Madden needs a year off.
The annual NFL simulation highlight has been a late-summer highlight of the video game industry for over 30 years, offering the most realistic representation of National Football League action available. The teams are there, the players are there, everything a football fan could want from an official simulation is there in Madden NFL 25.
As an avid fan myself – which reminds me of Go Birds – the annual Madden release should cheer me up for the upcoming regular season. Just a few years ago, that was the case; Madden was the sign that the NFL season was upon us, and the digital version would make the final month of waiting for the real thing easier.
But now, as I sit here, ready to watch real Eagles football in September, my attitude toward Madden is what no video game, let alone the official simulation of one of the country’s most popular sports, should ever convey to its audience: apathy.
Bringing the boom
The most significant new addition to Madden 25’s soccer mechanics is Boom Tech, a complete redesign of the physics that represent physicality on the field. Hundreds of small, subtle animations have been added to every point of contact during a game, and the results are noticeably better than in previous years. In fact, I’d say this is the best on-field experience Madden has ever offered.
Every little detail – the angle of the defender, the speed of the ball carrier, the hand the runner is holding the ball with, etc. – affects the outcome of every play thanks to this redesign. Football is all about inches, they say, and these additional physics-based additions make me feel like I’m earning that extra yard while I’m being pulled down.
It’s great to see it in action, and the precise execution produces really satisfying results. Tackling an opponent in the open field creates a satisfying thud, so much so that I can hear John Madden himself screaming “BOOM!” in my ear when I finish the hit at just the right moment. Fighting through the offensive line and sacking the quarterback feels earned and worth the silly celebration that follows.
Speaking of which, even moments of celebration like this offer an extra touch of authenticity with this new system. During one drive, DeVonta Smith caught a pass for 30 yards and a first down, and when the call came up, I had him do a little dance. The dance ended with the traditional hand signal for the first down – the extended arm in a single flapping motion, for those who don’t know.
However, as Smith fully extended his arm, a defending player ran through the shot and into Smith’s arm. Suddenly, the two players began yelling at each other while Smith’s hand still rested where it touched the defender. It sounds insignificant and the moment was fleeting, but small encounters like this bring Madden closer to the feel of a real NFL telecast.
(And speaking of victory dances, after recovering a fumble that led to a touchdown, the scorer and another defender performed the Fusion Dance from Dragon Ball Z to celebrate. It’s not a big deal, but it made me cheer out loud.)
Wait, what did he say?
What takes me out of the “real broadcast” feeling, however, are the commentators themselves. This year, there are three different commentary teams in the game, including the first female commentator, Kate Scott. For the most part, they do a good job of commentating on the action, although it’s painfully obvious how the game crunches audio files to string sentences together. Mike Tirico’s tone is particularly odd at the end of a quarter when he says, “We’re back! (light loading) From Philadelphia! (light loading again) After that!”
Sometimes, however, the game loads the wrong situation and the commentary ends up being completely wrong. During an exhibition game against the Vikings, I managed to sack Sam Darnold for a big loss. Both Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen started talking about how it was my “third sack in a row,” implying that I had sacked the previous two games and how devastating that was to the offense.
The problem is that the sack happened on 2nd and 2, meaning the previous play was a positive for the offense and definitely not a sack. When I stopped and checked the stats, I realized it was actually my third sack of the game, but they weren’t on consecutive plays. It’s a small misstep, but one that makes Madden seem less authentic.
Comments aside, I just spent a lot of time praising Madden 25’s gameplay after saying the franchise needs a break, and that might cause confusion. However, that’s why the lack of depth in the rest of the game is so damn frustrating. The core product – simulated soccer – is great; the rest of the package is a dead end.
Franchise and Superstar modes bring this issue into the spotlight. Franchise mode lets you run an NFL franchise while handling all the responsibilities that come with it, from building a roster to managing a coaching staff to figuring out your team’s overall strategy and plans on the field. Superstar mode, on the other hand, focuses on a single player, where you start as a fresh out of college rookie, get drafted to an NFL team, and play through the career of the player you created. Both modes are essentially a series of menus, as most of the decisions made off the field in both modes are handled through menu screens. The few times they offer something other than playing football, they are fleeting and don’t offer much of interest.
Take Franchise Mode, for example: When I start my franchise with Nick Sirianni and my Eagles, I have the option to do a courtside interview. The reporter asks me what part of the team I’m most concerned about at the start of the season, and I have the option to select “the offense” or “the defense.”
Now, maybe I’ve played too many RPGs in my life, but with the dialogue options presented to me, I expect the option I choose to be further explained in the next piece of dialogue. I might choose “the offense,” but Sirianni might say something like “The offense suffered toward the end of last season, but I hope we can work hard and get back to the success we’re used to” or something along those lines.
Nope. I select “the offense” and then “THE OFFENSE” flashes on the screen in big white letters, meaning Sirianni answered with just two simple words, with no further explanation. For a franchise that strives to create authentic experiences, that’s just not the way many NFL coaches — aside from maybe Bill Belichick, who is preparing for Cincinnati — would answer that question, and I couldn’t help but laugh. There are weird conversations like this in both Franchise and Superstar modes, and they feel more awkward than anything else.
I understand that these things aren’t the focus of Madden, but for a franchise that promises authenticity, it feels disingenuous not to apply it in these moments. Also, while Franchise and Superstar lack focus, no other mode definitely does.
COURAGE COURAGE COURAGE
Madden Ultimate Team is clearly the top dog in the franchise right now, and it shows. After all, the first thing you do after turning the game on is build your Ultimate Team by opening packs and playing a few tutorial challenges with the players you’re given. After that, you’re bombarded with advertisements for the current MUT season, MUT deals, and MUT themed packs, and these advertisements are designed to keep you coming back to MUT, even if you try to quit it.
I’m not kidding when I say that a full hour passed between the time I first booted up the game and being able to play a normal soccer game. In that time, I quit Madden Ultimate Team three times; once after the first tutorial and twice more after in-game ads brought me back. When I finally reached the main menu, the selection order began with Madden News, then Ultimate Team, then Quick Play. MUT now sits above the standard game mode, as if EA’s deference to its card-based cash cow couldn’t be more obvious.
Is MUT fun? Sure! Building a team with random players from loot boxes and then playing football with that team is fun, and the endorphin rush you get when you unlock a top player is cool. However, the way Madden 25 is programmed to push players into MUT after they’ve already lowered the entry fee called “sale price” has a whiff of “used car dealer” tactics that I could do without.
I’m not naive enough to believe that Madden will ever stop being on store shelves every year, but it’s absolutely time for this franchise to experience a deep, substantial resurgence, especially this year when its new neighbor, College Football 25, is completely outshining it.
Madden 25’s core gameplay is great, but there are some serious problems with everything that happens on the field. Franchise and superstar starve while MUT is treated like a king. The commentary has brilliant approaches, but mostly comes across as contrived or even fake. Every time I raised my fist in the sky for something I liked, I held my head in my hands for something I hated.
The aging gunslinger known as the Madden franchise is showing some wear and tear, Madden NFL 25 being the latest example. While I don’t expect it to ever be put out to pasture, it might be time for the old coach to take a year off to rework his approach.
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