Madden NFL 25 is NOT GOOD - Review

#BringBackNFL2K
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Madden NFL 25 does not come close to justifying why only EA can make simulation NFL games. EA is actively hurting the NFL brand, and it's time for change.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro and the NFL License
08:13 Presentation
15:35 Gameplay
23:04 Franchise Mode
28:33 Other Game Modes
31:36 Overall Polish
32:40 Let's Use Our Imagination!
39:28 Final Score & Closing Thoughts

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2.5/10 Final Score

[SOFTDRINKTV]

#BringBackNFL2K is already trending on Twitter/X after only 2 hours! Your voices are being heard, let's see where this goes!

[RVered]

EA Sports - We put it back in the game.

[Foowd]

It cannot be overstated just how much EA's exclusivity deal has ruined not just football games, but sports games in general as it caused 2K to buy exclusivity for the MLB, and normalized the idea of every league only having one game which resulted in monopolies and massive drops in quality. The NFL opening up their license could be just the shot in the arm this genre needs and could inspire other leagues to seek out multiple suitors too.

Or the NFL can continue to be horrifically out of touch and renew the exclusivity anyways because life is cruel and unfair.

[atumless]

We need to stop with “Bring Back 2k”. 2k is far from innocent in recent years, we need the market to not be monopolized at all.

[ItsKryptick]

20:54 I was watching Bengal’s first rebuild of Madden 25 and my jaw dropped when he called a no huddle with 20 seconds left. Players had to run about 15 yards down the field and the clock drained to zero. Didn’t even get the snap off. It does not EVER take 20 seconds for an NFL offense to get to the line for a hurry up. Most I ever saw was the 12 seconds the Cowboys took in that playoff game, and even then it came down the wire, and only because the ref was fumbling the ball around. Absolutely near the top of my (extremely long) list of gripes with Madden. They couldn’t just add back the run-back in CFB 25? Like what are we doing here.

2K basketball sucks now but as you said, letting them compete in the Sim market for football again would go a long way. EA should start making NBA Live again too. Someone needs to make a new MLB game as well. All of these sports games need competition. I love CFB 25 and I really hope they don’t fall victim to the same trap as all of these other sports games. Haven’t bought Madden yet, probably will when PC mods start coming out (modded M24 was actually pretty fun) but I’m not sure even that will be enough this time. CFB has scratched my football itch and even a month after launch I’m still playing it daily, which I haven’t done with Madden since Madden 17 probably. Really hope the NFL opens the Sim license back up, even if they take it away from EA and sell it exclusively to 2K, that’s a loss for everyone.

[MMSuperBoyo]

#BrinkBackNFL2K If we don’t let our voices be heard, we’re gonna have at least another 5-8 years of just Madden. Now is the time to really spread the word

[WestCoastDude]

The best years of Madden were Madden 05-07 How can you not top a game made over 15 years ago? That’s insane. Shows you how lazy EA has been. It’s a shame.

[Beeks]

I've said it 1000 times...

The target demographic of EA Sports is 12 year olds with ADHD and access to their mom's credit card. That's it. That's the only customer that matters to them.

[MrAliex]

The Madden franchise feels the equivalent to a single essay you got an F for in your classes, with small details being changed after each year which changes almost nothing about the essay’s quality.

[billybadass]

i'm curious if somebody can answer this.. does this person realize that ALL sports games operate like this one with ultimate team??? and when I say ALL I mean ALL like wwe LOL... in fact 2k's worst because when you mistakenly press the b button taking you to its version of ultimate team there's NO WAY to leave the mode forcing to exit out the game which is insane..

[LegendaryDorkKnight]

So I work with game animations and some logic for a living and I want to say something I've observed about Madden and the way their NPCs function. The entire game functions as if every NPC is on a set track and they're trying to get to the various checkpoints on their movement track regardless of obstacles. If a play has a player assigned to go from point A to B to C, that player will go from A to B to C with no deviation even if the play has changed and going A to B to D would be more helpful or appropriate. Couple that with the fact that there are no branches in animations and actions for specific scenarios and the game feels like an assortment of AI models trying to get from place to place with no regard for changing scenarios or obstacles. "A player is in my way? Keep running into them. I'm in the middle of my run animation and can't stop it right now." Nothing about it feels organic or life-like.
A PERFECT example of what I mean (albeit not during a play) occurs at 20:13.

[atcraft]

The problem with Madden 25 is that it’s Mediocre, the worst place to be as a video game, Mediocrity means that you’re basically forgotten by the most of the Video Game space.

[icewyre]

I'm an NHL guy, and it's the same thing, as it is with most sports games. The monopoly ruins it so much. I miss when EA had 2k to bring the competition.

[Ejohns]

The sad thing is that the overwhelming majority of people who buy both Madden and NBA2K DO NOT WANT A SIMULATION. They want MyTeam. They want exploitable online play and they like to feel like they paid to get the best team because it makes them feel special.

[Needspeed]

In the most honest way possible, if NBA2k is anything to go off of, NFL2K would be the same brain rot cash grab that madden is now days. The gaming market has just changed for the worse

[FisMoney]

“They do have classic player cards you can unlock by spending real money if you’re a f**king idiot” 😂😂😂😂😂

[kcgamer.]

Will always appreciate the 3 horsemen who expose madden every year. Soft Drink, Angry Joe, and Ryan Moody

[jacobmartinez]

“Zooted off of 3 blinkers” is a phrase I didn’t think I’d hear on this channel 😂😂

[cloak]

I’m going to be honest. I’ve lost a lot of interest in the NFL to. I just don’t get hyped for it anymore. Madden and the NFL both are just not the same as they once were. That golden spark that they both used to have is just not there. It’s sad…

[iBMcFly]

Every year I think, maybe this is the year that SDTV gives it a good review. But, alas, EA continues to let us down.