Madden NFL 25 is NOT GOOD - Review

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

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

[@nirvanajunkie19]

Thank you for being a trusted voice in this space and speaking for a lot of us. I specifically held off on buying until I saw your review and I'm glad that I did.

[@derricknichols5787]

So the game isn't living up to the name 😕😕

[@nirvanajunkie19]

@@derricknichols5787 No. It hasn't for a long time. I'm 41 and vividly remember playing franchise mode on PS2 25 years ago. I can confirm that the graphics are better and that's it. The depth is worse. In fact it's not even close.

[@michaeldolmo9949]

I was playing with the jets and my tight end got hurt, on the screen it said he’s out for the season broken collarbone, I scored two touchdowns with him after his injury which took him out of the game and the season supposedly I think madden 25 has more glitches then past maddens

[@Blane341]

I Knew This Video Was Going To Happen.

[@Cdf35]

43 minutes my boy really fed up😂😂😂

[@Bavijaun]

Fr

[@mariopot789]

Always excited for a Softdrink video usually expect the 10 -20 minute range... I saw the 40+ and knew he had something to say

[@NJDevil1982]

Angry Joe’s review might be two hours this year! 🍿

[@StateoftheFranchiseGaming]

Every year

[@StateoftheFranchiseGaming]

​@NJDevil1982 he said he'd be shortening it

[@RVered]

EA Sports - We put it back in the game.

[@TheChrisPhoenix]

2K is just as guilty.

[@GisherJohn24]

The game manages to be fun. But I busted out Madden 2002 and that's still a better football game,has more to do and more fun.

[@HashimA-ti9gu]

@@TheChrisPhoenix 2k is much better. At least there's many/decent franchise features still in the game. Same with MLB The Show.

[@GisherJohn24]

It's truly amazing how much better the soundtracks were in the PS1 and PS2 golden age. That Sam Spence NFL films music is so good it can make a bad football game fun. I beg electronic arts to please bring back the NFL films music. It's what real fans that supported you for so long.

[@kashifevans9072]

Hilariously true😂😂😂

[@shanestevens6304]

sports exclusivity deals should be illegal in gaming, they have ruined the golden era of sports games from the early 2000s

[@NoFace-ke9pc]

Yep Also We need digital rights. Rights to our own data.

[@thescourge6989]

@John-PaulHunt-q3z NFL 2K5 didn't have AI. AI did not exist 19 years ago. It had programmed CPU players

[@CCDaDon15]

@@thescourge6989 AI did exist back then. Programmed CPU who made situational decisions on a dime based on stats and the moment in the game was considered AI. And is still considered AI. You are trying to force the concept of ChatGPT being the only way to define AI retroactively and it doesn’t work. How old are you?

[@SteveSmith-br3vu]

No it shouldn't be illegal. If people just didn't buy it it would have to innovate. It's the consumers fault.

[@CCDaDon15]

@@SteveSmith-br3vu that’s not true at all. Look at MLB The Show. It’s having its worst sales years in a decade, despite being on more than just one console for the first time ever. And what does Sony/MLB do in response to that? They lower the budget that they have to work with because improving it would cut into the little profit they make on the game.

[@yashma4187]

In Madden 2006 you could select your favorite team, and the menu would play real highlights of only that team. So even in that department....Madden 25's improvements are still worse than 20 years ago.

[@MeikaiX]

That was beautiful, that was in Madden 07 too, I didn't play 06.

[@callofdoody21]

madden 06 and 07 on the ps2 was so fire

[@benniewoods1124]

I just won a superbowl with the Arizona Cardinals on 07 yesterday. The Leinart era.

[@IsaiahMarshall-c8g]

It was in 04

[@Thrashman-ye4cf]

Yeah the thing is, they didn’t have ultimate team back then so they actually put more money from the budget and cared about the detail all throughout the game where as now they know they can half ass everything as long as they keep MUT going strong cause that’s what makes extra money

[@GetchyaMindRightLB]

Kids today have NO CLUE that we had: 1. Create Teams and Uniforms (IN GAME...NOT ON OUTSIDE COMPUTER) 2. Create TD Celebrations 3. Create FANS and signs they hold 4. Create PLAYS (offense AND defense) 5. GOOD Half Time show which TALKED ABOUT the relevant highlights it would show

[@josiah3236]

these ppl don’t know better… They are OK with being cucked by a corporation .

[@cavansullivano758]

What madden could u create plays in?

[@delscott958]

It’s because of kids today why the game sucks. EA now caters to the clueless uneducated and non competitive newcomers. That would rather spend a lot of money to get good instead of put in the time, headaches, and ass whoopins to get better at the game.

[@Theplug926]

@@cavansullivano7582k goofy gen X

[@lancesilvis4085]

@@cavansullivano75806-10

[@elliotlong4508]

“EA sports, Fuck you. Pay me.”

[@mike9031]

*millions of gamers yearly* "Yes Daddy EA, thank you for 💩 on our faces EA. We don't deserve you EA"

[@Bears86SB]

Did you have a fire Fuck you pay me

[@extratiredcat121]

​@@mike9031she on my phone wit a nickname it's, it's, it's, mmm, Dogshit.

