The Madden NFL franchise is often criticized for its stagnation. With no real competition to speak of, it’s easy to see how one could conclude that the development team is resting on its laurels, opting for short-yardage plays that are all but guaranteed to move the ball forward rather than trying to stretch the field with higher risk play calls. Madden NFL 25 is undoubtedly an improvement over its predecessor, but at this point, it feels like a .500 team from last year taking home an extra win or two to barely earn a winning record this season.
Stepping up to the line of scrimmage in Madden NFL 25 is better than last year thanks to bigger and more complete playbooks, better audible options, and more customizable route adjustments at the line. Once the ball is snapped, the action on the gridiron typically looks and plays authentic. Each QB I took control of plays similar to his real-world counterpart; Lamar Jackson has the excellent ability to emerge from would-be sacks and miraculously get the ball downfield, Patrick Mahomes can make acrobatic throws like nobody else, and Josh Allen has an uncanny ability to make something out of nothing.
Regardless of the position or situation, the improved physics and animations for contact and tackles create substantially more realistic engagements. I appreciate how tackles look and develop, and the improvements made to blockers lead to better pockets and running lanes. Blockers are much less likely to get stuck in engagement animations like in past years, but quarterbacks and receivers are sometimes prone to scripted sequences.
Stepping into the shoes of an elite quarterback feels markedly different from a middling passer, thanks to various gameplay mechanics, not the least of which is the X Factor. This feature, which grants special abilities to superstars on each team, continues to receive refinements each year. Whether it’s Mike Evans’ powered-up play against single-coverage or Marshon Lattimore’s advantage during contested catches, Madden NFL 25 effectively differentiates the superstars from the rest of the league in ways attributes cannot.
Madden NFL 25 delivers an often gorgeous gridiron experience. Player models are authentic, improved animations permeate the entire experience, and the broadcast graphics closely emulate what you see watching a real NFL game. I love the addition of new commentary teams as a way to address the perpetual problem of hearing the same conversations and calls game after game. Though the two new duos feel less fleshed out than the pre-established commentary team, it’s a net positive for Madden NFL 25 that should only improve year over year. Unfortunately, the immersion falters multiple times throughout a given game. Broadcast graphics breaking, awkward pre- and post-play animations, and the ball sometimes appearing glued to a player’s hand instead of being held by it were all common during my gameplay.
For many years, the single-player-focused career modes were my destinations. The NBA 2K series repelled me from its version due to the egregious use of microtransactions, and I worry the Madden series is heading down that same path, thanks to the integration of Showdown’s online play. You can stay exclusively in the single-player portion of the mode, but that doesn’t free you from the monetization attempts of the broader suite. On top of Showdown mode being the default option every time you load into the Superstar menu, the game constantly tries to convince you to check out the monetized online side of the experience through in-game quests and even video messages from NFL players.
Madden NFL 25’s career mode presents you with various quests to complete as you play multiple seasons of your created character’s career. I’m a big fan of checklists in games, so I enjoy how the interface surfaces relevant goals at the start of each drive. The goals range from single-game to full-career in scope, though I’m annoyed at how some push you towards opportunities to at least notice the monetizable elements like boosts and emotes. Each time you complete a set of quests, you get rewards like XP to level up your player, bringing an RPG-lite flavor to the mode. There are plenty of things to love about Superstar mode, but regularly trying to get you to jump to the other side irks me.
I instead opted to spend most of my time in Franchise, which has been a focus of EA Tiburon’s in recent years. The thrill of taking the reins of my favorite team to draft, deal, and make the business decisions on their behalf en route to hopefully taking home the Lombardi Trophy is an annual tradition in my house at this point. Improved menus, more cinematic elements, and more storylines make for a better overall experience, though I wish the storylines featured higher production values than characters stoically talking to one another. Still, it’s a massive improvement over how neglected Franchise was just a couple of years ago.
Madden NFL 25 may not throw many Hail Marys, but as the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles can attest, those small yardage plays can still be meaningful. Despite their success with the Tush Push on fourth down, they still relied on the big play capabilities of Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, and AJ Brown. That’s what Madden NFL 25 is missing; it is effective at chipping away with forward progress, but the franchise feels gun-shy about trying to go big with any of its modes. Madden NFL 25 is a consistently good entry in the annualized franchise, but it does little to push for the highlight reels.
