As a long-time college football fan and former coach, I have to admit that I was skeptical when EA Sports announced they were bringing back College Football video games after a decade-long hiatus. But let me tell you, College Football 25 has exceeded my expectations in ways I never thought possible.
After an eleven-year absence since NCAA 14 was launched, the college football simulation franchise is back under a fresh moniker: EA Sports College Football 25. This much-anticipated addition brings back fan-favorites Dynasty, Road to Glory, and Ultimate Team. The game boasts updated mechanics, advanced systems, and an abundance of new content, making it an exciting comeback for college football enthusiasts.
New semester
As someone who has played and criticized the Madden series for a long time, I had concerns that College Football 25 would just be a new coat of paint on an outdated game. I feared that this highly anticipated comeback would merely be a reskinned version of a franchise that hasn’t shown much innovation or progress for years. But I am thrilled to admit that I was mistaken. College Football 25 offers a refreshing alternative for those who have grown weary of Madden.
College Football Bowl Game 25 offers a more vibrant and exaggerated gaming experience, reflecting the lively and flamboyant nature of college football compared to the professional NFL. The rules are less stringent, providing ample chances for jaw-dropping plays, such as scoring a touchdown by tapping only one foot in the endzone. A college classic, the Option play, is well-represented with an extensive collection of strategies that could almost constitute a separate playbook on its own. Enhancements to pitching enable you to swiftly hand off the ball to your running back at the cost of power or deliver a powerful pitch that takes more time for execution. While some animations were familiar from Madden, they didn’t detract significantly from my overall enjoyment.
EA (Electronic Arts) pledged to bring the authentic college football game day experience with CFB 25 (NCAA Football 25). They aimed to replicate the pageantry and unique introductions before regular matches, especially during rivalry games. This involves intricately recreating details such as Bevo appearing in the tunnel at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium or the quirky Stanford Tree dancing after a touchdown score.
At a college level, the experience extends beyond the appealing aspects, as the revival of Stadium Pulse signifies playing away games in intimidating settings poses a real test. For instance, I once faced Michigan on their turf with just a one-point difference in the final quarter. The ground beneath me trembled as I stepped onto the field, and the cacophony of the crowd prevented me from changing plays. My receivers’ routes appeared jumbled when I reviewed the play calls, and the game continued to display erroneous plays, throwing me off balance. The character of the stadium and your team’s capacity to filter out the noise can determine whether you secure a victory or not.
As a dedicated gamer immersed in College Football 25, I’ve noticed something lacking in the game’s atmosphere: the music. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the occasional band tunes and drumlines, but beyond those, the soundtrack is rather limited. The licensed songs with lyrics are few and far between – Darude’s Sandstorm and Sheck Wes’ Mo Bamba being two of them. These tracks are perfect representations of what you’d hear during a college football game timeout. However, after hours upon hours of gaming, listening to just these two songs over and over again becomes monotonous.
During a presentation, CFB 25 boasts an uncluttered design for effortless reading and navigation. During downtimes between plays, past actions are compactly displayed as mini-replays in a corner box. Concurrently, you can examine player stats, assess health conditions, or review the opposition’s previous play calls from your playbook. This compact interface is convenient during huddle sessions, although the entry and exit transitions exhibited noticeable frame rate decreases that could be jarring at times.
All in the game
College Football 25 introduces an upgraded passing system, where the trajectory and precision of a pass are measured with a meter. Aim for the optimal spot to throw an accurate pass. Keep it in your hand too long and the pass becomes erratic, resulting in more wayward throws. Release it prematurely, and your quarterback will loft the ball, ideal for throwing it over a receiver’s head. Adjusting to this system takes time, as I found myself throwing several interceptions to defenders lurking beneath routes while attempting precise passes. However, mastering this skill is incredibly rewarding once you learn to thread the ball through narrow openings.
In the latest Wear & Tear feature, keeping track of your players’ health becomes essential during a game and throughout an entire season in Dynasty Mode. This system builds up progressively from consecutive plays and physical contacts. A visual meter below each player indicates their current level of wear and tear, which depletes in real time.
Big shoes to fill
In EA Sports College Football 25, Dynasty Mode has returned with great emphasis. As either a Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator, or Defensive Coordinator, your mission is to transform a college football program into a championship team. This involves attracting top talent through effective recruitment and maximizing the potential of the players already on your roster.
As a seasoned college football recruiter with years of experience under my belt, I can attest to the significance of making every hour count during the recruitment process. Each hour spent interacting with potential players, whether through messaging, contacting their families, or checking their social media, brings us one step closer to securing a commitment.