[@bingobongo8701]

​@mike9031 I feel like people who like madden have an ntr fetish lol

[@Quandorondonigga60]

If I'm a big corporation and I make a bad product, yet people still blow they money on said product on an annual basis, what incentive do I have to make my product better. The answer is absolutely zero. Why spend time and money to improve my product when the mindless drones will buy it no matter how terrible it is. Don't get me wrong EA is a major problem, but the fanbase is almost equally responsible for the state of the game because they refuse to vote with they Dollar and make Ea change. Why change when you have zero reasons or incentives to do so.

[@Beeks2121]

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.

[@jordancada]

Why add specifically adhd😂

[@HetVet]

nah it’s only for flight

[@producer-topic3737]

just mut players in general

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@producer-topic3737majority of the players were locked behind MUT Paywalls ever since 13 to 2025. CFB 2025 wasnt even good either.

[@Beeks2121]

@@jordancada because offline modes like franchise require patience. True presentation elements take time. Madden makes everything short and about as deep as a puddle because they are targeting people who just want to skip everything and play arcade gambling football. People with low attention spans. The ADHD thing was more of a joke, but they definitely target people who just want to blast through the game and give them more money.

[@ajontebush6629]

there is no excuse for madden to be on the same code from 10+ years ago. It's a slap in the face

[@zekecowans7792]

Hence why I longer but the game. Gross misuse of hard earned funds

[@radiicola3631]

The excuse is every ape who continues to buy them. EA has already shown they will do the bare minimum to put out the game because it sells regardless of quality pretty much

[@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.

[@jcaashby3]

I am 51 and remember playing 2K5 when it released. The ONLY way EA will lose the exclusive license is if sales of Madden fall significantly, Doing hashtags etc is cool but MONEY is the only way. EA needs to start losing money on Madden as in sales decline. It has been 20 years since EA got the exclusive license....the NFL does not care about anything in regards to what the game is missing in gameplay. All the NFL cares about is that EA writes that massive check!!!

[@justinashley9529]

Don't forget they are greedy to the point of demon possessed and got boys auto banning people happened to me twice second time after spending 400 the month prior . Despicable.

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

Yeah I'm old enough that I literally played Madden on the super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. I played virtually every Madden with a few exceptions. It's genuinely depressing how bad it's been basically since they moved up to the Xbox One era. It actually took a dip around 2008 when they jumped up to the 360 but they built it back okay by like 2011. But once they introduce CFM and ultimate team it was done. And yes there's a direct line to the exclusivity deal in 2005. You didn't just lose 2K naturally but Madden stopped caring. I think Madden 07 was the last amazing one and that's largely because it's development had been in the pipeline before the exclusivity deal was even a thing. So just the legacy features from franchise that moved over to '07 were just still so feature-rich

[@michaelcorcoran8768]

​@@jcaashby3I remember that year all the 2K games were only 20 bucks as well. 2K5 the basketball game although I thought that was a bad year for basketball. Great year for football though.

[@g00gleisgayerthanaids56]

Madden and nfl games are not monopolies, thats like saying the actual NFL has a monopoly on professional football, it doesnt, its just the most successful professional football organization and the most popular. Im not defending EA or Madden just correcting a verifiably bad argument. Nfl licensing is meaningless at the end of the day and pales in comparison to good gameplay. 2k always had the option to develop a good competitor without official nfl licensing. A generic football game with good gameplay would blow ea's madden out of the water, and consumers would have called for the nfl to abandon exclusivity much earlier.

[@remicxz]

3 Fun facts to note here 1.EA didnt get the "simulation license" in 2004. They got the complete NFL license. Look at the cover of Madden 06. They changed to Simulation license in the recent resigning. They did this knowing full well their game was not simulation focused and held simulation games hostage 2. Ian's kickoff animation. A few years back they had Deestroying doing promos and commercials at the height of his publicity run. They could have easily used him for the task of reanimating the kickoff (he got to wear the mocap suit a few times) and giving him a throwaway FA slot like they do with random devs all the time. They did neither 3. There was a point in time where i was in conversations with a few former and current NFL players about getting in touch with EA about helping make the game PRO BONO. Uche was the one that started it. EA declined every time

[@RVered]

3. As a dev, my mind can't comprehend this one. To get pro athletes to consult costs money (the bigger the name, the larger the paycheck). Were they committed or "I'm open to the idea/if EA agrees, I'll see what I can do/sounds nice..."? (I've got a lot of experience with the latter, unfortunately). From my limited insider knowledge of Tiburon, they reject it because they're entirely incompetent and have no clue how to implement basic features (besides the obvious greed and disregard from EA). Some physics could've been implemented as soon as they switched to Frostbite; collision ragdolls are ancient technology by this point. As bad as Frostbite is, its main selling point was excellent physics (like in the Battlefield series). They needed an experienced team from DICE to make the transition instead of Tiburon, as they were the only studio that could make it work.

[@TheFootballFilmRoom]

Uche as in Josh Uche?

[@alext3811]

Quick question, what are realistic NFL football (there are probably realistic soccer simulators because it's not just in the USA) simulators? There hasn't been any competition since before my time (born in 03') for EA so I don't actually know.

