Madden 25 Review, Grades, Features And More
Madden NFL 25 is just days from being released and we here at FanSided.com got our hands on a copy so we could give you the inside scoop on whether or not this year’s version of the game is worth your $60.
We like to hand out grades on each aspect of the game and then give the title an overall grade based on our impressions.
Madden 25 Report Card
Run Free and Precision Modifier: A-
Run free makes Madden a heck of a lot more fun, featuring 30 ball carrier jukes and moves, though some of the combos are quite complicated so it will take some practice and skill to master the new mechanics.
Infinity Engine 2: A+
Infinity Engine 2 is a massive improvement and gone are the days of players comically flopping over each other after plays like they are auditioning for the next terrible Three Stooges movie.
Connected Franchise, Player Mode & Coach Mode: B
This mode is essentially the same as Madden 13 with minor tweaks and improvements, the most important of which, is improved AI draft and trade logic. There wasn’t much broke here so there wasn’t much to fix.
Connected Franchise, Owner Mode: C+
Owner Mode is like Coach Mode but with a bunch of other boring features like setting ticket prices, dealing with the media and keeping the fans happy. Essentially, all the stuff real NFL owners hate having to do is now in Madden 25. We applaud EA for adding a mode that gives the gamer total control but we docked them for it being time intensive and just not all that much fun.
Connected Franchise, Legends: B+
If you choose to play as a player, you can pick from one of 45 player legends. To Madden 25’s credit, the list is terrific and only ten of the players have to be unlocked. So while you will have to toil away so you can use Franco Harris, Troy Aikman, Joe Montana and William “The Refrigerator” Perry, you can use Derrick Thomas, Dan Marino and Warren S
Madden Share: A+app right out of the box. Playing as these guys is fun.
This year, Madden players can actually share their playbooks, sliders and custom rosters with other gamers. This is an admirable move by EA and will enable customers to continue to download roster updates even after EA stops providing them which means if folks don’t want to or can’t afford to buy Madden 15, or whatever it will be called, they will be able to update their game well into the future, so long as someone is willing to do the work.
Madden Ultimate Team: B
EA has brought back chemistry and also introduced a head-to-head season mode. In the past, we’ve felt it just too long to earn enough coins to update your team frequently enough for this mode to be fun. Head-to-head, which increases rewards as players get deeper into the playoffs, should help speed up the team-building process.
General Gameplay: A
There have been a lot of strides made this season. The new Infinity 2 engine is terrific and running the football is a blast in Madden 25. EA has added a ton of new plays and formations. There is plenty of Pistol Option plays to go around and playing the game with a mobile QB adds a whole new dimension to your game plan. The AI also appears to be greatly improved in Madden 25 with the computer not making as many bone-headed mistakes in the closing minutes of games.
Final Grade: A-
Buy this game.
This is a great Madden to have, especially if you don’t plan on buying an Xbox One as soon as its released. The ability to share files means you will be able to continue updating this game, even after the next gen is released.
Plus, this game is just plain fun to play. The new running mechanics really make moving players around the field a lot more interesting, both on offense and defense. Defenders and ball carriers alike don’t get swallowed up as easily and it is actually possible to recover after running into the back of another player.
EA didn’t add a ton of bells and whistles to Madden 25 but what they did do was focus on improving the gameplay and they succeeded. While moving the ball may seem a bit too easy at times, the fact that games will be able to download sliders to increase the difficulty to match their skills should make Madden 25 a great experience for most.
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