderate success shortly after. With that acknowledged, prepare for a steep learning curve as it pertains to this very important part of the game.
Pick6 @Pick6
The new kicking meter on College Football 25 is gonna have me tossing controllers out the window 😂 pic.twitter.com/1KSpGdU96s
Kicking isn’t the only thing that changed. In terms of ball-carrying, you now have an entire arsenal of jukes at your disposal, using both the left and right stick.
When I was able to execute a significant juke on an opposition, I felt spectacular. More times than not, however, I found myself over-juking into traffic I never meant to be a part of.
This wasn’t the fault of the game; it was a matter of me getting a handle on the feel. The controls actually felt quite good, although they will need to be harnessed.
The same can be said about the changes made to the passing system that will require you to manage a power bar appropriately while also utilizing the left stick for ball placement. If mastered, which I’m far from doing, it could be an incredibly valuable tool.
Mills @MillsTwitch
This is a blue lob throw in College Football 25 w/Revamped Passing. Notice how EARLY in the meter the blue is.
The blue changes depending on your trajectory. Higher trajectory, earlier blue range.
Blue – Perfect Accuracy
Yellow – Ratings based accuracy
Red – Bad Accuracy pic.twitter.com/ke0sL6i1qC
Next, the Switch Stick. This addition allows users to manage players in their secondary with a joystick rather than mashing a button. Of all additions, this might have the steepest learning curve.
While it will undoubtedly allow you to switch between corners and safeties more seamlessly, I blew a handful of coverages while attempting to make it work. For me, defense was much tougher to find success in than offense.
Finally, let’s talk about the new “wear and tear” system. Essentially, as your key players get hit more and field more reps, the risk of injury and mistakes increase. While I didn’t experience too many negative examples, the concept, while noble, feels a little overdone.
Don’t like it? You can turn it off. I suggest you try it first and see how it feels.
Despite the many changes, one thing remains true: Fans of the franchise can still pick up a controller and feel largely at home immediately. While EA has provided some new tools to master, the overall gameplay still feels incredibly approachable.
This can be a tough balance for any game to find, although it feels like they found it. Time and more reps will tell just how these features ultimately are received.
You Play to Win the Game(s)
Since the last time you played this game, not a whole lot has changed when it comes to game mode offerings.
EA Sports chose to rebuild its foundation starting with gameplay and presentation; the game modes were largely along for the ride.
Dynasty mode is back, and it has certainly evolved. From DMing recruits to having access to the transfer portal, College Football 25 has appropriately modernized itself for these uncertain times.
You can start off as a coordinator or a coach, and from there the world is your oyster. Recruiting has renewed polish and depth that is both welcoming and time consuming. For those willing to spend hours upon hours building their rosters, they will be rewarded appropriately.
This, in my eyes, has long been the core mode of this game. That remains true now.
Road to Glory, the game’s second-most popular offering, has also been overhauled. Not being able to play in high school games at the very start is certainly a loss. (I imagine that will return next year.)
You can, however, still pick your position along with a handful of traits that will dictate your growth.
Are you an elite recruit or a walk-on? Are you a power back or a receiving threat? There is plenty of variety that will be valuable on multiple playthroughs.
The rest of the feature has adopted some of the MLB The Show philosophies—using interviews and various touchpoints with coaches to build your player both on and away from the field.
You can focus on building your social media following or zero in on education. Or you can tap into this new era of NIL and make money your priority. The new hooks are largely effective, even if some are somewhat cartoonish in nature. It just feels…fun.
Adam Kramer @KegsnEggs
Road to Glory priorities established. pic.twitter.com/o803ZhTrTx
Again, not having the high school season as the lead-in is really the only issue to speak of.
There are modes and features as well, including Ultimate Team, which will allow you to build your own dream team over time. This will take time to wrap my arms around, but its existence at the college level is certainly welcomed.
This Is the Perfect Game at the Perfect Time
Since the franchise left us, college football players have gained the right to be compensated out in the open. The College Football Playoff was born and has since expanded. Conferences have endured multiple rounds of expansion. Others, like the Pac-12, have largely disappeared.
The sport is moving at a violent, unpredictable pace, and the 2024 season will be a culmination of many moving parts.
Creating a football game in this era of change could not have been easy, although EA Sports has largely captured its current state perfectly.
To take this theme one step further, it even allows users to demolish the current conferences and build their own.
If you want to create maximum chaos, by all means.
One could easily be blinded by these many sweeping changes, but the constant through it all are the games themselves and the traditions that make them worth caring about.
Saturdays are why we care. Saturdays are why we put up with bad targeting calls, endless expansion rumors, perplexing NIL guidelines and a general abundance of greed blanketing the many layers of the sport.
College football isn’t perfect, and it feels slightly less perfect each passing offseason. But the games and the stakes and the emotion are unwavering. It is what we seek, always, and it is exactly what College Football 25 has delivered.
There are things that could be done differently and improved upon. That is the case with just about any game, and it’s certainly true here. In time, these items will be addressed.
For now, EA Sports has created a foundation rife with tradition and fun, chaotic gameplay. It decided that to properly reimagine a college football game, it should start with the actual football.
For as simple as it all sounds, the ability to execute this plan is anything but.
To many, including this writer, this is more than a game. It’s a time capsule of sorts, identifying just how much has changed—in our lives and in football and in gaming as a whole.
Things are different now; that is undeniable. But the spirit and the excitement that existed 11 years ago, no matter how different it all might feel, is very alive.
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