[@kaathesacolyte2943]

​@@alext3811EA has their claws deep in soccer with FIFA and it's the exact same thing as Madden. The FIFA Ultimate Team mode equivalent is all they care about because it also generates billions of dollars. The last game that at least attempted simulation NFL was Madden 12. There was a noticeable drop in quality right at Madden 13 where most of the franchise mode features were completely gutted. It's also no surprise that 13 was the first year MUT became their main focus. From 13 forwards things got more and more animation driven. That's why there's such a huge disconnect between knowing how to play football and knowing how to play Madden

[@nippy3674]

@@kaathesacolyte2943 Also in EA. Fifa 17 and 18 were the last FIFAs with realistic gameplay, but they were getting more animations. Even with licensing, EA dropped pretty hard, as far to remove many national teams starting with FIFA 22, and later in EAFC 24 and 25 are removing more of nationals....

[@Gdub33]

I remember Ian Cummings. He was lead for Madden for a few years and he constantly asked for fans feedback. That dude is a hero in my eyes. He really wanted what was best. None of them cared after he left.

[@JordanKingcade-wv1sz]

I never got that from him. I always saw him as a mega douche who would boast about stupid new features such as the QB vision cone.

[@Supersonicspyro]

​@@JordanKingcade-wv1szthe vision cone was a cool feature lol

[@Gdub33]

@@JordanKingcade-wv1sz vision cone was cool. It would never work now though. Yeah no Ian had a blog on maddens website you could log into to give feedback.

[@waanb4312]

@@Supersonicspyro very skilled based , was almost like actually having to turn your head to see the wr

[@NicholasCampbell-c8y]

I remember playing espn nfl 2k5 for the first time. It only costs $25 dollars in order to compete with maddens sales. I remember being blown away at the deflection interceptions, gang tackles, and having to step into a throw or throwing off your back foot. It was incredible, but we all know what would happen next.....

[@strength9621]

i remember when I read that shit in Gameinformer, I was too pissed!

[@jasonpdsi]

Drink, you are the absolute EPITOME of the ideal sports game reviewer. You are honest, like Ryan Moody, without making me feel bad if I happen to enjoy the game. You are thorough, you are straightforward, and judging by your willingness to rescore CFB 25 after a month, you're willing to revisit your initial thoughts in the interest of being fair. That's why, when I'm considering buying a game, you are my go-to guy.

[@PaperMillJ_Music]

Stop being soft my boy if you feel bad for enjoying a shit game maybe you actually just like playing with shit 🤝🏽 and thats okay

[@UserID_23]

@@PaperMillJ_Musicwhy is bro being a dick 😭🙏🏾

[@PaperMillJ_Music]

@@UserID_23 you right G let me dial it back

[@Baseball12323]

Ryan Moody just hates on everything and gets payed by indie devs

[@braydenbp17]

@@Baseball12323 literally he complains constantly like I understand you want this game to be as realistic as possible but this is a video game it'll never be real life fully indie games need support but they are no where near as good as Madden

[@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

[@DA_GUY296]

2k24 was worse than madden

[@LimosaNostra_]

This in addition to not buying the game and actively trying to stifle sales. They need to financially fail or they’ll keep churn out dooky

[@MMSuperBoyo]

@@DA_GUY296if you even watched this video, you would see how yes 2K isn’t how it used to be, but with competition, 2K AND EA would both improve and we would have 2 good games. Who wouldn’t want that?

[@DA_GUY296]

@@MMSuperBoyo ea and 2k could produce the same game and people would still buy it so it wouldnt matter tbh

[@elijahdesouza333]

Madden just keeps getting worse & Franchise mode is completely neglected becuase they want to make more money & franchise mode isn't lucrative for them. It's a complete scam at this point

[@Peeps0001]

I am so sick of this exclusivity license. I would be SO HYPE if it opens up! But if it doesn't, I'll stick with NFL 2K5 that came out when I was 7 years old! #BringBackNFL2K

[@ANT1989]

Imagine an NFL 2K My Career?! 2K would have turned The Crib from old gen into your own house to walk around and play mini-games (pool, paper football, air hockey, etc.). Possibly have a big backyard to workout and do player position specific drills to build your player up (look at NBA 2K's My Career).

[@Heie_]

Game changer they don't want that it's over for EA if that happens

[@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.

[@NJDevil1982]

I’d still rather play NHL ‘94 than any NHL game from the last decade or so. Yeah, I’m old lol…but it’s also kind of sad because they could do so many awesome things with modern consoles.

[@Whathappenughh]

NHL fans might have it the worst out of any sport’s fans

[@imSethy]

NHL 2k7 was my fav to play with family. Playing nhl 22 with my dad over the holiday (it was cheap as dirt) really made me miss the old 2k games. Modern 2k may be more greedy than EA, but the competition and 2ks attention to the franchise foundation would be great for hockey fans

[@SOFTDRINKTV]

Bring back NHL 2K too!

[@shawklan27]

​@Whathappenughh fanatics being the league's main jersey provider says alot about the state the league is in now alongside a sport like soccer is increasingly becoming more dominant despite the NHL being a core 4 sport in America. It's really looking quite fucky for us as consumers.

[@jnova707]

EA's free 10 hour trial is what helped me realize Madden 25' visually is incredible but everything is else is the same lazy attempt at presentation. Everything in your review was spot on.

[@tevinprewett9803]

Yeah. My dumb ass played a hour of the trial and loved it and bought the whole game like a simpleton 🤦🏻‍♂️ Decided it’s best to go ahead and delete it.

