EA Sports College Football 25

College Football 25 nails the on-field action with a dynamic feel, stellar graphics, and tons of smart gameplay tweaks. However, so much of what's off the field feels unfinished, with UI issues and barebones modes that seem like they are waiting for a rebuild next season.

EA Sports College Football 25 proves it's more than just nostalgia with its impressive production and gameplay.

Running the ball has also changed. The AI around blocking schemes has improved, and new animations and physics make it easier to fight through arm tackles or poor pursuit angles. The option system has also been revamped. The good news is that players now have multiple types of pitches they can throw, which can open up the playbook beyond the commonly used Read Option. The bad news is that the button scheme to hand the ball off or keep it has flipped from the last few years, meaning that I spent hours handing off the ball when I meant to hold on to it.

The best American football game in a decade, with a career mode which will take over your life – along with fabulous levels of college pageantry and authenticity.

EA Sports College Football 25 makes the gridiron feel new again with stellar visuals that heighten the gameday intensity and smooth controls that evoke the high-octane moment-to-moment action that makes college football so beloved. I enjoy the painstaking, time-consuming process of revitalizing weak programs in Dynasty as well as competing against teammates to earn that coveted starting spot in Road to Glory, but some skin-deep progression systems and game modes are concerning; beyond the campaigns, there simply isn’t enough to see or do. Nevertheless, CFB 25 is a confident spiral throw in the right direction, and I’m excited to see how its strong foundation evolves in future releases.

The game is truly a combination of work hard, play harder — sounds a lot like college.

The ten-year wait for EA Sports College Football 25 has been worth it, with its all-encompassing Dynasty mode likely to prove an obsession for some football fans. Great gameplay paired with a deep spreadsheet simulator makes this one of the most fun and fresh sports games in eons, and it's backed up by some stellar presentation, too. Ultimate Team feels superfluous, and Road to Glory could do with more time in the oven, but as far as comebacks go, this is one for the ages – even if it's mere existence is likely to bemuse practically everyone outside of America.

EA Sports College Football 25 makes up for some wonky menus and a lack of tentpole modes by bringing the good stuff where it matters. The gridiron action here is fast and snappy, offense feels fantastically responsive, and defensive plays are easier to read and consider thanks to a combination of clear layouts and more time and space on the ball. It looks great, sounds great, plays great and has thusly become our (American) football game of choice going forward. Madden 25, it's over to you.

EA Sports College Football 25 succeeds at setting itself apart from Madden with new mechanics and systems that change the way you play the game. Wear & Tear forces a new kind of strategy, and the changes to passing and player movement open the door for unforgettable plays. There are some cracks in the presentation, the game needs more songs, and Dynasty could use a tad more polish, but College Football 25 has delivered a level of fun that I haven’t gotten from a football sim in years.

College Football 25 had over a decade of expectations and wishlists to overcome, but EA has managed to relaunch the series with a gem of a game. That said, some modes like Road to Glory feel underbaked and it's not exactly friendly to newcomers.