Madden has never played better on the field, but that attribute feels like a would-be elite QB stuck behind a shaky O-line.
By Mark Delaney on August 20, 2024 at 9:03AM PDT
I’ve been reviewing Madden’s annual installments nearly as long as I’ve been writing online, and I’ve been playing the series since the mid-’90s as a little boy. It taught me not just how to play football, but also how to play video games. It has been in my life for as long as I can remember and tied to my career as closely as any game. But lately I’ve wondered if it may be time for me to take a year off. Madden NFL 25 is–for the third consecutive year, by my count–noticeably improved whenever you’re on the field playing football. In this regard, last year’s game was the best I’d seen in the series’ history, and this year’s game outdoes that. If you’re going to excel at one thing, it’s good to have that be the on-field gameplay. However, describing the game’s problems off the field is proving to be a difficult task due to so many of them being repeat offenders year after year.
It was a few years ago when EA started using the term Fieldsense to describe Madden’s multi-year overhaul of on-field mechanics, and though the term is primarily a nice shorthand for the marketing folks to play off of, it coincided with an obvious intent to fix the game on the virtual gridiron itself. Madden 23 was the first game in the Fieldsense era, and here in its third year, the investment in football fundamentals continues to pay off with Madden 25.
This begins with the introduction of Boom Tech, the highlight feature of this game iteration. Boom Tech, a term coined much like Fieldsense, represents a significant improvement in the game’s collision mechanics. Previously, the Madden series promoted the increased relevance of a player’s weight and height, but this year, the impact of these attributes is notably discernible and enhances the gameplay experience.
Boom Tech modifies the game’s collision and tackling dynamics by dissecting these interactions into multiple detailed animations. This system isn’t merely ragdoll physics but rather a sophisticated animation-branching technique that constantly performs complex calculations, leading to less predictable outcomes throughout the game. While some old animations may recur, they appear less frequently and are more intricately executed. The enhancements lead to a broader spectrum of realistic in-game occurrences, including improved contested catches and more dynamic runs, enriching the football game experience significantly.
The effectiveness of Boom Tech lies in its ability to accurately consider factors such as weight, momentum, player ratings, and pursuit angles when a defender encounters a ball carrier. This system ensures that the outcome of tackles isn’t solely dependent on player size or speed, providing a realistic challenge as even top-rated defenders might find themselves incorrectly positioned, resulting in more authentic penalties.
Furthermore, Boom Tech affects how players utilize the Hit Stick, reducing its reliability as a defensive tool in open-field situations. Incorrect timing or positioning when using the Hit Stick no longer guarantees a successful tackle, leading to fewer dramatic fumbles. Now, immediate in-game feedback is provided for each Hit Stick usage, clarifying successful or failed attempts, and thereby enhancing strategic defensive gameplay.
This might sound like it’s primarily beneficial for defense, but it really enhances both aspects of the game. Players who have a tactical advantage will consistently dominate this challenge in each scenario. It not only feels good but also looks impressive and, crucially, it achieves a high level of realism. Further enhancing this system, running backs have adopted a strategy of “getting skinny” as they navigate through tight spaces to find gaps, making it more difficult for defenders to make successful tackles, in tune with the advanced Boom Tech system.
The enhancements on the field extend further. One feature I particularly appreciate is the improved ability to disguise your defense. You can now present a pre-snap setup that completely masks your true defensive strategy. Previous iterations of Madden offered a basic approach where zone could be disguised as man and vice versa. The new system offers a broader range of disguises encompassing complex coverage shells such as Cover 3, 4, 6 and more, which is deeply satisfying for players who revel in the strategic elements of football.
Offensively, adjustments have been made too, particularly with how receiver routes can be modified. Previously, Madden allowed changes to routes ensuring a player reaches the first down marker. The updated game offers a much more granular control where players can design routes from scratch right in the pre-snap phase. This lets an originally short route be extended to various lengths, taking better advantage of defensive gaps.
This level of control serves as an effective strategy against opponents who excel in creating deceptive defensive setups. If you’re able to decode the defensive formation and anticipate their tactics, it’s like nimbly avoiding a punch while delivering a powerful counterstrike. Align this with enhanced options for offensive-line adjustments, including partial line shifts, and the strategic depth of the game reaches new heights.
These new features share a common trait: nuance. They each expand on systems that have been in the game for years but are now more satisfyingly designed to reward smart football play-calling and excellent execution. It’s why, on the field, this is the best Madden has ever been. Following College Football 25, some have complained that Madden feels sluggish. I find the opposite to be true. Madden 25 feels lifelike, whereas College Football 25 is more arcadey, with players that soar around the field as if games are played at 1.5x speed. I find both are enjoyable, but I want my football to be realistic, and Madden 25 is the most realistic entry in the series, all thanks to the team’s hyperfocus on nuanced football.
