Skip To...
We can all agree that of all video game genres out there, the sports one tends to feel a bit stale at times. Yes, we get the usual graphical updates, a few tweaks here and there, and maybe even some tech with fancy names that simulate realism. All of these are welcome additions, but they don’t really break the mold. In a way, most new iterations of Madden and other similar games feel like a re-release. But that’s not the case for EA Sports College Football 25. With realistic physics, top-notch simulation features, and two new addictive game modes, even non-football fans will have a hard time putting the controller and the ball down.
While I’m not a hardcore football expert, I’ve played some NFL games on and off through the years and understand the basics. However, for those of you who are somewhat new players to the modern era of football games, I can tell you EA Sports College Football 25 doesn’t punish you for not knowing the sport. On the contrary, it takes your hand and leads you into every intricate play so you can kick off your career as a coach, a freshman, or someone else.
A Freshman’s Busy Life
Most of the time I spent in EA Sports College Football 25, and what I’ll likely keep doing for weeks to come is Road to Glory. See, I never thought a sports game could manifest anything remotely close to immersive storytelling. But allow me to tell you the tale of my athlete, Chris P. Bacon. And yes, that is his actual name. Anyway, I began my Road to Glory playthrough as a balanced player. I didn’t want to be completely ready for some field time. Instead, I wanted to start as someone who’d earn his spot eventually. And so I did.
Road to Glory allows you to customize a character, assign them a position, choose a team, and live an almost realistic freshman life—minus the pressure of joining a frat house, of course. But in all seriousness, this game mode is quite deep, which I wasn’t expecting in a sports game. After creating your athlete, it’s up to you to climb the ranks of your team, earn field time, and lead your team to glory. How do you do that? In many ways. You have to practice weekly, earn your team members’ trust, including your coach, and even gather followers.
The great thing about RtG is the little details. Since you’re, first and foremost, a student, that GPA can’t go down. If it is too low, say goodbye to your football dreams. Like in real life, you have to juggle your studies with your sport. It doesn’t go too deep as to ask you to write a paper on whatever subject you have the most. But it gives you a few weekly energy points, and you need to split them. Will you train to gain skill points to improve your athlete’s abilities or spend your energy to raise your leadership, thus earning the trust of your team? It is a constant struggle that really immerses you in the college football experience.
However, my absolute favorite part about this game mode was making my way up through the ranks. After you earn enough trust from your coach, you can have a Position Battle against other players. Since I started as HB3, I had to face two other Halfbacks to get more field time. After one season, I managed to become HB1, thus always having field time. However, new players can challenge you as well, and you need to bring your A-game. You can bet your Heisman trophy that I never let someone named Brad steal my spot. And then again, that’s part of the authenticity EA Sports was going for.
One thing I can say, though, is that Position Battles got quite repetitive. After three seasons, I had the same challenges, which were just training exercises with an added competition. They aren’t bad to learn the game, but I would’ve loved more variety. However, as variety goes, there’s plenty. You get a few messages from your advisors and classmates and even get a few choices that can affect your week. Go to a party, and your GPA will decrease. Avoid going out with your team, as they won’t trust you much.
Lastly, there is something that might overwhelm a few players: explanations. In a way, EA Sports College Football 25 tried to add a few RPG-like elements because, for whatever reason, every single game of this decade needs a system like that. Each athlete has stats that help them perform better on the field. While most of the names are self-explanatory, others left me confused. In the end, I focused on having all my stats in green because that color showed my athlete was good. Still, newcomers might not enjoy the depth CFB 25 is trying to show off due to the lack of clear explanations.
Football In All Shapes and Forms
Besides Road to Glory, EA Sports College Football 25 features other game modes that other players will enjoy. Another long-anticipated one is Dynasty, which lets you coach a team, manage it, and take it to the top. Although it was bad, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. After immersing myself in RtG, I couldn’t move to another mode so easily. Still, people who like to have full control of a team in and out of the field will love this mode. I didn’t delve much into it, but I can tell you the roster mechanics and managing systems are on point and extremely smooth to use, even for someone who wasn’t into it.
