So much to do, so little time.
There’s a quarterback controversy to squelch, a coaching staff to reevaluate, stadium renovations to look at and I need a general manager whose eyes I can pull the wool over.
“Jimmy, get me Ryan Poles on Line 1!”
Wait, what’s this? A text message from the training staff? Another hammy issue for Cameron Heyward?
“Jimmy, get me the training room . . . Line 2! Pronto!”
A little over the top?
Welcome to Madden NFL 25’s once-again improved Franchise Mode, in which the focus is on immersion to yet another level.
And when they promote it as next-level, they mean it.
If the improvements made in Madden 24 Franchise were to wake up a sleepy game mode, 25 has raised the bar in allowing you to grasp the feel of running an organization from top to bottom.
First, there’s the addition of 70 new dynamic storylines. What that means is what you tell a player, they’ll hold you to it. Not just for a one-week advancement, either, but all season. And sticking to what you say carries merit in the overall direction of your organization.
If a veteran player shows up to training camp a bit overweight with too many Twinkies in his belly, is tough love the answer to getting him in shape, or do you tell him, “No worries, big guy?” Then there’s the media — it’s always the media. If you promise the reporters that the front office will put a larger focus on the draft, it better happen, or expect the questions to come flying.
Come free agency and contract time, all these little promises and storyline decisions play a huge role in the negotiating process.
Even a decision as simple as sitting a rookie quarterback for a season so he can learn from a veteran can come back to haunt your cap space one day.
And EA Sports didn’t stop there.
The NFL Draft always felt a bit underwhelming considering how it has become almost a holiday in real life. That was addressed with a more authentic draft board, and now your first-round picks are actually walking out on stage — suit and all — to get the hug from commissioner Roger Goodell.
Boos not included.
And for the drafted player who opts out of the big stage and wants to attend a draft party with his family? Yep, a cut scene of him receiving the phone call that he has made it to the league.
Even the Franchise Mode homepage has been made easier to navigate, ripping a page right out of how NBA2K has handled its game modes.
Like in the past, Franchise Mode can be played offline as a solo project or online against friends or randoms. Either way, EA should be applauded for continuing to make strides in a game mode that was ignored for far too long.
As for the rest of Madden 25, there’s plenty of other modes to dive into, including Superstar and the always go-to Ultimate Team.
Of course, with all the good, there’s the bad.
While EA did a better job of increasing the number of rookies and rising stars having an accurate likeness, there are still some serious misses. The usual glitches are going to happen, but the tackle and hit graphics continue to be improved and are as realistic as a video game can make them.
The one disappointment is the marriage between EA’s College Football 25 and Madden is no longer happening. Players used to connect the two games by importing draft classes from college to pro, keeping the train moving. Hopefully that’s addressed next year on both fronts.
But overall, a very solid product by EA that warrants a B+.