But the attention to detail ends as soon as you step out of bounds. My main concern with the game over the last two years is that, as the on-field product got more enjoyable, most of what has surrounded it has felt stuck in neutral, sometimes seeing such minor improvements that they actually felt worse in a sense, as though the team is often catching up to offer features it should’ve had beforehand anyway.
This is true once again, and most clearly expressed in Madden 25’s suite of game modes. Its offerings are the same as last year’s, with most modes getting some attention, but none get enough to compel me to play them beyond Franchise, which I only find enjoyable long-term due to competitive league play.
Annually, the most obvious target for criticism is Madden Ultimate Team (MUT). This genre-redefining pay-to-win mode merges card-collecting with fantasy sports and continues to deploy a series of Skinner Boxes to engage players for a few dollars at a time. Is it possible to enjoy MUT without spending a cent? Surely, although I’m unsure who finds pleasure in that given the grueling grind through tedious, sometimes nearly nonsensical challenges, such as needing to complete just one pass to earn a few coins in a marketplace where anything worthwhile likely costs thousands or more. Nonetheless, I expect that most players who delve into MUT don’t spend money, as this is often asserted about virtually any game featuring microtransactions.
It seems that anyone who engages with MUT for an extended period probably ends up spending money. Imagine visiting Target daily just to look around; eventually, you’d make a purchase. This principle is clearly at work in MUT. Even those who do not engage with the mode are bombarded with daily advertisements tempting them with new incentives each time they start the game.
Last year, I highlighted how the outcry against pay-to-win models in games like Star Wars Battlefront 2, which ultimately abandoned such strategies, did not seem to affect the world of sports gaming. Consequently, elements of Madden Ultimate Team that are well-executed, such as streamlined menus that help navigate multiple ongoing events, are overshadowed by continuously pervasive profit-driven tactics.
This year, there have been some adjustments, such as making the tutorial optional, which is beneficial for veteran MUT players who don’t need a refresher. These players now have access to even more season content, with a total of eight seasons available. While these are thoughtful enhancements for those deeply invested in the mode, they do little to attract new participants or critics.
A key update in Madden 25’s MUT is the new ranked head-to-head (H2H) mode which considers both a player’s success and preferred style to determine rankings and match opponents. However, the persistent problem is the lack of differentiation in the mode between players who spend heavily, minimally, or not at all, creating a cut-throat environment where non-paying players must either sink or buy their way to competitiveness. This deliberate strategy feels repetitive every year, prompting me to abandon the mode after my initial review period, a tradition that has become an annual routine.
I confess, there is a certain satisfaction in ticking off the challenges listed in the game, one by one, watching my collections of coins and points increase bit by bit. This aspect of the game is deliberately designed to be psychologically comforting, yet its transparency in doing so ultimately pushes me away.
This design concept of providing players a list of tasks is also present in the game’s other significant modes, such as Superstar, which focuses on a single player’s journey, and Superstar Showdown, featuring a more glamourous 3v3 street football under neon lights.
Both modes have enhanced their reward systems, introducing more extensive questlines in Superstar and new seasonal leaderboards in Superstar Showdown. These additions feel overdue, as they seem necessary from last year when Superstar was revamped and aligned closely with its more glamorous counterpart. I appreciate the continuity in using the same player across different modes, facilitating character improvement in a team-focused setting initiated from a solo NFL career. However, this integration makes the less appealing Superstar mode a crucial part of progression, turning it into a tedious grind.
While there are slight improvements in presentation—replacing the isolation of a hotel room with the more communal locker room setup—the game struggles to maintain player engagement compared to modes like Franchise or MUT. Fortunately, EA has avoided allowing direct purchases of higher Superstar ratings, a common detriment in other annual sports releases. Yet, the presence of XP boosters for sale, including exclusive real-money purchases, indicates that the system isn’t entirely flawless either.
While I’ve generally not been a fan of Superstar Showdown, the introduction of limited-time modes and events in Madden 25 piqued my interest. The game’s default first-to-21 rule often feels flawed due to the unreliable defenses and the ease of executing trick plays. It seems futile to play with randomly selected teammates, who often struggle to contribute in a game where scoring is frequent.
Superstar Showdown offers quick games that serve as an alternative to MUT’s short-form challenges, but it only truly shines when played with a dependable group of friends. Ideally, the mode would be broadened to attract more players. Despite numerous real-money purchasing options, which are solely for cosmetic purposes, I don’t mind them as they do not directly impact gameplay. However, the flashiness of the outfits is a bit too much for my taste.
I believe there is potential for this mode, as it aligns with player preferences for customization and individual highlights, similar to the emote feature found in games like Fortnite. However, Madden 25 merely introduces more unlockable items, which seems rather uninspired. The gameplay itself needs to be enjoyable without the reliance on superficial rewards. Both Superstar Showdown and the original Superstar modes lack this intrinsic fun. Additionally, the inability to transfer emotes and outfits across different editions of Madden is frustrating, especially when other genres have embraced cross-game compatibility to enhance user experience.
