EA Sports College Football 25 Review (Xbox Series S)

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EA Sports College Football 25 Review, College Football 25 experience explosive gameplay variety across 134 FBS schools and immerse yourself in the iconic atmospheres of college football as you chase college greatness. CampusIQ™ Immerse yourself in authentic, fast-paced, college football gameplay with CampusIQ. Test your strategic decision-making with an all-new composure system, player Wear & Tear, screen-shaking home field advantages, and dozens of diverse play styles across 134 FBS teams.

EA Sports College Football 25 Review Pros:

  • Decent realistic graphics.
  • 32.4GB download size.
  • 1000 Gamerscore.
  • Four game difficulties – Freshman, Varsity, All-American, and Heisman.
  • Accessibility options – subtitles, menu narration, VOIP window, enlarged on-field graphics, and Colourblind support.
  • Officially licensed. Six game modes – play now (pick any team and play), play a friend (unranked online game), Dynasty (you control the team and coach), the road to glory (create a player and do a career), ultimate team (online card-based gameplay), and the road to CFP (online college football league). Create your own rosters and teams including uniforms.
  • You can go to the team creator online make your kits there and use them on Xbox.
  • Easily share and download other player’s creations.
  • Set your favorite team, game difficulty, etc.
  • American football gameplay.
  • You have multiple options to catch the ball like the original, offensive grab where you aggressively attack the catch, and grab and secure the ball without making yards.
  • Each team has its own unique mascot and opening walkout for the players.
  • Cross-play support is optional.
  • Gameplay sliders are for penalties, player skills, and CPU skills.
  • Training section to play mini games, and an open practice.
  • EA app integration for friends list and invites.
  • Full commentary team.
  • The animations of the players look better than ever before
  • Open practice types – normal, offense only, and kichavef.
  • Each team has an overall score, offense score, and defense score.
  • Decent loading times.
  • Dynasty mode has you hiring and firing staff, recruiting, and generally managing all your players and prospective players, you can earn exp and unlock a skill tree to improve coaching and team abilities. You get score-find ranks based on your performance and full feedback on how your players are.
  • Familiar controls for Madden fans.
  • The performance of the game overall has improved a lot.
  • The movements of the players are more fluid and responsive and look natural.
  • The Clock can be set for the accelerated clock, play clock on/off, and minimum play clock time.
  • You can view depth charts, league standings, the news, transactions, history, and more from your dynasty menus.
  • The on-screen button prompts for cuts and stuttering to help.
  • You the player can see and feel yourself getting better.
  • Will have integration with Madden 25 so you can do the college football end of your career here and then the NFL part in Madden 25.
  • Easy to bring up menus in the game on the line of scrimmage and call out audible and changes.
  • Dynasty has online and offline, lets you invite other players in and you can import custom teams.
  • Setting your team will have their quarterback, name, banner, and graphics on the main menu.
  • A full replay option with controls will make it easier for you to share them.
  • Road To Glory settings – skill level, quarter length, accelerated clock, minimum play clock time, wear and tear, and league advancement (auto/manual).
  • In the Road to Glory mode, if you play one player, you create yourself. It has four journeys which act as difficulties because you can start with higher or lower stats.
  • Player creator in Road to Glory options – position (QB, HB, WR, MLB, CB), pick your archetype which affects which abilities and stats you get, you get all the usual things like face, morphing, hair, etc. You can change your gear like helmets, mouthpieces, face marks, etc. Pick your mental abilities and then pick your starting team.
  • You can have multiple saves in each of the modes.
  • The player creator does offer a lot of customisation.
  • Road To Glory has a lot of player-choice interactions that impact your career and your career path.
  • To help pick a starting team in Road to Glory you get to see your position in the depth chart and this lets you know what your chances are of actually playing.
  • I appreciate how they added I fo text on options and choices to help new players know what’s what.
  • RTG (Road to Glory) lets you upgrade your player between games, and you can choose what to do in bye weeks like practice and trading. Simulate is also an option if you don’t have time to play it yourself.
  • I do like how much help and info you get on your performance and play feedback when playing or even when in practice.
  • Energy tokens in RTG allow you to improve and do extra training and practice.
  • To keep the true experience alive not only do you have to manage all aspects of your career in RTG but you also have to put energy tokens into your studies as you have to keep your GPA up or you are out.
  • What helps keep you involved in Dynasty and RTG is you get exp pop-ups as you play.
  • To keep it all moving RTG will super-sim the game meaning it will always fast-forward to your plays.
  • You can play with created teams in online modes.
  • Play pass is the battle pass system for CF25.
  • The initial challenges within the Ultimate Team are excellent tutorials for the game as they break down the basics plus you get rewards.

