Madden NFL 25 Review: A Step in the Right Direction

When deciding whether to buy the latest yearly sports game, fans’ biggest question is whether the game includes more than just graphical improvements and roster updates. In the case of Madden 25, the most prominent hyped feature is the newly implemented BOOM Tech system. So, is Boom Tech worth the hype, and is it the only new feature you’ll see this year? Thankfully, Madden 25 has taken a step forward but still leaves much to be desired.

BOOM Tech

BOOM Tech is a new system developed and implemented into Madden 25 by EA Sports. The new system brings physics-based tackling, ball carrier balance systems, and Hit Stick 2.0, which is supposed to give more realistic control over your players in all aspects of the game. The BOOM Tech system achieves unparalleled realism by leveraging player ratings and an advanced algorithm that takes into account momentum, force, and velocity to revolutionize gameplay.

The BOOM Tech system dramatically enhances the experience by making player actions on both sides of the field feel smoother and more realistic, especially compared to the last decade of games. It’s not just a gimmick – it’s a feature that EA can continue to improve in future titles. With this system, your players will respond more effectively to your skill sticks, allowing you to execute impressive juke combinations. For instance, a player can evade an opposing tackler, gaining more yardage. Another notable feature is the Hit Stick 2.0 system, which requires precise timing and angle selection to execute successful tackles. Failing to do so can lead to awkward moments and big plays for the opposing team.

Presentation, UI, and Soundtrack

Madden 25 has gone all in on the presentation front by adding two new commentary teams: Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen, and Kate Scott and Brock Huard. In addition to the latest commentary teams, you’ll experience pre-game montages, improved camera angles, celebrations, a fresh UI, and much more, making it feel as close to a TV presentation as it has in the last twenty years. However, all of the presentation improvements still come with their faults. Kate Scott has one-liners repeated ad nauseam, while Mike Tirico sounds like he recorded his lines underwater, which causes him to be drowned out by other game sounds like the stadium noise.

The new UI for Madden 25 takes on a minimalistic and clean design for the UI that is highly pleasing to the eye, leading it to be the best UI in a Madden title since the next-generation version of Madden 11. However, some menus are sluggish to navigate, especially in Franchise mode, detracting a bit from the new design.

Madden 25’s soundtrack offers many musical genres compared to previous installments that will satisfy all fans. On the main screens, you’ll hear new musical tracks from artists like Eminem, Doja Cat, and Snoop Dogg. However, what sets the soundtrack apart this year is the inclusion of classic tracks in the stadiums and extra menu screens. Classic songs include Fall Out Boy, Queens of the Stone Age, P.O.D., and The Hives. For the first time, I found myself not muting the game as I loved hearing the classic tracks while playing the game.

Game Modes

Besides the overhauls to the menus and presentation, the second most significant overhaul to Madden 25 is the upgrade to Franchise mode. However, these improvements are only surface-level changes that do little to improve the barebones feeling of the mode itself, and you’ll quickly tire of them. Still, since that is the most significant improvement to the gameplay, we’ll go over all changes so you know what to expect if you’re a big Franchise mode fan.

First, drafting has become the most realistic of any of the Madden titles to date and marks the return of Roger Goodell for the first time since Madden ’17. The new drafting system has the Draft Board, which updates in real-time as teams make their choices, and it is visually easier to see prospects, their grades, and much more information to make the best choices possible.

Once the draft is over, you’ll need to start managing your team through proper coaching, which has been improved to give you more power than ever. However, with that power comes great responsibility. You’ll have many different coaching options that will put your team’s development, successes, and failures in your hands. For example, what you say can improve or worsen the improvement gained by your players when training. You’ll also need to respond appropriately to your coordinator’s text messages to enhance their focus for upcoming games.

As you start playing games, you’ll see the dynamic storylines you’re accustomed to. Still, Madden 25 features over 70 new dynamic storylines added to franchise mode that can affect a single game or last an entire season, offering different choices and increasing your overall player agency. In addition to dynamic storylines, Madden 25 offers a wholly rebuilt from-the-ground-up Breakout Stories system that gives you more options, like setting a player’s goals after seeing a player break out.

Finally, one of the most requested features, Team Builder, which has been sorely missed since Madden ’12, returns for Madden 25. Team Builder allows you to create and import teams in the game and customize your team’s logo, color scheme, stadium, and name, giving you complete control in an easy-to-use website.

Unfortunately, the remainder of the game modes in Madden 25 are still barebones, and those looking for more in-depth experiences will surely be disappointed once the initial excitement over this year’s changes quickly grows old. If you own Madden 24, you’ll know what to expect from the game modes this year.

PC Port

The struggles of EA’s ports of the Madden franchise continue with Madden NFL 25. The game’s poor optimization leads to frustrating stutter and framerate issues regardless of the caliber of your gaming rig. Even with my high-performance gaming rig, Madden 25 struggled.

On top of that, attempting to get a controller to work with this game is a highly frustrating process. You’ll have more luck using an Xbox controller instead of a PlayStation controller, even though both are said to work. If you encounter issues getting a PlayStation controller to work with Madden 25, you can use your mouse and keyboard but still deal with frustrating problems.

For instance, when configuring settings in the options menu, the mouse won’t click on the left and right arrows to change them. Instead, you’ll need to press the arrow keys to do so, but even that is unreliable as it’ll sometimes jump multiple settings at once instead of one at a time. Another example of the keyboard controls not working is when trying to complete the Combine tasks in Superstar mode. The game will prompt you to use the arrow keys, but they won’t register, leading you to get F grades.

Finally, for those who love using their Steam Deck to play games on the go or when they’re not sitting behind their desk, it’s important to note that Madden 25 is unplayable on the Steam Deck due to EA’s Anti-Cheat not being compatible with Wine, Proton, or the Steam Deck device. Although there is no Valve rating on Madden 25’s Steam store page, it will never work with the Steam Deck.

Madden NFL 25 — The Bottom Line

Pros:

• Improved UI and Commentary
• Improved Physics from BOOM Tech
• Beautiful Visuals

Cons:

• Only Surface Level Improvements
• Watered-Down Game Modes
• Poorly Optimized on PC

Madden NFL 25 truly brings the sports experience to life due to its impressive visuals, enhanced presentation, new commentary teams, and improved physics from the BOOM Tech system. However, this is about all the new or standout features Madden 25 offers, as all game modes’ core mechanics remain the same, leading to a disappointing experience that makes it hard to justify the hefty price tag.