Since NCAA 14, college football fans have been orphaned from their favorite franchise. Even though this game is probably the best American football simulation in existence, the new generation consoles have arrived and playing on your old Playstation 3 is anachronistic.
Eleven years after the last release of a game, the franchise is finally back under a new name: EA Sports College Football 25. Announced in 2021, then teased in recent months, the game is finally available.
The atmosphere is there
As soon as you start the game, you are asked your favorite university. Depending on your answer, the game menus are adapted. A nice little extra compared to the ordinary menus of Madden.
Where possible, each team has its own personalized introduction with pre-game activities. Unfortunately, with over 130 universities, not all are so lucky and the latter have a generic entrance, but it is still appreciable. Almost all the players are in the game and it is a joy to handle the stars of the NCAA and the future nuggets of the NFL.
The score bars for the games are more visible than on the last Madden, but it is not the ESPN skin, because EA Sports did not have the rights. On the other hand, the public seems to have remained on NCAA 14 and the Playstation 3/Xbox 360 generation.
In College Football 25, you don't play like the pros.
With the same publisher as the Madden series, one might legitimately ask the question of whether the game is identical to the NFL football series.
The graphics engine is still Frostbite on EA games, so the graphics and player physics are pretty similar.
But the gameplay is much more nervous and intense! The players are less heavy when you handle them. The juke moves (dodges, editor's note) are very effective when you use your running back or your receiver. The tackle angles are quite complicated to succeed. It is therefore more difficult to defend than in Madden. The scores can soar like in reality in NCAA. The attack is highlighted in this part!
On Madden, we have the right to momentum which allows, depending on the positive or negative actions, to advantage or disadvantage you. Here, it is only the university playing at home that can have advantages with the “Stadium Pulse” system. The more you chain together good actions, the more your supporters will be behind your university and the more the opponents will have problems, like the camera shaking or lines changing.
Finally, the system for kicking (punt, field goal or kickoff) has been modified and requires some adaptation time.
Started from the bottom
The first big part of the game is the career mode where you play as your own player. In the “Road to Glory” mode, you create your character from A to Z, weight, height, brand of your helmet… Everything is there.
You must choose your position among the following: quarterback, receiver, running back, cornerback and middle linebacker. It is a shame not to be able to embody a tight end, a safety or a pass rusher. You must choose your specialty for your player to begin the adventure. For example, for your quarterback, the game offers you the possibility of being a scrambler, a field general or an improviser.
Finally, you can choose what level you are at to start your college career. You can be a 5-star recruit that every college wants or a 2-star recruit who will have to fight hard to earn a spot at even small colleges.
You can choose any university to start, but the bigger the program you choose, the harder it will be to get in. It's also up to you to see your priorities: prestigious coach, chances of being able to go to the NFL, getting playing time quickly… After that, you will manage your university career by juggling classes, training, sponsorship offers and injuries.
It's one of the best career modes of any sports game EA Sports has to offer, although the lack of certain positions is a shame.
In search of the new star
The other big part of EA Sports College Football 25 is Dynasty mode. It allows you to be either the head coach, or the offensive coordinator and the defensive coordinator. You can play solo or with several people online like in Madden's Franchise mode. From there, you will have to manage your university program and in particular the recruiting, so dear to the NCAA system.
As in Road to Glory mode, you can create your own coach and give him the specializations you want in terms of his playbook or his coaching type. You can choose between motivator, recruiter and tactician. Thanks to this choice, your protagonist has a skill tree focused on one of these choices.
The main goal is of course to win as many games as possible, but also to develop your football program and solidify it as you go. Thus, recruiting is one of the keys to the success of your university. You will have to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your squad, especially if your players are close to the end of their studies. If your players are in their senior year, you will have to think about replacing them as soon as you are appointed.
The more prestigious your university, the easier it will be to recruit new players, but other parameters come into play such as the style of play of your university, the atmosphere of your stadium or the proximity to his family. Each future recruit has a particular desire which is called a “deal breaker”, if your team does not meet this condition, he cannot sign with you.
College Football 25 is back in force!
The wait has been long, very long, but it was worth it! EA Sports College Football 25 is a good game that brings a breath of fresh air to the very closed world of American football titles.
The game still has flaws and is not perfect. The biggest downside is the graphics, which are not yet up to par with other next-gen console games.
When EA Sports games get a new graphics engine to replace the aging Frostbite, they will finally be able to enter the next generation of video game consoles.
—
Featured Screenshot via IGN
