Summary
Developer – EA Orlando
Publisher – EA
Platforms – Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 (Reviewed)
Review copy given by Publisher
It has been long awaited for College Football video games to make a return at EA Sports. We haven’t seen such a game since NCAA 14 and the wait feels like it was worth it this time around with College Football 25. Immediately when turning on the game I got this sense of energy that I haven’t felt with an EA Sports game in quite some time.
EA Sports College Football 25 comes with only a few game modes for now such as Play Now, Play A Friend, Dynasty, Road To Glory, Ultimate Team, and Road To The CFP. Play Now is self-explanatory and if you are an experienced player you already know. When it comes to these types of games it’s always about the other modes like Dynasty or Ultimate Team. What I usually ask myself is whether these modes provide enough content to keep you occupied.
The Dynasty mode will immediately give you a closer look at what it’s like to control a College Team. For instance, I chose the role of Head Coach for the University of Central Florida. When starting your career in Dynasty, you can choose Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, or Defense Coordinator.
Dynasty mode has so much to offer. You can develop a program for up to 30 years and eventually upgrade your position to Talent Developer, Recruiter, Strategist, Tactician, Architect, and Motivator. As you progress in your career you can develop into these roles by improving your skill tree. Down the road, there is the opportunity to reach the CEO level.
Lastly about Dynasty mode, you have the option to play online where 32 players can go head-to-head. Since this is an NCAA game, Dynasty isn’t exactly like the GM Modes you see in Madden or even NHL games as you can’t just trade and sign free agents. You have to recruit athletes into your program and grow it that way.
When EA started promoting this game one of the main focus points was an authentic experience. This means matching the atmosphere for each School including their traditions, mascots, and overall crowd energy. This was one thing they perfected in College Football 25 from pre-game running out of the tunnel to the post-game festivities. There are 134 teams featured in this game and each of them provides a different experience.
My initial expectation for the gameplay was to honestly be very similar to the Madden NFL series since they are both American football. When it comes to College Football 25, there are different playbooks compared to Madden, and I felt the gameplay matches how College Football should be, more loose, high scoring, and eventful. The controls don’t get much smoother than this, felt the transition of selecting plays and executing the plan felt perfect along with controlling players.
The Wear & Tear system is a great new feature that works well in this game and creates a situation where you are forced to your extra players in Dynasty. If you use a player too much he will eventually feel worn down and could cause an injury down the line. This is a feature that I think more EA Sports games need to have. It’s not only injuries the Wear & Tear system will affect but how a QB might throw a ball or how a player may run or receive.
What matters a lot when it comes to a game like College Football 25 is the presentation. While you’re playing it features iconic broadcasters, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit who are experienced and well-known in this sport. In the middle of matches you play within a mode like Dynasty you’ll receive updates on how other games are going within the conference which I thought was neat.
Halftime is as straightforward as it gets. One thing that I did want to point out was the crowd design. Yes, the roar of the crowd is there as it should be, but the actual designs of the fans in the arena when they cut to them after a big play or between quarters, I noticed they are well designed.
Visually the game meets expectations and the audio across all aspects of the game is great. One of the only complaints I have when it comes to audio is the menu which feels repetitive at times.
Overall, College Football 25 has all the chaos a fan of the NCAA and Madden series could want. There are so many unpredictable plays that can happen thanks to the new systems EA implemented. They have taken their time with nailing down the culture of NCAA Football and this might be the best EA Sports title in quite a while.