[@david-468]

@@tevinprewett9803I feel yah that’s what got me to buy madden 23 and I shouldn’t have,got incredibly bored after a month

[@stephengrigg5988]

​@@tevinprewett9803what kind of odd impulse control problems do you got my guy? You had 9 more free hours 😂

[@sadflamer]

@@stephengrigg5988fr 😂

[@shawnbrown9144]

I downloaded the free trial but deleted it with 7 hours left.

[@kcgamer2.0]

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

[@that1hotshot]

Eh Ryan moody ain't it for me but hey what do I know?

[@Gweezy-s5w]

Ryan moody stays on EA necks I applaud him

[@that1hotshot]

​@@Gweezy-s5whe does and I like that about him but I think he goes a little overboard and tries to make you feel bad for liking the game or having any fun with it at all. He's said that you don't respect yourself enough if you do like it and you're basically just stupid. I personally don't like Madden but I think he goes to far

[@dalandsfinestttv6456]

I trust Moody more than anybody else honestly

[@Callsignethiopia]

Ryan moody the 🐐

[@Buff-Wings]

Funny how NBA 2K players feel the same way about wanting a competitor. I think it’s just by the nature of these huge sports franchises with insanely expensive licensing deals that one developer per sport will not only be the only one able to make a game, but that’s how the NFL, NBA etc want it so they can have more control over what goes on with these games. It’s a monopoly plain and simple, but the only way things will change is if people become so unhappy with the way things are they actually stop buying the games. Then they’ll open up to new licensing deals, it’s the same way they treat their TV broadcasting deals. Cable TV started to get less and less viewers so they started opening up negotiations with streaming services. And the real root of this problem is that these games become some of if not the best selling games on their respective marketplaces before the games even come out. People at large acknowledge that these games are the same every year but accept they’re just going to buy them anyways, and that’s a dangerous mindset.

[@alext3811]

If only they could do this with the gambling *cough* *cough* fantasy sports games so we'd have less of them predating on the vulnerable. Except there's too much money, and the leagues don't want to be directly involved because it would be a bad look.

[@ska187]

It’s not gonna be the consumer that makes the difference. It has to come from top down. Just like how the EU fined Google for its antitrust law violations, the same has to happen to companies like EA. Believing in the consumer will get you nowhere. People have been saying to stop buying madden for over a decade. What has your proposition amounted to? People are still buying.

[@Buff-Wings]

@@ska187 literally, it was the top selling game on PlayStation WEEKS before it even came out. People are sold even though they’re unhappy

[@fooliishnessmusic3621]

Only difference is EA stopped making basketball games bc 2k was dominating them , EA could drop a Basketball game whenever they want but the last 3 years they did the sales were atrocious so they just threw in the towel

[@Kyle-bi7df]

Guys, he’s not necessarily saying 2K would make a much better Madden, he’s saying that competition will make Madden better, it will make Madden work harder to compete for sales, competition makes everything better

[@Eazydatdude91]

In addition to that, they wouldnt be making a better Madden, because they wouldnt be making Madden at all. They'd be making their own football game.

[@whoees3953]

You might be dumb. You just watched an entire 43 minute video where he REPEATEDEDLY says that 2k could make a better game a decade ago and then typed this shit out. You are the problem with sports games.

[@sportscastradio8658]

Competition Would Make Madden better and EA Madden crew do what EA College Football did and drop Xbox One and PS4, that’s what’s holding y’all back the most

[@SlowNSteady123]

It doesn’t matter anyways. More innovation equals a less safe project for the NFL and the NFL would rather have full control over one garbage game than moderate control over multiple good games. People need to start pressuring the NFL

[@Mptappin12]

Not to mention 2K makes better games NBA 2K has its issues but you just compare what they have to has and it’s on a different level.

[@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.

[@2MuckinFuch]

Which sports games actually do this well though?

[@dudeidk4890]

That’s my issue with College Football 25 while playing road to glory. If a run play is called my running back will run exactly how it’s programmed even if it means ignoring an open gap or running right into a defender, there’s literally no awareness in these EA games. It’s terrible.

[@ethankibbey1976]

@@dudeidk4890Likewise. Great example is how broken screen plays are. The number of times that my HB gets stuck on his line and my QB just automatically throws to the spot he should be is annoying

[@LildreProds81]

@@2MuckinFuchif u dont want a better game then get out the comments bro lol or just keep eating the shit these sports games feed u quietly

[@armadillolover99]

@@2MuckinFuch Did you not watch the video? NFL 2K5 did it well, in 2004, on a PS2.

[@SunlightGwyn]

So now we have two Madden NFL 25s. That naming choice never made sense back then.

[@l0b0tv3]

Right

[@seeeworld]

And the old madden25 is much better lol

[@BtflBlue]

If the games continue to sell, it doesn't make a difference if they're garbage or not. When the games stop selling things will start to improve. Until then, it is what it is.

[@swells3156]

We want variety not a monopoly

[@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.

[@biggrizzy718]

I don't care what anybody is saying. Madden is not bad. It's actually kind of good, y'all. Just remember that college is better. If y'all watch college' always been better than madden So y'all should understand that they trying

[@LngLivMamba17]

@@biggrizzy718u only came to the conclusion that madden is good because you’re comparing it to other more trash maddens lol

[@LngLivMamba17]

They added thousands of animations to make up for a lack of realism

[@iBMcFly]

@@LngLivMamba17 “to make up for lack of realism”- that’s like putting perfume on a pig.

