Well, it finally happened. I got EA Sports College Football 25, and the time to curl up and play it. This was one of the main reasons I picked up a new PlayStation 5 to begin with. After playing it for a long time (I’m still playing as I’m writing this), I think it is time to write a fun column about my experience.
Just a couple of notes before we continue. I did not play Ultimate Team or online with any other players. This was due to my aversion to micro transactions and the random humans I meet online. But I invested a ton of time into the single player modes, and it was time well spent.
In general, I have spent my time so far in EA Sports College Football 25 with two game modes. Road to Glory is a mode where you play a single character who is a student athlete just starting out at the college of your choice. And then I did Dynasty mode too, where you take on the role of head coach and try to lead a school and their team to greatness.
Road to Glory Mode
I started out in Road to Glory Mode. This is the mode where you control just the character you create and try to earn playing time. I decided to start out as a quarterback at my first alma mater (West Virginia University) as a four star recruit. It took a second to really take in the changes from when I played NCAA Football 2009.
In this mode, you have to balance school, training, building recognition for NIL deals, and resting to prevent injury. This title even has a wear and tear system that decreases your stats as it goes on and you get hit more, or if you keep working out and don’t rest. It was difficult to balance everything, but I got the starting job midway through my sophomore season.
I played the position fast and loose like my idol, Brett Favre. I was treating the defense like I did back in 2009, and it didn’t end well. The defense has gotten a lot smarter, and I threw sooooo many interceptions. I’d win games, but in a bowl game against Clemson I threw seven picks. I finished the season and left it at the end of that year. If I get the new Madden title too, I can export that character over to the NFL.
I started another character as a running back with my current school (Sam Houston State), and it was easier having gone through another season right before that. I was better able to focus on building up my stats now, which allowed me to win multiple awards during my senior season. The only thing I miss was that you could pick many positions in NCAA Football 2009. I used to play strong safety and even won the Heisman back in 2009. Now, however, you can only play defensive end, middle linebacker, or cornerback. Alas, I still had a lot of fun.
Dynasty Mode
This section will be brief as I am still actively playing this title. First and foremost, EA did a great job working the transfer portal into College Football 25. The recruiting mode is so detailed, and it feels incredibly realistic. Additionally, you can start as a coordinator instead of the head coach. I asked my friend to pick my first school as a defensive coordinator. He chose Kennesaw State in Georgia, one of the worst schools in the game. But I was up for the challenge.
My very first season, I loaded my skill points in tactician to bump my player’s abilities and only called defense. We were bad. My defense had some great players, and we put up good numbers but not enough. We ended up with four wins and eight losses that year. Both the head coach and offensive coordinator were fired.
Anyway, I helped bring in some great students who made us a lot better, and I am about to start my second season with the team. I even got offered a job as the head coach of Marshall, but as a Mountaineer I turned that opportunity down. Besides, I want to keep helping Kennesaw State for now.
EA Sports College Football 25 may become a new comfort game for me as it accomplished everything I hoped it would in this great title. My full review is incoming, but if you enjoy college football even a little bit, then I highly recommend grabbing this one to play over the holiday season.