Certainly, you’re not the only college football program attempting to attract budding talent, and you’ll need to contend with other institutions for recruits’ commitments. Every week, a player’s interest in a school may fluctuate depending on their interactions with it. Each prospective student has unique preferences and priorities, such as desiring to study close to home or seeking a school that will boost their public image. If your institution caters to these requirements, you can confidently extend them a scholarship offer (you’re allowed 35 per season) and invest resources in convincing them to join your team.
As the new coach taking over East Carolina University’s gaming team, I found ourselves in a tough spot with a lowly 1.5-star rating. It wasn’t easy to attract top talent during my first season, but we managed to exceed expectations and finished strong with a record of 10 wins and only 2 losses. Our improved performance quickly boosted our team rating up to a respectable 3 stars. With renewed confidence, we entered the next season as a contender. This time around, several highly-coveted 4-star recruits included us in their list of top schools. I was thrilled to welcome these talented players into our ranks, eager to build on our success and continue our upward trajectory.
As a devoted fan, experiencing the thrill of constructing a team and observing players evolve under our dedicated coach is simply amazing. The progression of your coach’s abilities brings enticing offers from other universities, tempting us with more significant roles. However, I chose to stay loyal to East Carolina, determined to complete my journey. In our second year together, several players were selected for the NFL, granting me a substantial reward in experience points (EXP). This accomplishment not only boosted my team’s morale but also granted me access to new skill trees and activated hidden abilities.
The game Dynasty has more complexities than first apparent. A more comprehensive tutorial would have been beneficial for me. For instance, the game doesn’t explicitly mention that Scouting Hours refill at certain seasons’ junctures, or that welcoming a player as a visitor does not consume their individual Hour allotment. Additionally, an in-game instruction on Redshirts and their proper application would have been helpful.
In Dynasty mode now, you can no longer create new players from scratch like before. Instead, you’ll deal with a yearly pool of generated players. If you enjoyed customizing your team’s roster extensively in previous NCAA editions, this change might be a letdown for you.
Bring home the glory
In College Football 25, “Road to Glory” is once again a prominent feature. Begin your journey as a rookie college student, aiming to earn a starting spot through gaining Coach favor and seizing opportunities. The difficulty of ascending the depth chart depends on your background and the specific college you attend. However, excelling during games is merely one aspect of being a successful college athlete.
Between gaming sessions, I take a moment to plan out my weekly schedule. I allocate points to different activities that will impact my in-game progress. To keep my academic standing above the minimum 2.0 GPA, I invest points in studying. Boosting leadership earns me coach trust more quickly, while additional training speeds up my advancement, though it comes at the price of increased Wear & Tear. Balancing these systems and deciding where to focus my efforts is crucial as I strive to build a strong reputation within the game.
In the off-season, you have the opportunity to join the transfer portal and explore potential offers from various other universities. Should you begin your athletic career at a lesser-known institution where you’re likely to see more playing time, an outstanding performance could pique the interest of prestigious programs with greater name recognition, potentially leading them to extend invitations for you to join their teams.
As a huge fan of simulation games, I find the Road to Glory career mode to be uncomplicated and engaging. However, there’s a little disappointment when considering the fact that we can’t start our athletic journeys in high school as we used to in older NCAA titles.
Yesterday’s heroes
gather players from various teams and time periods by purchasing packs, finishing tasks, or bidding on cards at the Auction House. You can either invest significant time to earn a modest amount of coins for decent players or opt for instant gratification by using real money to buy premium packs.
In Ultimate Team, which is the sole mode with microtransactions in FIFA, it’s evident that EA intends for players to focus on this aspect. Thankfully, it’s not as intrusive as Madden, where each login is met with full-screen ads for the latest Ultimate Team offers. I must admit, however, that it’s interesting to encounter NFL players in Ultimate Team, represented as their former college selves. During the past decade without a college football game, numerous college stars emerged and faded without recognition in video games. Consequently, it was nice to see some of these individuals receive recognition through Ultimate Team.
The Victors
EA Sports’ College Football 25 distinguishes itself from Madden with innovative mechanics and features, offering a fresh gaming experience. The new Wear & Tear system introduces strategic depth, while enhancements to passing and player agility generate thrilling moments on the field. The game still has room for improvement in areas like presentation and polish, but College Football 25 delivers an enjoyable football simulation that has been missing for me for quite some time.
I’ve had the pleasure of getting my hands on the Deluxe Edition of EA Sports College Football 25 for the Xbox Series X. Having been a long-time fan of football games, I was excited to dive into this latest offering from EA. The Deluxe Edition came with some additional perks that made my gaming experience even more enjoyable. Shacknews went the extra mile in providing me with this version of the game, and I’m grateful for their investment in enhancing my entertainment.
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2024-07-18 00:28