EA Sports College Football 25 Review Cons:

  • Cannot remap the controls.
  • No PC version.
  • Performance issues in places.
  • Cannot use created teams in offline Dynasty mode.
  • Had a few random instances of players having the same shirt number in replays.
  • Cannot use created teams in the Road to Glory game mode.
  • There are a lot of loading screens and the character creator isn’t as fast and snappy as you would like.
  • It is very daunting for new players.
  • Madden-only players will have a bit of a shock at how the game is, you have fewer modes but they are deeper, and you do more admin-like training and contracts than Madden.
  • There is a lot of downtime between games.
  • You still get dumb calls like the AI not tackling or blocking someone.
  • It feels at times that your experience in Dynasty and RTG can be ruined by your teammates rather than you.
  • You have to tweak the camera a lot to get comfortable with it.
  • The RTG mode takes a lot of getting used to especially if you’ve never played football or are playing a new position.
  • For me, the positions you play in RTG are not as engaging or good with feedback or help as QB. As QB you get more satisfaction and growth than the other positions.

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EA Sports College Football 25:

Official website.

Developer: EA Sports

Publisher: EA Sports

Store Links – 

Xbox

  • 9/10
    Graphics - 9/10
  • 9/10
    Sound - 9/10
  • 8/10
    Accessibility - 8/10
  • 8/10
    Length - 8/10
  • 9/10
    Fun Factor - 9/10
8.6/10

Summary

EA Sports College Football 25 offers a mix of realistic graphics and a manageable download size of 32.4GB. The game features four difficulty levels—Freshman, Varsity, All-American, and Heisman—catering to a range of player skills. Accessibility options such as subtitles, menu narration, VOIP window, enlarged on-field graphics, and colorblind support make the game more inclusive. Officially licensed, it includes six game modes: Play Now, Play a Friend, Dynasty, Road to Glory, Ultimate Team, and Road to CFP. Players can create and customize rosters, uniforms, and teams, and share or download creations from others. The game supports cross-play and offers various gameplay sliders for penalties, player skills, and CPU skills. The training section includes mini-games and open practice, while EA app integration facilitates friend lists and invites. The full commentary team and improved player animations enhance the overall experience.

However, the game has its drawbacks. It lacks a PC version and has performance issues in some areas. Created teams cannot be used in offline Dynasty or Road to Glory modes, and there are occasional glitches like players having the same shirt number in replays. The character creator is slow, and the game can be daunting for new players. Madden fans might find the game’s deeper modes and administrative tasks surprising. There is significant downtime between games, and AI can make poor decisions, affecting the gameplay experience. The camera requires frequent adjustments, and the Road to Glory mode can be challenging, especially for new players or those trying new positions. The QB position offers more satisfaction and growth compared to other positions. Despite these issues, players can see and feel their improvement over time.

In summary, EA Sports College Football 25 is a comprehensive and immersive game with realistic graphics, multiple game modes, and extensive customization options. While it has some performance issues and can be challenging for new players, its depth and variety make it a worthwhile experience for fans of college football. The integration with Madden 25 adds an extra layer of continuity for those looking to extend their football careers from college to the NFL. It’s been too long but finally, College football is back and better than ever!

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!