College Football 25 review: Promises delivered

There are few video games met with more anticipation than College Football 25. Over a decade of yearning met its catharsis with the game’s release this week — which leaves the only burning question: Is it all worth it? Is EA Sports’ return to college football the game fans deserve, or have fears of a phoned-in, re-skinned version of Madden been realized?

It’s unfair to keep that answer a secret any longer, so let’s go ahead and say it. Not only is College Football 25 the love letter to the sport that fans have been waiting for, but it’s also one of the greatest football games ever released. That statement comes with a weight of experiencing dating back to Madden 95, through NFL 2K5, and even the oft-forgotten NFL Quarterback Club series. Yes, this is the game you wanted — and yes, it’s spectacular.

A premium on pageantry

There are myriad differences between College Football 25 and Madden, but on its most superficial level everything just feels different, more special, and more considered. It’s clear that the development team behind the game is deeply aware of the importance of atmosphere and individuality, and every single team is just dripping in it.

No two games feel the same when playing the home team. Each school’s pre-game traditions, fight songs, and in-stadium atmosphere have been recreated to such a level that there are times it doesn’t even feel like the same game. There’s a chasm of difference between playing at home as a struggling, low-prestige team that has difficulty filling the stands — and fever-pitch Saturday night rivalry game in Ann Arbor.

In addition to obvious differences like fan density and volume, there are dozens of small pieces of nuance you notice over time. Fans in the stands of a Georgia game, for instance, are more likely to have painted faces, hold signs, even paint multi-fan messages on their stomachs — while a more buttoned-up football school like North Carolina has a tendency to have fans that skew older, predominantly wearing polos and khakis.

This extends to music on stadiums PAs as well. The location of the school, paired with the area’s demographics play a role in what you’ll hear on game day. LSU pipes a lot of hip hop into its stadium. West Virginia plays predominantly classic rock. If you hear it on game day there’s a good chance you’ll hear it in College Football 25.

It’s tough to quantify exactly what all these differences do to improve the experience, but in totality it all just feels special. Even with schools I don’t personally know much about, the presentation heightens the experience. During my dynasty I was playing at Old Dominion, only to be met with a shot of the school’s color guard in full military uniform. Sure enough it’s a tradition at football games, and if something like that has been created for Old Dominion, you can extrapolate what has been done for larger, more popular schools.

Nobody is left behind in College Football 25. If you’re a school that has been included you’re going to get a completely individualized atmosphere and feel. No generic stadiums. No half-assed creations. Everything is bespoke, and beautiful.

A new kind of football

Are there similarities to the on-field actions of Madden? Yes, but don’t for a second think this is a one-for-one copy. While there is shared DNA between some animations, plays, and schemes, that’s about as far as the comparisons go.

Playing College Football 25 at its heart is a faster-paced, higher scoring football game than most people are accustomed to. Big plays happen with regularity, especially when there’s a distinct talent mismatch between teams. Part of what makes this system work so well is the imperfection, something I lauded about the leaps Madden 25 made last year.

Missed blocks, failed assignments, blown coverage and botched tackles are far more prevalent in college ball than its pro cousin, and that all makes for unique experiences. There are no go-to plays that always work. Conversely there are plays that NEVER work in Madden, but are actually effective in College Football 25. When was the last time you saw a draw play go for 10+ yards, or a counter run actually work? Both do in this game, and it completely revolutionizes how running the ball feels.

If you’re a person who loves the ground game, then this game is a godsend. Carrying the rock is essential to a good offense in College Football 25, and with all the imperfections in play there’s a need to get solid, reliable yards through the running game. Blocking has been vastly overhauled where across dozens of games I’ve yet to see a missed block or assignment that makes zero sense, with wide receivers and tight ends doing their part to seal the edges or get out ahead and block downfield — rather than just stop and watch the play as we’ve become accustomed to.

This has a knock on effect where play action passing works better, trick plays are more impactful, and if you’ve established the run you will see it affect the rest of your play calling. Just like we see in the real game.

Passing has never been more exciting, or nerve-wracking. A critical 3rd-and-7 is no longer met with a rote, memorized play that can always pick up 10. If your No. 1 receiver isn’t a bonafide star player they can, and will run their route incorrectly, make a slow cut, or get jammed to the point their out of the play. It doesn’t happen with enough regularity to become a frustration, it’s just a known element of the game you need to scheme and work around to achieve success.

Play it your way

There’s never a shortage of things to do in College Football 25. In fact, turning it on is a constant case of decision paralysis. Do I want to experience a big rivalry game of a team I haven’t played? Keep working on my Dynasty, where the be recruiting decision is coming down to the wire for that dual-threat QB I’ve invested so much time in? What about my power running back in Road to Glory? Doesn’t anyone care about my anthropomorphized version of Bluey’s dad from the hit Disney kids show Bluey?

Bandit Heeler is currently RB2 for Washington. Just thought I’d let you know.

What makes the experience of College Football 25 so great is the constant shifts in experience you’re able to have. This isn’t a case of simply jumping between variations of the same thing, but very unique experiences that have as much to do with what you do off the field, than on it.

Dynasty is a fully-realized college football seasonal experience. Recruiting is the heart of the non-football activity, and once you understand its systems it’s incredibly engaging. Every recruit has a chart of things that are important to them ranging from playing time, to personal brand, and distance to their home — all of which play a role in how you recruit. A 1.5 star prestige school can’t offer brand, so you’ll need to focus on other areas to recruit, and from there it’s almost a turn-based RPG of selecting the right moves at the right time to enter a recruit’s Top 8, then Top 5, and hopefully get a commitment.

These moves are all budgeted with hours, and using them wisely is a really fun puzzle to put together. You can up the pressure by having a recruit visit on the weekend of a tough game, knowing that a win or loss on the field won’t just effect standings, but your ability to land your target.

That same sort of budgeting and RPG experience is present in Road to Glory, which serves as the “be a pro” mode for the game. Here you’ll need to balance being a college athlete with keeping your grades up, socializing, building your brand, and training for the field — and it’s remarkably difficult to hit all those notes while earning coach trust and playing time as a result.

The differences between Dynasty and Road to Glory as so significant that they feel like different games, and that’s a great thing that keeps the came constantly fresh. The second you get frustrated with one, jump on over and work on something else. It creates a brilliant package that’s impossible to put down.

This is the game we wanted, and the one we deserve

College Football 25 is so far beyond a debut product it’s astonishing. If this is the launching off point for more then the future is in good hands. The game delivers on giving the sights, sounds, and feel of the sport in a way that’s addictive beyond all measure.

More than anything else, College Football 25 delivers on bringing fun back to football. It’s the biggest leap we’ve seen in football gaming in years — maybe even ever, and that makes it a must-own for anyone with even a passing interest in college football.

Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to try and have Bandit Heeler become the featured back on Washington’s playoff team.