I always look forward to Madden each year, but I especially anticipated this year’s game for a silly reason. You see, back in 2013, EA released a game titled Madden NFL 25 to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary. This naturally set them up for a conundrum a decade later, and I was curious how they would handle it. Sadly, it didn’t lead to an interesting title, as they just put out another game called Madden NFL 25. Thankfully, that’s my only disappointment with this year’s Madden, which has quite a few nice additions and keeps its solid core intact.
It’s not just the title that might instill a sense of déjà vu as one of this year’s main selling points is enhanced tackling, which has been a repeated bullet point since the introduction of the hit stick in Madden 2005. While I was a bit skeptical seeing it being touted again, I do have to give credit to the team at EA Orlando, which has done a great job with its new “Boom tech” that integrates momentum, player ratings, and muscle strength into each collision. This results in more dynamic and realistic tackles that lead to some additional opportunities for fumbles if you can really time it.
Beyond the enhanced tackling, there are a lot of other smaller additions that add up and make Madden NFL 25 a really compelling upgrade from previous years. For example, there is more to do before you snap the football, such as adjusting smart routes and being able to disguise your coverage shell on defense. The new kicking system from College Football 25 also makes an appearance, although you’ll need to select it from the options, and two new commentary teams were added (Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen, plus Kate Scott and Brock Huard), which gives you a lot of options to switch things up.
Franchise and Superstar modes have seen the biggest overhauls, with most of the other offerings returning in similar forms (although with a slicker user interface). Franchise mode really impressed me as you start to see trends play out over time. Young players can improve rapidly if their performance on the field shows they’re breaking out, and EA Orlando added over 70 new storylines that really make you feel like you’re managing personalities and real players rather than just a spreadsheet. There’s also a better sense of history, as you can break team-specific records rather than just aiming for the all-time record books.
Meanwhile, the Superstar mode is still a lot of fun. I was able to import my College Football 25 character into the game, which is an awesome addition. The mode’s biggest addition is a new Superstar Showdown mode, which is a new three-on-three match. It reminded me of NFL Street a bit, as there’s plenty of scoring due to the structure and smaller field. It’s a fun diversion, but it remains to be seen how much long-term appeal it will have. I hope they eventually add a single-player mode to Showdown like EA’s NHL games have for its Threes mode.
Madden NFL 25 Review: Final Verdict
While the name is familiar, Madden NFL 25 features plenty of smart additions to make this a great year to pick up. The integration with College Football 25 is brilliant and the new tackling system can directly be seen in gameplay. EA continues a really strong year for its sports offerings.
SCORE: 8.5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8.5 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital PS5 copy for our Madden NFL 25 review. Reviewed on version 1.004.000.