[@br__uh]

@@biggrizzy718if you grew up with Madden 06, NCAA 06, Nfl2k5, then you would not think this

[@SteefPip]

Imagine that, just giving a game a makeover every year to maximize profits leaves things in it's wake. As long as idiots keep buying what is essentially the same game every year for max price then EA is never going to learn.

[@BlazeOfGlory742]

If the NFL ended having The Sunday Ticket exclusively on DirecTV AFTER 30 years!!! Then there is no reason why they cannot with a simulation video game.

[@BlazeOfGlory742]

@John-PaulHunt-q3zboom!

[@MrAliex09]

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.

[@jjoe7078]

oh but its now a D- level essay. its good enough, right? the fans seem to love it! ITS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION!!

[@RD-wg9em]

@@jjoe7078honestly believe mainstream game reviewers should be forced to play a catalogue of past titles in a sports series before making judgements.

[@codyallen43]

And you bribed the teacher to give you a passing grade

[@ErikDayne]

But your rich daddy (ultimate team) bought you a degree anyway

[@Darth_atrocious]

@@jjoe7078honestly to me at least as a non online player the game is a D+. A step in the right direction. Especially with things like the presentation and even the main menu. The engine is still crappy but for what I look for in games especially franchise it’s a good step. Hopefully EA wakes up fully

[@GabeCerebro]

Until EA creates a brand new gameplay physics system from scratch, Madden has zero chance at being good. They simply do not have the time to actually do it based on their yearly release schedule, and yet they continue to waste new console generation transitions where they’d most easily be able to accomplish this overhaul. EA knows this is what they need to do, and they attempted it for NBA Elite 11. They just didn’t have the competence to get it done. A decade later and it’s still the same reality.

[@Jm-ze2ks]

they have time, they are not developing anything new there is no motive to build from scratch. they make money with 0 effort regardless

[@dmx1721]

that part about waste new console generation transitions is what ive been saying for years now

[@Trick.Ricky.Sternn]

@@Jm-ze2ksyou think the next madden isn’t already being copied n paste how cute 😂

[@Trick.Ricky.Sternn]

@@Jm-ze2ksI’m sorry to break it to you but call of duty struggles from this same thing !! They’re already making the new game before this game even released buddy if EA wanted to start over from ground up it would seriously take them a couple years but they won’t do that why would they ?? They make money hand over fist bro my best friend soon as he got madden 25 loaded up went to ultimate team bought packs to build his team it’s over our only hope if the trash can company of 2k n yes 2k may put a better product out but they’re still the same type of people they will manipulate the offline modes n cater to VC my player if you think 2k won’t do the same thing they did nba 2k you are crazy

[@SmokeyOwOs]

43 minutes of a man ranting about how he got stuck on the cowboys for his career mode. Justified ngl

[@jacobmartinez1593]

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

[@bryanw8423]

I started laughing uncontrollably when he said that lol

[@Derapy]

“I personally don’t play this mode, because I don’t hate myself” 😂😂😂😂

[@gabrielaverduzco4439]

The virtual Chris Berman really hit me to my core. Damn those were the days

[@reficel]

I have an idea for the presentation aspect. Madden should have the announcers either announce a whole Madden game being played, unscripted, or a regular NFL game, unscripted. This would make everything more fluid and less robotic.

[@Hoodie_JMax]

WR dropping 6 passes a game, only to see Madden only counted 2 of them

[@LightCrunch]

It’s crazy how John Madden has been absolutely removed from Madden. He would not approve of this crap. This is not a good representation of him or the game of football. ZERO PASSION.

[@eagletrippin]

I've been seeing this sentiment alot, and quite frankly I don't understand it. Madden only died what, 2 or 3 years ago? Madden has been bad for no less 18-19 years? Where did Mr. Madden intervene on this disaster that entire time? The guy was laughing all the way to the bank, just like all EA execs ...

[@ibn1989]

@@eagletrippin thank you

[@krustykrabpizza4328]

​@@eagletrippin what could he do to EA to make them change the way they make their football game? Even if he rejected them using his name anymore, they would just rename the game and keep creating bullshit

[@Shockkings0714]

@@eagletrippin 18-19 years? How was 8-11 bad?

[@Shockkings0714]

18-19 years? How was 8-11 bad?

[@inspectorjavert8443]

Why is Vick commenting on this? He doesn’t have a dog in this fight.

[@neonbible08]

I see what you did there

[@everia_games]

That's funny

[@ParamoreFAV3]

You mfs are so weird.

[@D-Nice82]

Paid Endorsement 🤔

[@Josh-g9x]

Dark but funny

[@2zdaysound7240]

I FEEL you. I’m not even mad at madden, I’m mad that they’re the only pro football game. If we want a deeper experience and we are willing to pay for it we should have that option, ITS SAD.

[@perry7595]

Good news is that the NFL opened up their license for retro bowl, meaning that slowly but surely there is a gateway to the return of competition within NFL sports games !!

[@ababoononyoutube9921]

Retro Bowl could have done that 5 years ago, it's an exclusive SIMULATION license, doesn't have anything to do with ARCADE.

