Madden NFL 25 Review: Déjà New
While not a perfect experience, Madden 25 features plenty of positive improvements over previous entries in the franchise.
Posted 2 months ago
Platform reviewed on: PlayStation 5
Pros
- FieldSESNSE and BOOM Tech make offense and defense feel more realistic
- Presentation improvements in Franchise menus and drafting
- AI teammates and lanes react better when running
Cons
- Lack of improvements for commentary and some important Franchise and Superstar features
- Catching in traffic is too easy for AI characters despite perfect pressure and coverage
ESRB Age Rating: Everyone
ESRB Content Descriptors: Mild Lyrics
ESRB Interactive Elements: Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
Review code provided by the publisher.
After two decades of playing, my relationship with Madden is tumultuous at best, especially since it sees an annual release. Some years, it feels like EA has finally learned its lesson, while others are a step backward. So, does Madden NFL 25 move the chains forward? Thankfully, this year has been mostly positive.
The most noticeable difference in Madden 25 is how much more fluid the offense and defense are. Regardless of which side of the ball I was playing on, I couldn't help but be impressed by how many slight gameplay tweaks have been implemented.
On offense, passing and running are more natural. Instead of just being able to run to the outside with HB Stretch with a speedy back or abuse RPOs, there's much more strategy involved in Madden 25. Most of this is due to the FieldSENSE system, which combines hundreds of animations to make the play more realistic.
Running lanes are much tighter, but backs and blockers also work better in tandem. So, instead of running into my linemen like Mark Sanchez, the ball carrier has animations that work with or around their teammates.
Open-field movement and juking are also much tighter. Instead of just being able to hard-cut left or right, there are a bunch of animations and tackle variations that occur depending on how many players are involved in the tackle and how the ball handler approaches them. It’s a blast to control Derrick Henry and bounce off people like prime Marshawn Lynch.
While catching also improved, Madden is definitely more lenient regarding its receptions under pressure. I can't count how many times I saw either my receiver or an opponent's wideout catch a ball that should have been forced out due to immediate contact.
With that said, passing windows and placement are still finely tuned, rewarding skilled field generals for perfectly placed balls when they time and read the routes correctly. While I enjoyed the differences on offense, my favorite changes came on the defensive side of the ball.
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The true revival of the hit stick and the new BOOM Tech system make for some genuinely dynamic tackling. There are more physics behind each tackle, meaning that, just like when I carried the ball on offense, my user player's position changed how the tackling animation would look and how successful the hit would be.
Factors like approaching a ball carrier with more momentum, timing on regular tackles or hit sticks, and much more played a huge factor in whether the play would be successful or blown up. EA even took a play out of the FC Sports 25 playbook, as I noticed that I could switch the user defender I was controlling by using the right stick.
Switching users mid-play might sound simple, but being able to throw another player off by covering the middle with a linebacker and then switching to a ball-hawking corner is huge.
Special teams also added a fun new element with trick plays on the returner's side and rules that mirror the changes that have been made in real life. Now you have to strategize whether it is better to let your opponent field it in the landing zone (between the 10 and 20-yard line) or give them the ball at the 30 by giving a touchback. Since your players can’t move until the receiver catches it, the decision isn’t as easy as you’d think.
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In addition to all of the gameplay changes, Madden 25 also implements plenty of new presentation features, ranging from various in-game warm-ups to defensive team endzone celebrations when they pick the ball off. It’s a shame they mirror the UI playbook changes from College Football 25, as they come off more compressed and harder to read than last year.
Unfortunately, the commentary teams are just as unenthusiastic and bland as in previous years, even with the addition of two new teams. It's pretty impressive they made Mike Tirico, one of the best play callers around, sound like a bored AI.
Most of the production improvements can be seen in the Franchise Mode. As soon as I started week two, I was impressed by how much cleaner the base menu looked. Now, I could see standings, league leaders, and a lot of other helpful information from the first menu instead of digging around in sub-systems that take forever to load.
Arguably, the best presentation changes in Madden 25 are the ones made with the draft. Not only is the sorting menu for scouting much more organized and easier to read, but you can see the players you've drafted after drafting them. I can't tell you how frustrating it was to pick a player in Madden 24 and not be able to look back over their position and stats while thinking about my next picks.
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Scouting is the same as last year, so expect to stay within the bounds of that department. The same thing goes for coach skill trees, which still have the same useless offensive or defensive coordinator talent requirements blocking the useful perks, like training more players each week.
That said, Franchise mode has seen some much-needed quality-of-life changes. Even though most of them are identical to last year, drills feel a bit better because of improved AI. The fullback will actually block in the rushing drills on each play, and endzone routes in passing attack aren't nearly as chaotic as in Madden 24.
Linemen are finally getting their drills for development, and being able to split reps for starters and backups are just some of the other small but valuable updates I noticed. And while I only have a few years under my belt in my Raven's coaching career, the AI logic and player growth are much more natural regarding player progression this season.
I'm glad I no longer have to pay out the nose for an aging running back who hasn't been relevant in years just to get my rookie a good mentor.
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Superstar and Ultimate Teams are the same as in previous years, though some bells and whistles have been added to the former. I like the idea of Dynamic Storylines, which added 70 new multi-season events, but they mostly stay the same.
Storylines usually involve slight buffs or debuffs, like improved accuracy or experience points, conveyed by text messages or voiceless cutscenes. This is a common problem that most sports games have yet to solve, and Madden 25 is no different.
While it does feel like the same strides and missteps occur each year, Madden 25 has more positive improvements than bad. It'll likely be just as frustrating for some, but I’m happy with the realistic changes that have come about with FieldSENSE and BOOM Tech, as well as the various presentation updates that have been added.
EA Sports Madden NFL 25
Release Date: August 16, 2024
