When it comes to the world of football and gaming, it seems like for well over a year that all of the eyes were on EA Sports. That is not for the Madden NFL franchise, but the re-launch of College Football 25.
Three weeks since the release of College Football 25 the main question for fans is if the competition made Madden a better game this year and the answer is yes.
Credit: EA Sports
This year’s Madden game is the best in years with the standout feature being the revamped hit stick. That's because it’s about damn time that timing played a factor on using that hit stick and being rewarded or punished for your “stick” is a chef’s kiss.
The angles of the tackle and hit-stick actually matter to the effectiveness, because hitting someone square will have a greater impact than coming in from the side.
On the offensive side the same things matter when it comes to trucking defenders and running the ball has never felt better in the history of Madden thanks to their BoomTech system. Getting to see RB’s “get skinny” and tuck the ball running through the line feels great combined with the on-going improvements of the offensive line makes things feel very realistic.
Going from a finesse back to a power back combined with the way the offensive line works when picking running plays from a counter, duo or zone each gives you a realistic portrayal as you’ll to be patient in zone to find the whole. If you have a power back don’t expect to juking out defenders in the open field.
Similar to the college game, with Madden getting the defensive switch stick helping with the control and avoiding click on disasters, which for the most part works in the way you’d want for user-control players.
In terms of presentation, the edge goes to College Football 25 by far. It’s great to hear about the great seasons of C.J Stroud and the Texans or Browns as they try to take it to another level this season. But even from a commentary perspective to be in your senior season in “Road to Glory” and hear the commentary team congratulate your player on breaking a school record while naming the greats from that school was crazy to hear.
On the flip side, the Madden has the welcome addition of two announcing duos: Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen, and Kate Scott and Brock Huard. They join Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis, giving players three options across all game modes which is great.
The dream is to have every NFL radio team as an option to a sports game. One day we’ll see it.
The graphics look fantastic, especially with lighting and reflections. The scale of each team’s stadium make it hard to tell what’s Madden and what’s a live NFL broadcast.
Credit: EA Sports
As a strictly online player, the backlash for years has been the lack of care for the Franchise Mode in Madden. This year the new elements to the Franchise Mode are vying for the biggest details in this year’s game.
More than 70 new dynamic storylines ensure that players react to what you do and say — not just before and after a single game, but over the course of entire seasons. Learning player quirks, preferences and aversions adds even more depth to the management necessary to steer a team to long-term success.
If you have a break out or disappointing season the ratings have improved to be accurate based on the performances week to week. For those that play "SuperStar Mode," for the first time in years you can import your created player directly into Madden NFL 25 in order to continue their rise and bolster their skills.
Is it worth it?
This is the year that Madden is the underdog, the dismissed, and the ‘quiet’ release but big brother didn’t stand down from the fight and hype surrounding College Football 25. It’s a purchase worth making.
Football is officially back. Catch all of you online this year.