[@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.

[@ErikDayne]

I’m not sure which Cowboys meltdown you’re referring to, because there are so many, but as a 49ers fan I remember a couple years ago they beat the Cowboys in the playoffs because at the end of the game the Cowboys got a first down, at which point they tried to spot the ball and get the snap off. Unfortunately for the Cowboys players aren’t allowed to spot the ball, otherwise the offense would always give themselves the first down. The refs need to spot the ball but by the time the ref got in there the clock had run down. Not sure if that’s the game you’re talking about or not. Probably not the one where they had Zeke playing center on the final play, although that was classic Cowboys.

[@adamg7984]

It also was because Dallas was dumb enough to forget that a referee NEEDS to spot the ball, not their own center.

[@jjhighlights7617]

all pro football 2k8 throwing animations look so amazing, imagine what 2k could do nowadays...

[@SuspendedLogic]

Madden vs NFL 2K was proof of how beautiful Capitalism can be. But Madden monopolizing the NFL and then stagnating is a warning sign of capitalism end game and how things go bad at the end.

[@thegamingchef3304]

You're absolutely right. That's why I tell people they are foolish for believing capitalism isn't the best economic system. People who hate capitalism are usually lazy.

[@phidostikplays]

I was literally searching for the Anti-Capitalism comment. Took awhile, but I found it.

[@tongpoo8985]

they could make more money with multiple companies licensing the NFL for their game so it doesn't make sense even from a capitalist perspective. it's just incompetence.

[@treysonmcgrady4750]

Monopolies are a feature of capitalism, not a bug. The “competition” aspect gets swiftly removed and then you just have oppressive late stage capitalist systems.

[@ska187]

@@treysonmcgrady4750this thread has the only people above 80 iq in the comment section. Realizing that this is happening in all sectors. Not just shitty games like madden

[@Elias-Alexander]

Imagine being in this same situation in Madden 45 😳 That statement hit hard. Unbelievable that EA can keep ANYTHING in the same game for TWO DECADES. #bringbackNFL2K

[@blacbraun]

Imagine an alternate universe where 2K and EA had to compete making NFL games for the past 20 years. Imagine how amazing the games would be...sigh

[@Schwartzkov]

All sports games.

[@jeffwolfplays0513]

Same thing would’ve happened to 2k look what happened to their basketball games. It’s all about micro transactions.

[@Schwartzkov]

@@jeffwolfplays0513 2k is still better than EA. they at least have a deep franchize mode with tons of customization and control. EA sports lacks all of that. It's the competition to get our money that drives the quality of the game. Your point stands tho because nba hasn't gotten any better for the same reasons as madden.

[@jeffwolfplays0513]

@@Schwartzkov just play legend bowl. Lol

[@Trick.Ricky.Sternn]

@@jeffwolfplays0513dude you just say shit but don’t wanna listen to people complaint it’s literally not the same maybe for the transactions part yeah. But 2k nba still to this day has a way better franchise experience this what people want we don’t give a flying fuck a bout online shit. I play offline buddy I want a deep franchise mode I want to feel like I’m the owner n every decision I make has consequences n effects around the league me trading aka Caleb Williams can cause the lions to win the superbowl something like that would be nice AI logic in madden is so dogshit I could literally sit there n tell you what gonna happen on each play !! I truly hate people like you give out replies but doesn’t listen when other replies no one cares about your fucking comment kid 2k would 100% be better than madden at least I would be able to have deep franchise experience!! At least I could play old teams at least I could dive into any era of the sport I’m playing idc I don’t give a flying fuck about My player most people don’t !! You are the dumbass that continues to play my player you complete went to my player my team who said anything about that. Have you even looked past those modes try offline mode because if you did you would realize 2k is millions of years ahead of Madden franchise experience so again get off the drugs n understand the words that coming out people mouth I’ll say again WE DONT GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT YOUR MY PLAYER I HOPE YOU KEEP GETTING RAPE BY VC TRANSACTION YOU SPEND MONEY ON VIDEO GAME LET THAT SINK LOSER

[@ludobillions]

I swear to god I’m so glad you’re doing this. You’re not wrong and as someone who has played since the beginning. It’s bad. It’s soooo bad. It hurts how much they sullied his name.

[@matchesarefun]

Make Madden great again for the love of god please. Madden 09 on the PS2 was my all time favorite football game. 2k4 was also a great football game I used to play, but 09 is still my favorite and I still play it regularl because when Madden jumped to the Xbox 360/ps3 exclusively it felt like all the heart was just gutted completely

[@callumalston5755]

Take a shot for every time “only simulation football game” is said… hammered

[@KingJaymo2k11]

#bringbackNFL2K…ENOUGH IS ENOUGH…We have to stop buying Madden in order for the NFL to make the change

[@atumless9696]

2k is barely better than EA we need an open market

[@UNKNOWN-USER111]

#bringbackNFL2k

[@michaelmentality]

@@atumless9696NBA 2K IS A LOT BETTER THAN MADDEN

[@atumless9696]

@@michaelmentality trading one monopoly for another sounds like a brilliant idea. You’re right, i’m sure they won’t get complacent and greedy like they did with 2k and add basically the same ultimate team game mode that Madden has.

