Successful rebuilds require a strong foundation. After a dry spell, Alabama’s Nick Saban bolstered his staff with innovative coordinators like Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin. Urban Meyer called on beloved Gators captain Tim Tebow to inspire his teammates. And during his brief tenure at Texas A&M, Jimbo Fisher secured exceptional recruiting classes. The road to success is paved in many ways, but EA Orlando knows football doesn’t have to be rocket science. In EA Sports College Football 25 (CFB 25), coaching chemistry is a thrilling balancing act between skill trees, locker rooms come to life with unique player abilities, and roster recruitment is an exciting but rewarding PR mini-game. Like a generational talent, CFB 25 has all the intangibles, even if a few minor slip-ups prevent it from snagging unanimous All-American honors.
There’s nothing quite like the pomp of college football, and EA Orlando’s reverence for the spectacle on the football field is evident from the start; pirouetting cheerleaders give way to mascots, followed by armies of energetic players, their helmets sparkling in the sun. Whether Chief Osceola is galloping toward the 50-yard line or Smokey is leading the Volunteers’ legendary charge, CFB 25’s fanfare never disappoints. That deep immersion extends to the impeccable presentation on the field, too. After breaking free from the pack of players, my fidgety linemen await the snap as a trio of burly linebackers turn toward the sideline for a cue. The world vibrates with “Mo Bamba’s” menacing bassline, and as Penn State’s Nick Singleton shoots the gap toward daylight, the sea of white that is Beaver Stadium erupts. Fortunately, these great, atmospheric moments can be seen in every matchup, from big rivalry games to routine conference matchups.
The sleek visuals pair well with the fast-paced gameplay. Agile halfbacks get ahead of defenders, elusive wideouts catch quick passes on the run, and powerful rushers burst through the pockets in a flash. When you throw a wide range of skills into the mix, any play or pre-snap adjustment has the makings of an unforgettable highlight. Throwing 50-50 weighted balls to big receivers always feels like an exciting risk worth taking. And covering coverage shells to force picks with lockdown corners is so satisfying when it’s met with mad cheers. Improved ball carrier movement is the icing on the cake, as simple stick adjustments make slipping through the trenches, turning forward, or breaking away from pesky backs satisfyingly flashy. CFB 25’s frenetic pace and potential for big plays could lead to a frustratingly disproportionate number of nerve-wracking shootouts, but fluid controls along with vibrant animations on and off the field make playing until the final whistle worth all the sweat and tears.
The game’s modest selection of modes, however, is less consistent. Dynasty shines because several emerging systems – namely, coaching archetypes and recruiting processes – keep the campaign interesting long after the big win. As the D-coordinator of a miserable Coastal Carolina team, I decided to invest skill points into both the motivator and recruiting archetypes, and marveled at my team’s respectable XP gains while building confidence by managing prospects and their families. I love Dynasty’s slow progression; from targeting low-star recruits to finally acquiring a four-star player years after the program’s athletic reputation was restored. Eventually, my starting lineup of hardened underdogs earned a playoff spot. And even though I never brought Coastal Carolina a national championship, it’s especially cathartic to see my motivational recruiting philosophy pay off when LSU hands me the keys to Death Valley.
Road to Glory, a solid alternative to Dynasty, offers an impressive catalog of gear customization options, but managing a short list of static gauges over a three- to four-year career isn’t exciting. When I’m not perfecting RPO handoffs in practice or getting down on my knees to ice epic regular-season games, I use a limited supply of “energy” points to maintain high academic performance, leadership, health, and brand ratings. On paper, it seems like a fun weekly challenge to cram for an upcoming midterm while finding time to grow my fanbase. In practice, Road to Glory’s off-field loop is akin to completing chores for negligible game-day gains; why aim for a 4.0 GPA when the equivalent improvement is a lackluster boost to composure? Becoming a starter through successful drills and rare playing opportunities feels like a meaningful and dynamic progression, but navigating through status bars to work out forgettable player attributes just makes me want to leave the team.
College Ultimate Team (CUT) is nothing new in the EA Sports landscape: Complete challenges (or spend money) to earn points, buy packs of accumulated points to assemble an unstoppable squad, and repeat. CUT tries to break the mold with interesting challenges that range from learning the fundamentals of the sport to replaying historic moments from past seasons. The grind will wear out casual players, but the bite-sized trials mixed with exciting PvP play should make a welcome change from Dynasty or Road to Glory. Unfortunately, Road to the CFP feels shockingly superficial compared to its counterparts. Playing a season against other competitors just for bragging rights might be worth a few tries, but with no real incentive or reward other than a leaderboard placement, Road to the CFP will likely remain a short detour.
EA Sports College Football 25 makes the field feel like new again, with outstanding graphics that increase the intensity of play and smooth controls that evoke the fast-paced, moment-to-moment action that makes college football so popular. I enjoy the tedious, time-consuming process of reviving weak programs in Dynasty, as well as competing against teammates for the coveted starting spot in Road to Glory, but some superficial progression systems and game modes are concerning; beyond the campaigns, there just isn’t enough to see or do. Still, CFB 25 is a sure turning point in the right direction, and I’m excited to see how its strong foundation develops in future releases.
