Was College Football 25 Worth the Decade Wait?

After over a decade of dormancy, EA Sports finally revived its college football franchise with College Football 25.

Rating: (7/10)

Value for money: (7/10)
Features: (5/10)
Audio-visual: (6/10)
Fun: (10/10)

Pros:

• Accurately captures each teams' college traditions
• Fun gameplay experience
• Numerous game-modes

Cons:

• Uninspired Ultimate Team
• Slow/Poorly designed UI
• Questionable graphics

For fans who have waited since NCAA Football 14, the return was one of the most anticipated in sports gaming history. But was the game worth that long wait? The answer is a solid 'yes, but…'. It delivers an undeniably fun experience, but not without some frustrating, typical EA setbacks.

First and foremost, College Football 25 is a blast to play. The on-field gameplay is responsive and fast-paced, with dynamic (and at times unpredictable) AI and a satisfying balance between simulation and accessibility.

Whether you're managing clock time during a tense 4th quarter or executing a well-timed option play, the action is immersive and thrilling. The AI unpredictability plays into the rugged and amateur nature of college football.

What truly sets the gameplay apart is its attention to college-specific details. Every major school has its own entrance traditions, fan chants, band performances, and stadium quirks. These elements don't just add flair, they give each game a unique personality that's distinctly collegiate and far different from the NFL's more polished tone.

Even with its flaws, College Football 25 has that 'just one more game' factor, making it one of the most purely fun sports titles of the year.

The game boasts a wide variety of modes, including Dynasty, Road to Glory, and Ultimate Team. On the surface, this seems like a robust offering, but dig a little deeper, and it becomes clear that many of these modes lack the depth or innovation fans were hoping for.

Dynasty Mode remains the highlight, letting you take control of a program and manage recruiting, development, and in-game strategy. It's still compelling, but doesn't evolve much beyond what was already present in NCAA Football 14.

Road to Glory has potential but falls short in execution. The idea of balancing academics, training, and performance is interesting, but ultimately, the choices feel shallow and the progression lacks meaningful variation. That being said there is the option to sync your process to Madden NFL 25, allowing the continuation of your career into the big leagues, this is a nice touch.

Then there's Ultimate Team, which is easily the weakest link. It feels more like a checkbox feature than a fully realised mode. The pack opening animations are uninspired, and there's little to distinguish this version from Madden's already-fatigued implementation. It's a missed opportunity to do something unique with college legends or historical teams.

Unfortunately, College Football 25 suffers from a poor user experience in terms of both interface and presentation, something fans of EA's FC25 and Madden 25 have also experienced.

The menus are slow, cluttered, and unintuitive, making everything from customising a roster to starting a new game feel like a chore. For a game with this much content, a smoother and faster UI should be essential and its absence is truly felt.

Graphically, the game is underwhelming. While the player animations and crowd atmospheres are undoubtedly fun and immersive, textures, lighting, and models lack the polish expected from a 2024 release. Stadiums and uniforms look fine at a distance, but close-ups reveal a lack of detail that makes the game feel like it belongs to a past generation. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's definitely a disappointment.

At full price, College Football 25 offers decent value (even more so if purchased as a bundle with Madden 25), especially for college football enthusiasts. The gameplay loop is rewarding, and with enough content to keep you engaged across seasons, rivalries, and online matchups, you'll find yourself returning often, especially if you can look past the more superficial shortcomings.

That said, with a feature set that feels outdated and a presentation that is prone to underdeliver, players expecting a groundbreaking leap forward after 11 years may find themselves underwhelmed.

College Football 25 is a return worth celebrating, and I for one am glad that we can get back to regular releases of a fallen franchise, but it's not without caveats. It absolutely captures the spirit of college football, and its gameplay is both fun and addicting. However, a lack of polish, lacklustre features, and questionable presentation hold it back from being a true classic.

Still, for long-time fans of the series, College Football 25 is a solid comeback, and a strong foundation for what could become a much better sequel. If EA can listen to feedback and commit to deeper development in future iterations, the franchise could return to its true former glory.