Furthermore, you have Ultimate Team, which lets you assemble a team with whoever you want from the roster, and Road to the College Playoff, a mode featuring three-minute matches against other players. Overall, College Football 25 has enough things to keep you occupied. Even if you decide to stick to just one game mode. Personally, I don’t see myself playing anything else besides Road to Glory, but that’s just me. You’ll likely find an in-depth football simulator here that’ll keep you entertained for hours.
Speaking of in-depth things, I have to hand it to the people behind the controls, physics, and other simulation features. One of the things you’ll hear everyone talking about is the Wear & Tear system. This one is more prominent in Dynasty and Road to Glory. As you play, you’ll see how fatigue affects your athlete. Take my halfback, for example. After running too much in one week, that will affect his performance. This happens with all positions, though. You better watch your QB’s arm.
Another commendable thing is how great the tackling physics are, to a video game extent. Players clipping through each other is a thing of the past, and College Football 25 emulates tackles almost perfectly. You even have many responsive moves to avoid them or even block other players. This adds another layer of immersion to the already excellent football simulator CFB 25 is going for. However, that doesn’t mean the game is without its faults.
I experienced a couple of infinite-loop scenarios and visual glitches. During Road to Glory, the start of a new season would never finish loading. While I fixed it by reloading my game, it happened more than I would’ve liked. At the same time, I felt the longer the season went, the more my game took to load. It wasn’t something that took minutes, but it was noticeable, and a few times, it broke that pacing I had as I jumped from one week to another.
Sportsmanship Brought to Life
The visual part of EA Sports College Football 25 was contrasting, to say the least. On the one hand, you have almost realistic-looking graphics, especially when looking at players. For instance, the reflection of my teammates is visible on my character’s helmet. On the other hand, after decades of ruling the sports landscape, EA hasn’t been able to nail down NPCs. I had a few instances of the head of some viewers clipping through the chest of another or even a few cheerleaders’ hairstyles not loading properly. Since I reviewed this on an Xbox Series S, I’m unsure if it is hardware-related, but they were a bit jarring and constant throughout my playthrough.
The audio was excellent and captured the youthful college vibe perfectly. You have your marching bands in the background before each play and even the sound of your team’s mascot playing over if you’re on your home field. The commentators were also great and almost didn’t feel too repetitive. However, the sound effects steal the show. Hearing players clash as they tackle each other or the simple sound of catching the ball mid-air was extremely enjoyable.
The Sports Game That Finally Breaks The Mold
Many will look at EA Sports College Football 25 and think it is yet another football game with shiny new graphics and a few roster additions. Thankfully, it is much more than that. It is an intricate and deep simulator that offers an almost authentic college football experience. Furthermore, it caters to all types of players by giving them different game modes capable of attracting even those who’ve never played the sport or a game of this type once.
While it has a few technical issues, they aren’t too big to deter someone from playing. On the contrary, once you get past them with enough patience, you’ll live a true virtual football experience. Also, take this from someone fairly new to the genre: it is quite welcoming to rookies. If starting your virtual football career never crossed your mind, it should. College Football 25 is a fantastic starting point and the genre’s comeback we’ve all been waiting for.
Review copy provided by Publisher.
EA Sports College Football 25 (Xbox Series S Reviewed)
EA Sports College Football 25 finally breaks the mold we've seen year after year in football games. It offers a deep and immersive experience with top-notch simulation features. And even if some details need to be ironed out, you'll have a blast in any of its game modes, whether you're a fan of the sport or not.
Pros
- Intricate simulation mechanics
- Road to Glory is, by far, the best game mode ever made for a sports game
- Extremely smooth controls when playing
Cons
- Few technical issues that require constant reloading
- Visual glitches interfere with the authenticity the game is aiming for
- Certain skills could use a clearer explanation in Road to Glory
