EA Sports College Football 25 Review – A Long-Awaited Return with Mixed Results

EA Sports College Football 25 – A Long-Awaited Return with Mixed Results

Introduction

I can’t emphasize this enough—I grew up loving college sports games throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. When they disappeared, it felt like a piece of my gaming identity faded away. For years, fans of college sports games had no choice but to settle for Madden and NBA 2K. While that was fine for many, the announcement of EA Sports bringing back college football ignited excitement among those of us who had been longing for its return. Now that it’s here, does College Football 25 deliver? And more importantly, is it a great single-player experience?

Let’s dive in.

A Single-Player Focus

This review is strictly from a single-player perspective, as I rarely play sports games online. My time with the game has been spent in Exhibition, Road to Glory, and Dynasty Mode.

Narrative & Road to Glory Mode

Road to Glory places you in the shoes of a college student-athlete trying to rise to stardom. You manage your GPA, image, weekly schedule, and coach’s trust to earn more playing time. You can also use the transfer portal to find better opportunities.

While this mode has improved from past iterations, it still lacks excitement. There are no high school games to build your player’s reputation, and progression can feel monotonous. Managing academics, NIL deals, and health through a basic resource system lacks immersion. There are no cutscenes or dynamic interactions, making the experience feel lifeless. While the framework is solid, it needs more depth and personality to truly stand out.

Gameplay – Fun but Flawed

The gameplay in College Football 25 is a mixed bag. At times, it feels fluid and responsive, with fast-paced action that sets it apart from Madden. Other times, it’s bogged down by glitches, weird animations, and janky moments.

For example, I once threw a pass on second down, my receiver caught it just short of the first down marker, and suddenly, the opposing team was given possession. No fumble, no interception—just a random turnover. Clipping issues, animation glitches, and tackle inconsistencies pop up more often than they should.

Despite these flaws, the game still has a certain magic to it. The atmosphere, crowd energy, and band music create an immersive college football experience. Passing feels smoother than Madden, and controls allow for more precise throws. Once the ball is in play, there’s a satisfying variety of moves—jukes, spins, hurdles, and even laterals—to break past defenders. Mastering these mechanics can lead to exhilarating plays.

Visuals & Presentation

On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game looks fantastic, with detailed player models, stadiums, and lighting effects. The Series S version is noticeably less sharp but still playable. EA nailed the pageantry of college football—stadiums feel alive, pre-game traditions are well-executed, and crowd reactions add to the immersion.

The Stadium Pulse feature, where atmosphere affects your controller and player performance, is a standout addition. Weather effects are also top-notch—playing in rain or snow adds unpredictability and a sense of realism.

However, not everything looks great. The crowds, cheerleaders, and coaches are stuck in the past, resembling assets from generations ago. Their low-quality models stand out in an otherwise visually impressive game.

Game Modes – A Solid Foundation

Dynasty Mode

This is the crown jewel of College Football 25. Dynasty Mode lets you build a football program, recruit prospects, hire and develop coaching staff, and even restructure conferences. Recruiting players is an engaging challenge, and the Wear and Tear system adds realism by making accumulated hits impact player performance.

However, there’s a major issue—because many of the game’s assets require online access, Dynasty Mode is tied to EA’s servers. If the servers go down or glitch, your progress can be wiped. I lost two Dynasty Mode saves due to an error message stating, “Your league has been uploaded due to server issues.” A quick search revealed that many others have experienced the same issue. EA is aware of the problem but has yet to fix it. For a single-player experience, this is unacceptable.

Road to Glory

While Road to Glory has potential, it feels underdeveloped. The RPG-like stat management is a nice touch, but the lack of cutscenes or interactions makes the mode feel bland. If EA continues to build on this, it could become a standout feature in future entries.

Team Creation & Missing Schools

Not all college programs are available in the game. For example, Stephen F. Austin University is missing, and the team creation suite is online-only. This means you can’t create and save teams locally—you must import them from EA’s servers. If you lose internet access, your custom teams become inaccessible. This decision feels unnecessarily restrictive.

The Verdict – A Promising but Flawed Return

✅ Pros:

• Fast-paced, fun gameplay that feels distinct from Madden
• Visually impressive on PS5/Xbox Series X
• College atmosphere is immersive, with lively stadiums and great crowd energy
• Dynasty Mode is deep and engaging
• Stadium Pulse and Wear and Tear add realistic touches

❌ Cons:

• Frequent glitches, including animation problems and random turnovers
• Ugly, outdated crowd and character models
• Missing schools and frustrating online-only team creation
• Road to Glory lacks depth and engaging storytelling
• Online dependency is a major issue—Dynasty saves can be lost due to server errors

Should You Play EA Sports College Football 25?

The gameplay is a breath of fresh air in the sports gaming genre. While it’s not perfect, it provides an exciting foundation for future college football games. However, whether you should buy it depends on what you’re looking for.

• If you primarily play online modes? You’ll likely have a solid experience.
• If you want Dynasty Mode? I can’t recommend it in its current state until EA fixes the server issues—there’s no point in investing time into a mode that could become unplayable at any moment.

Overall, College Football 25 is a good but flawed return for the franchise. The potential is there, but until key issues are addressed, it doesn’t quite feel like a championship-winning game just yet.