There was a time when NCAA Football video games set the stage for the eventual release of the latest Madden football game. If there was something new in the college game, you knew EA Sports would have Madden be just as impactful as an NFL game.
With the return of College Football 25 last month, I’ve had more interest in the Madden franchise than I’ve had in recent years. I played Madden more out of habit over the last decade, but I never expected much to be different. Given how College Football 25 exceeded my expectations, I was eager to give Madden NFL 25 some extended playing time.
GO DEEPER
EA Sports College Football 25 official review: The hype was well worth it
One of the old features that was fun was importing rosters from the college game to be drafted in Madden. That’s not quite back, but you can add a Road to Glory player into Superstar mode and continue developing that player on Madden NFL 25.
Knowing that, I was still cautiously optimistic the game would deliver. In recent years, new editions didn’t feel all that new, outside of the updated rosters.
Madden 25 plays differently than last year’s edition, making it feel like a new game. The graphics are great, and the overall presentation onscreen is good.
If you’ve been down on the franchise, there might be enough here to lure you back in. Some of us Madden devotees who returned every season should find enough to be happy, too.
Gameplay
Madden won me over with detail. There’s actually more logic in the hit stick function on defense and offense. You’ll notice a difference when someone like Derrick Henry lowers his shoulder and how he absorbs contact from a defender. It wasn’t as simple as launching into a ball carrier and how he falls down. EA Sports said this is part of its FieldSENSE technology that introduces physics-based tackling, among other things, to make the game more realistic.
FieldSENSE technology will allow Derrick Henry to look more realistic with every run. (Screenshot courtesy of EA Sports)
Players all have their distinctions. Christian McCaffrey does not run like Henry, but he also doesn’t run like Saquon Barkley. Davante Adams’ runs after the catch do not look like Deebo Samuel’s runs. Tweaks to how you shift and juke in the open field also are nice added touches. Additionally, you’re able to make different types of catches. You can go up for a one-handed catch now!
Linemen get into their stances in their own ways, too. It’s about time games stopped treating linemen like they’re all the same. Details have been added to indicate pass protections and even if a defensive lineman goes unblocked on a play.
I’ve played with a few teams to get a feel for the playbooks. Some plays seem universal — namely, the inside runs out of shotgun — but there are a lot of nuances. I had fun with Lamar Jackson’s designed runs. The 49ers offense has McCaffrey moving all over the field with pre-snap motions.
Pre-snap adjustments extend to the wide receivers. You can customize any smart route. A 5-yard out can become a 10-yard out at your command. The running, passing and catching mechanics are generally better.
I didn’t find as much variety in the defensive calls, but the tackling is solid. And don’t think just because you get to the quarterback, you’re going to bring him down.
If you care about who is doing commentary while you play, Madden NFL 25 provides options. Nothing will ever replace the nostalgia that came with John Madden and Pat Summerall on the game, but the team of Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis does just fine. Madden has added a pair of other duos to call games. Mike Tirico is joined by Greg Olsen; Kate Scott is paired with Brock Huard.
Kicking is always weird for me in these games, and this year has its quirks there, too. But that could just be me. Mike Tomlin already cost me a game by freezing my kicker in overtime. After the timeout, the kicking view and mechanics got tougher, as they have in the game for a while. But things seemed even trickier for me.
Franchise mode
This is why I love Madden. It’s my annual attempt to turn the Las Vegas Raiders into Super Bowl champions. (Stop laughing at me.) I simulate through the preseason, because no one should deal with the preseason unnecessarily.
All of the features I like are back. The ability to improve players during the season is always good. And now, you can hire and fire scouts, who each have a primary and secondary focus. I immediately hired a scout who specializes in quarterbacks and fired one whose focus was the defensive line.
These scouts monitor your “favorite” prospects during the season in preparation for next year’s NFL Draft. It’s a fun new way to handle that part of the game.
You can also fire your offensive and defensive coordinators. You can boost the abilities of your coach and coordinators to improve play and work to improve your player personnel department. If you’re into all of the things behind the scenes, the game has just every detail you need.
The “storylines” include team meetings, players bringing issues to the head coach, and news conferences addressing such topics as rookie expectations. The right answers in a news conference can help player ratings. You can highlight a player who needs to play better and also affect their ratings.
There’s a lot going on … but it’s fun.
Superstar mode
This hasn’t been my favorite game mode. I’m usually all about the competitive simulations, but I gave it a try and found it to be fun once I got past trying to master the combine tests. I was terrible at those but aced the combine questions and improved my draft status. My created running back was drafted in the second round by the Carolina Panthers.
The gameplay on this was fun. There are enough parts to the Superstar mode to keep my attention, so I’ll be sure to dabble in that more.
Conclusion
I’m always happy when a new Madden comes. It’s a highlight of August. Coupling this with the return of College Football 25 made this edition even better.
There will be things to nitpick. I found getting off blocks as a pass rusher tough at times, even with the best defenders, but that didn’t take away from the overall play of the game.
If we’re going to continue to see more realistic body movement from the players and the fun additions via the story modes, Madden is going to remain a highlight of the NFL season preparing to start.
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(Top photos of Deebo Samuel and Saquon Barkley: Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers / Getty Images and Greg Fiume / Getty Images)