[@ErikDayne]

I agree. The only reason I bought Madden last year was because they advertised a bunch of new features. The funny part is in the fine print of that advertising it said how those features were only available on next gen consoles. I didn’t read the fine print so I foolishly bought the game, thinking it would have at least some new stuff in it, only to find out I had bought the same repackaged game as every other year and they duped me.

[@theeBlackgoku]

I honestly love Madden because we get these videos every year 😂

[@BreakHarpe]

😂😂😂😂

[@traykelly8822]

Right like delete the game and don’t play it Mfs be so Dramatic

[@DesertDonkey-c8x]

@traykelly8822. You can't tell anyone what to do

[@josseramos7330]

Madden, and sports games/licensing in a broader sense, really show the failure of the “free market.” These games get worse and worse but they’re the only option available so of course they’ll make money. If the market was to act freely, EA would not exist today and we’d (ideally) have simulation, arcade, all star, celebrity, whatever versions of football games. Now this behavior is mimicked by the gaming world as a whole and we have franchises like Pokemon, COD, Assassin’s Creed, etc. removing features and reimplementing them behind paywalls but since it’s an industry standard, who cares right? Excellent review 💪

[@MrAshyKnees]

I agree with this video from top to bottom. EA hasn’t cared about Madden in YEARS and I’ve had this same convo with my friends time and time again. I refuse to pay full price for an unfinished and lazily made game. Thank you for using your voice and platform to speak for the little guys ❤❤

[@johnnyobeid6822]

NO MORE EXCLUSIVITY! OPEN IT UP, NFL

[@JamesRay-d8m]

The real problem is EA gives away free games to streamers for them to promote their product. Upon release these streamers already have 100's of thousands of views of them just hyping up the game because it's just the new Madden

[@ErikDayne]

Yeah and they’re not hyping up franchise mode they’re dumping a thousand bucks into packs for ultimate team

[@TheRealSlimShady509]

Idk i just love football and wanna play it because its the only option

[@Brentt777]

I agree

[@JamesRay-d8m]

@@ErikDayne Spot on

[@chrissix-rl4dc]

@@ErikDaynetdbarrett only does franchise

[@SevenEleven-bd5ov]

Y say bring back nfl 2k when they can’t even get the NBA game right

[@Mattejayy]

The streamers that spend thousands of dollars on packs are the main problem

[@mdemartino71]

Not just madden, games this whole generation has been a huge disappointment!!! Not many good games. So many good games back in xbox 360 daya.

[@Nope-gk3yr]

Now you’re going too far.

[@Michael-sb8jf]

There are good games but production times are so insanely long now they just don't get released in the same frequency as they used too. All the while you have shovel wear like CoD and sports games release every year because the whales buy it over year for 60 now 70 bucks. While production basically copy and pastes games over. Then soak up micro transactions

[@jaysilva5854]

I agree sports games really stopped being fun after 2016. They're not fun anymore. You could go back to 360 PS2 sports games and just have genuine fun. Now it's all sweat fest.

[@YashayahTheAlmighty]

@@Nope-gk3yr hes really not and ive been gaming since 88 i doubt you was alive when i was gaming...ive seen almost all changes in gaming and i saw this coming in the 360 era all glory to Christ and i was right....break free from this garbage

[@Nope-gk3yr]

@@YashayahTheAlmighty your acting like there are zero good games in this era. Guy didn’t say just Madden he said games as a whole.

[@PrinceChris32]

When I was a kid playing games like madden 09 I remember saying “I don’t know how football games will get any better than this”, it’s devastating looking back knowing that I was completely right…

[@tranazzi]

I don’t mean this to insult anyone’s intelligence, and I truly ask with no judgement, but who is still buying this game that they continue to turn profit?

[@quirklessesty]

Only 7 minutes in but I had to say that seeing the NFL Eras concept art brought a tear to my eye. NO MORE EXCLUSIVITY, PLEASE!

[@ItsOVAnoW]

Most def did...if 2k gets license...they gonna hook us tf up...for about 4 years ..until they get greedy wit that..like they did nba 2k ps4 gen

[@KingAdebiyi]

Already know this is gonna be a quality breakdown before even watching

[@DesertDonkey-c8x]

Play the game it's his opinion not yours

[@LuigiWithGun]

​@@DesertDonkey-c8x I played it, I agree with softdrinktv's opinion lol

[@KaraKubed]

@@DesertDonkey-c8xnot gonna spend 70 dollars on a copy paste when i already have basically 5 other copies

[@Sdorman2285]

@@DesertDonkey-c8xoh you a wall licker for sure

[@kenjones3205]

@@KaraKubedyou don’t have to spend $70. That’s why there’s a trial version.

[@jackm05006]

Its insane that they simply cannot fix the franchise menus. They’ve been laggy and trash for YEARS. You’re right, this game needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. It’s embarrassing that the ONLY NFL GAME is built on code from 10+ years ago! Total sham and they should be ashamed selling this for 70 dollars. Guess i’ll continue playing CFB 25 instead. Keep doing gods work SoftDrink, us true NFL fans appreciate it.

[@KenKaniff-dw4jw]

Madden 25 is better than Ncaa25 imo

[@RellBeef-ch2sh]

@@KenKaniff-dw4jwno

[@deflategate1297]

@@KenKaniff-dw4jwi hope NCAA will get better moving forward but doubt it.

