Also On: PS5, PC
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Orlando
Medium: Digital
Players: Multi
Online: Yes
ESRB: E
Madden 25 part 2 is here! You see, this is the second release in the Madden Franchise that used “Madden 25” which will definitely confuse some gift buyers and parents I’m sure. In 2013, for the 25th anniversary of Madden, EA released Madden NFL 25. Did they not expect to make it to 2024-2025 NFL season? Well, regardless of the questionable naming, it’s just about NFL season and it’s time for this year’s Madden review. Christian McCaffrey is this year’s cover star and while he doesn’t play for the Broncos, he has Broncos blood coursing through him (his dad played for the Broncos and was one of my favorites growing up; Easy Ed McCaffrey), so that is a win in my book.
Booting up Madden 25 for the first time as an annual reviewer and die hard fan of the series I immediately noticed we have new menus and presentations. Those old menus were getting so tiresome and felt dated year after year so that was a good first impression. Then I hopped into a Quick Play with my Broncos and noticed we had an all new commentary team. Diving even deeper after this first Quick Play, I found that not only was there a new commentary team but two new commentary teams and the old team of Gaudin and Davis. Joining the booth is the team of Tirico and Olsen and the team of Scott and Huard. Of the groups I was the most excited to hear Tirico and Olsen, so I immediately started playing with them and it seems like Mike Tirico had a lot more time in the booth (which I don’t mind because he’s one of my favorite play by play broadcasters) but at times it almost felt like he was alone in the booth as Greg Olsen didn’t have much to say or even chime in about. Having said all that, it’s awesome to have the option to choose from three very different broadcast styles. I also enjoyed the enthusiasm Kate Scott brings to her booth. Being a female analyst in the world of the NFL I’m sure is challenging and recording audio for a video game can very hit and miss with these real analysts and she does a really good job giving it a real game feel.
The in-game presentation has also seen an upgrade from last season, improving the TV style presentation which includes moving the score to the bottom of the screen. This seemed to be a bigger deal for some people than others, I didn’t mind the previous style on the top of the screen but this certainly gives more of a TV vibe. We also continue the year over year struggle of not using any licensed channels or presentation partners. This year I’m willing to give it a pass and not beat them up as much since we got a huge upgrade in commentary and in-game presentation. But, EA… I will be back on my soapbox to complain next season if we don’t see any ESPN, NFL Network, or NBC for Madden 26.
Madden 25 gameplay is very much in line with Madden 24 and is more so just a refinement than any brand new gameplay mechanics or engine implementations, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I found the gameplay smooth, seamless, and all around a good experience. Now is College Football 25 a better experience? In my opinion it is and that is coming from a diehard NFL fan who watches little to no college football. But if you want the NFL players and teams, Madden is really your only option for better or worse.
Now for the Debbie Downer portion of the review. Outside of the above mentioned changes/additions, the modes here in Madden 25 are nearly exactly the same as previous years. No new modes at all, just your traditional Ultimate Team, Franchise, Superstar, and Online. It’s a tough sell for anyone who bought last year’s release. You have to decide if the roster changes and draft class are worth the $70 price sticker on what is essentially the same release from last year with a fresh coat of paint and some new audio. Madden 25 is definitely not a bad franchise entry (not nearly as many glitches on release as Madden 24 suffered with) but it also isn’t continuing the evolution of football games. Sadly I’m going to repeat my statement from last year and swap out the release years. If you own Madden 24, download the latest roster in the community downloads and wait for the inevitable price drop this holiday for Madden 25.
Note: EA provided us with a Madden NFL 25 code for review purposes.
