EA Sports dropped College Football 25, the first college football video game since 2013, this week. Customers who pre-ordered the deluxe edition gained access at 4 p.m. Monday. Standard edition consumers will join the fun Friday.
The title’s comeback was announced Feb. 2, 2021 — 2,765 days after NCAA Football 14 came out and 1,259 days before the new game debuted. Originally set for a 2023 release, it even faced a year delay.
So, was it worth the wait?
Here are my thoughts.
Gameplay
I’ve spent many Saturday afternoons and midweek MACtion evenings at Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio. So naturally, when I fired up College Football 25 for the first time Monday, I went straight to my alma mater, Miami (Ohio) University.
It looks accurate. The developers nailed the appearance of the stadium, including the additions the school has made since the last NCAA video game 11 years ago.
It sounds great, with bands blaring fight songs and filling the gaps between plays. When Miami picks up a first down in the real world, the band trumpets a certain segment of the university fight song. That’s in the game, along with the ebbs and flows of crowd noise and solid commentary by familiar voices (Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Rece Davis, etc.).
And it feels authentic. The pre- and postgame traditions. The in-game action. The general cadence of a college football tilt.
It feels like a modernized version of NCAA Football 14, which is meant as a compliment. The series was not discontinued because it stunk. EA Sports halted production because of the name, image and likeness restrictions of the mid-2010s.
It couldn’t pay players. Now, it can.
For my first game, I needed a warmup. The RedHawks and I took on UTEP.
Quick disclaimer: I’m not going to act like I’m good. I’m a casual gamer, who occasionally fires up the Xbox when life allows me to indulge in some MLB The Show or Madden. My skills? Average.
But this game was way more difficult than I expected.
The “revamped” passing system lets users have a direct impact on how good the throw is. It took a game or two to adjust to.
However, if you don’t want to deal with that meter, you can switch the settings back to the classic passing mode, which is less involved.
The kicking meter also differs from the traditional NCAA Football or Madden mechanics. Honestly, I will probably avoid field goals for two reasons. No. 1, the new kicking meter. No. 2, in golf terms, I didn’t come here to lay up.
The last thing I noticed? I struggled on defense.
Actually, I couldn’t stop a nosebleed.
UTEP hung 35 points on me on varsity difficulty. The AI defenders simply ran right by ball-carriers multiple times, but I guess that’s my punishment for choosing a MAC school, even a good one. This ain’t Georgia’s defense.
The Miners couldn’t hold me, either, though. I put up 55 points.
I wasn’t alone. Our editor, Ryan Pritt, allowed 59 points and 391 passing yards — and somehow won in triple overtime — in his first game. (He’s gonna remove that tidbit, isn’t he?)
Overall, the gameplay is enjoyable. It’s a challenge, which will keep players glued to their TV screens instead of placing the controller down after a week. I could chart my improvement the more I played.
The movements and animations are smooth. Most of the controls resemble the NCAA and Madden titles of the past, and the majority of the changes felt instinctive after a few run-throughs.
Those who worried about College Football 25 being a Madden clone can find some similarities. The games are produced by the same company, and the central premise of each is American football.
But it certainly is not a carbon copy.
Each offensive playbook I tried offered something different. Uptempo, option, air raid. EA touted 134 ways to compete in this game, with each Division I team possessing a unique style.
On Day 1, that stood out.
Road to Glory
I wanted my player to see the field right away. So I brought my talents to the only school that promised me a starting quarterback job.
First-year FBS program Kennesaw State.
When creating your character, there are four levels to choose from: Elite (five-star recruit, 79 overall rating), Blue Chip (four-star, 75), Contributor (three-star, 67) and Underdog (two-star, 60). I went Contributor.
You also select a player archetype depending on your position. I settled on Scrambler over Field General and Improviser. This is college football after all, so I better have the ability to execute a read option if need be.
Once on the virtual campus, Road to Glory gives players opportunities on and off the field. On your weekly agenda, you can allocate time to your studies (your player must maintain a 2.0 GPA to remain eligible), leadership, health, training and brand (NIL).
I prioritized my academics (what’s the point of the mode if you become ineligible and can’t suit up), leadership (the more team trust you earn, the more freedom the coach gives you on the field) and health (again, my player belongs on the field, not the sidelines).
Your player receives texts each week that affect those categories. A classmate might reach out and invite you to a party. An academic…
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