Madden NFL 25 Review – The Year of Perfection

Game Reviewed: Madden NFL 25

Release Date: August 27th, 2013

Publisher: EA Sports

Developer: Tiburon

Platform: [Reviewed: XBOX 360], PlayStation 3

Genre: Sports

Rated: E For Everyone

Well I wasn’t writing about video games way back in 1989 obviously, but I definitely had a controller in my hand and played all there was to play. It’s a genuine throwback to think about the early years in Madden. It was like every version of madden looked like Tecmo Bowl. Who remembers that one? Anyone?

Madden has seen the grainy 32bit and worked its way all the way to high definition, still continuing to push the limits as we later this embrace the new Ignite Engine in just a few months on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Madden NFL  is hands down the number one NFL game in the market today; and this year’s  Madden not only confirms its rightful place, it creates an extra step just to separate itself that much from the competition.

What’s In Madden 25?

While this version lacks the motivating introductions, it definitely suffice throughout the new interface on the main menu.  The first page grants you the opportunity of jumping into an exhibition , the new Nike Skills Trainer or setting up your Madden Ultimate Team.

If you’ve yet to try the Skills Trainer from both the Madden NFL 25 demo or from playing NCAA Football 14, it’s a simple way to perfect your game. You may know how to read the field and get the pigskin into the hands of an open man, but do you truly know all the tweaks you can do while throwing the ball? Regardless if you do or don’t, successfully completing the challenges with a gold ranking will allow you to Ultimate Team cards.

A menu that I left out is for the hardcore Madden fans called “Never Say Never Moments.”  On high-end difficulties, you are getting the opportunity to relive a few of the most memorable games from the previous season. Put yourself in Torrey Smith cleats playing through the hurt of your brother passing not even a day prior or stepping up to the call as Kirk Cousins due to RG III being injured late in the game. It was the moment when players lined up to the call of duty, but now you control every outcome.

In the play tab, two additional modes can be found, Connected Franchise and Online Head to Head. As for the online mode, it was pretty neat to see an online head count on the slide without having to navigate all the way through to find no one on.

Connected Franchise

Connected Franchise is an expansion to Madden NFL 13’s Connected Career  as a player, coach and owner. As a player you climb the ranks, earn your number one spot.  In Madden NFL 25 that process moves a bit quicker as XP receives a boost.

One neat feature in the player connected career is that you have the opportunity to choose your team and actually see the string position you’ll start in.

Of the three modes, operating as an owner may be your choice of play. Create your stadium or locate it where you think it would be the right business move. Hire the right people to manage your individual needs. When they come, they’re loaded with questions, manage your time and watch what you say to social media. And most importantly, you need to find the right coach and afford the right players that will benefit the city and the fans alike.

Gameplay

It’s genuinely “the” best Madden NFL game ever. I couldn’t say this last year, even with the greatness that it offered. Madden NFL 25 is the year of perfection! Allow me to give you a quick rundown.

Graphics have always been spot on in regards to these last few years of Madden. The environmental presentation remains remarkable, adding new animations that are definitely noteworthy. Over the years EA Sports felt the need to focus a lot on the crowd interaction. In this year’s Madden, the focus stays on the field, whether it’s the players or the sidelines.

A few years ago, Madden placed a huge emphasis on the motion blur to give players a more realistic look as they progress down the field. Now these last several years were the tie in of the infinity engine, perfecting the mechanics on both offense and defense. I mention these because with the first infinity engine launch, players were falling over each other like a domino effect. But in NFL 25 it’s absolutely flawless! With both features working together, it creates a realism that equally matches real life NFL broadcastings.

One thing that all Madden fans will appreciate is the unprecedented amount of new animations added in Madden NFL 25. No matter if you’re playing QB, WR, TE or defense, you never feel like you’ve saw the same play in a single game.  One particular play that stands out is when Andre Johnson was tackled but never fell. He stumbled and almost went out of bounds, but instead walked the edge back in bounds to run from the 30 yard line to the 1.

Our CBS commentators  are back with us with new lines as they call play by play. One thing I took notice of that I never head as frequently in previous Madden’s was the consistent mention of “specific” failures throughout the game. At one point Bill made a comment about how my 1 turnover may have sealed the game as I struggled to catch up.

Overall

I’m pretty sure a lot of fans of Madden was expecting a massive change in the franchise, especially being the 25^th year anniversary. I can happily say that it will live up to your expectations; Mind Blown! As smooth as Madden NFL 25 played, with the new graphics to come on next-gen platforms, all I can say is “Boom goes the dynamite!”

The Scores

Gameplay: 5/5

Visuals: 4.75/5

Audio: 4.5/5

Controls: 5/5

Value: 4.75/5

Overall Rating: 4.75/5