Personally, I find Superstar KO more enjoyable, a mode introduced in Madden 20. Although it was overlooked this year, it remains the best option for quick gameplay within the series. It operates almost like a Madden roguelite, where you start with a basic team and playbook, gaining new elite players after each win, aiming for a 4-0 perfect run. A loss means starting over with a new team configuration. It seems to have been included in Madden 25 out of convenience rather than intention, possibly due to the lack of a monetization strategy, which may limit its development and prominence compared to MUT and Showdown.
My expectations for Madden have simplified over the years to encompass better gameplay, more engaging presentation, and a richer Franchise mode. Madden 25 excels in gameplay but remains lackluster in the other areas, showing only sporadic improvements.
The most significant upgrade in Franchise mode is the revamped NFL Draft presentation. It begins with an impressive live-action sequence, emphasizing the NFL Draft’s pivotal role in transforming teams overnight. Ideally, the game should capture this dynamic, and it attempts to do so through its strategic aspect—I can select a player who potentially redefines my team’s identity. Yet, the effort to replicate the actual excitement of drafting such players falls into an awkward territory that Madden often encounters with its narrative-driven team-building attempts.
This year’s Draft presentation features Commissioner Goodell, who announces and shakes hands with the top ten draft picks. The remaining first-round picks are also shown on stage, while later selections celebrate remotely. This portrayal strives for realism but ends up feeling somewhat artificial and lacks the vibrant atmosphere of a true NFL Draft. The absence of dynamic commentary and incomplete player representation contribute to this lackluster experience.
Even if Madden’s Draft presentation seems to mirror the real event, it still suffers from inaccuracies. For instance, after making a draft pick, the game displays a grading system which invariably shows an “A” regardless of the pick’s details. I once managed a draft controlling all 32 teams, where each first-round pick received an “A” until one was finally graded “B-“. Subsequently, every draftee’s information erroneously mirrored the details of the previously mentioned player. This glitch raises questions about the system’s reliability. Moreover, there are instances where the player’s profile image does not match their physical appearance on stage, further diminishing the presentation’s authenticity.
The modifications made to the Draft in the latest EA release seem only cosmetic. They appear to be an attempt to garner applause for introducing a “new Draft presentation,” yet they don’t delve deeply enough to become truly interesting. This superficial approach is a recurring problem with the off-field features in Madden.
Madden 25 introduces multiple commentary teams for the first time, with the established duo of Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis being joined by Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen, as well as Kate Scott and Brock Huard. The idea of having various commentators is innovative; however, the execution with the new teams is unconvincing. Particularly, Mike Tirico’s commentary is disappointingly robotic, which is surprising given his renowned real-life commentary skills.
Commentating on a game that isn’t physically unfolding in front of you is undoubtedly challenging. Nevertheless, if the game includes a commentator of Tirico’s stature, his virtual persona should at least mirror his real-life charisma. Unfortunately, in Madden, what’s offered is merely a distorted reflection. A similar sentiment applies to Kate Scott, whose commentary also suffers from a lack of substantial content. While Gaudin and Davis have an extensive library of audio from their years of commentary, the new commentators evidently don’t have as much material, which results in a deficient commentary experience.
The core issues are the unnatural commentary delivery and the scanty content, which prevent the new commentators from providing any insightful analysis. Despite their potential expertise in football, their attempts at depth are lost in the execution. This is compounded by Madden’s ongoing issue with capturing the essence of the moments. For instance, Kate Scott’s commentary during my first Super Bowl ended up being notably out of touch, lacking relevance as the crucial moments of the game unfolded.
Although all six commentators occasionally make mistakes—like when top-rated color commentator Greg Olsen mistakenly recalled how a quarterback had a poor start in the latter half of a game—such errors are neither novel nor scarce. They have been a consistent feature in Madden for years, humorous or irritating as they may be.
The introduction of Team Builder web tools, previously seen in College Football 25, marks their debut in Madden. This feature allows players to design their own team logos, jerseys, and stadiums with unprecedented detail. It’s a deeply engaging feature, yet its biggest advantage is that you can choose not to use it directly while still enjoying the myriad options available in the game’s download center.
Skilled artists can create detailed and visually appealing jerseys and logos, all of which are accessible through a user-friendly creation suite. After enduring years of repetitive team logos and subpar uniforms, Madden has cleverly delegated these creative tasks to its community, which has yielded superior results.
I find it somewhat perplexing that I dedicate hundreds of hours each year to this series despite its persistent issues. While Madden 25 largely just ticks boxes off the field and it’s disappointing to see my favored sport not matched by a grand video game equivalent, the in-game action is critically important and exceptionally well-executed. This aspect keeps Madden 25 entertaining despite many underlying problems. Having already spent over 30 hours on Madden 25, I intend to invest several hundred more—until the next iteration arrives and the cycle recommences. Perhaps, this is the real “Madden Curse”.