[@ErikDayne]

Apparently they have 2 different game engines stacked on top of each other, which is why sometimes when you look at a player there’s 2 player models combined, one of them facing you and the other facing to the side, looking like some 4 armed Goro from Mortal Kombat.

[@alexandermurphy4645]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. It’s exactly what we need. Madden is trash and EA does not listen to the community, anyone who thinks can see it. We need #bringbacknfl2k. Until then, things will never change.

[@atumless9696]

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.

[@TheGamingD]

this guy has never played a nba 2k game. Thats filled with microtransactions and is a copy and past year in and year out.

[@ohmy...9007]

2k has already made an NFL game so they'd likely pick it back up. Microtransactions are annoying but they aren't going anywhere. The effort 2k puts in their other modes tho are still light-years ahead of EA with Madden.

[@MrRealTalk]

It's because 2K is a top dawg in the gaming industry. Who is actually trying to get the nfl to open the rights. Even if we don't care for nfl2k we just need the competition back.

[@TheGamingD]

@@ohmy...9007 we can believe that they would pick up where they left off but realistically. Gaming these days compared to 2004 are all about the money and not about the quality. So the chances of them not just filling a new game with a bunch of stuff nobody wants is very likely.

[@TheGamingD]

@@MrRealTalk Competition is great. It would definitely push EA to create better games. But until people stop buying the games or buying stuff on ultimate team nothings going to change.

[@jjoe7078]

0:35 was the most hilarious thing I’ve ever witnessed.

[@KeandrezLand]

what the hell was that bro 😭

[@JasonFromTheSix]

Zooted off 3 blinkers caught me off guard ngl 🤣🤣🤣

[@JillyMaysHere]

Even as someone who isn't super interested in sports games of this vein, I just wanna say that I really dig your videos!

[@Shizzmoney74]

Love the fact you are changing the CFB25 review after the fact because after you play the game for a month you def get those "empty calories" feel to it. I don't hate the game but like you, it's also another case of EA not doing enough.

[@Ejohns1004]

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.

[@beans_al_fresco]

Back in the mid-2000s, we thought that in 20 years we'd have Backbreaker physics and some kind of advanced team chemistry engine. But either way we were excited for the future given the jump to the PS2/Gamecube era. So sad. Now we'd also love a proper GM mode but yeah that's not happening any time soon

[@emobassist]

Yeah i never would have dreams back in 2005 that a game 20 years later would be this bad

[@solowundesignsbysamdavis9043]

I listened while cutting my hair. Buddy tone is hilarious with his frustrations… subscribed. 😂

[@Negative28]

This time next year, you'll be releasing a video titled "Madden NFL 26 is NOT GOOD - Review"

[@gabingston3430]

This time 10 years from now he'll be releasing a video titled "Madden NFL 35 is NOT GOOD - Review".

[@Negative28]

@@gabingston3430 HOPEFULLY you're wrong by virtue of the fact that Madden loses it's exclusive license, but sadly there's a chance you'll be right because of the chance the exclusive license stays.

[@Newyorkgiants123]

@@gabingston3430madden probably won’t exist anymore by 2034

[@dequalynjohnson6600]

You always hit the nail on the head. Its really shitty as a NFL fan that we cant immerse ourselves in an authentic pro football experience. I am an exclusive superstar guy and even that is messed. How do you fuck up superstar? Get rid of the shitty story lines. Allow us to have fucking dreads, allow us to have our favorite players animations like pacheco or Burrow. We dont want fucking showdown trash it. Let us play allllll positions and give us cutscenes when we reach big statistical milestones. Let us sit on the sideline as an option, give us more stat overlays. Talk about my teammates and the other team. Build a mode where we are chasing a legacy kinda like MAdden 08. God bless you SDTV, you always say the shit we all want to.

[@IDOITCartoons]

I love the choice of no music in the beginning, this is serious #Bringback2K !!!!!!!!!!

[@damiannothankyou1420]

I mean this review is ruthless but you can tell he likes ball. I love the vid bro and I'm not even a fraction into it

[@Bedlam-91-20-7]

Softdrinktv I think you’ve convinced me no madden this year I’ll start spreading the word

[@samuelclark1677]

So you will tell 5 people?

[@Bedlam-91-20-7]

@@samuelclark1677including myself that’s 420 dollar’s of profit that ea loses and if a few thousand of us do the same that could be enough for the nfl to reconsider

[@atcraft1070]

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.

[@anthony.spencer]

no it’s the money they make on MUT. plain and simple bro. why spend time and resources on new modes when you make a shit ton on mf’s buying MUT packs? it’s sad, but facts

[@purwantiallan5089]

Madden NFL to 18 to 2025 have been the worst. Not mediocre anymore.

[@Sky_Blaze]

Its been crap since madden 11 their best games was 06-08 on ps2 and even those still make you want more.​@purwantiallan5089

[@Shockkings0714]

It's not mediocre. It's terrible

[@Xqzba]

Imagine if ea built off of madden 12 instead of tearing it down 😢

[@KenKaniff-dw4jw]

Madden 12 was garbage too

[@Swoopy-Prod]

@@KenKaniff-dw4jwthat’s why they should have built on it and not take out all of the cool aspects.

[@nicholasbowen1825]

I wish they built off the offline franchise in that game but the infinity engine was good. It got bad when it became ignite and now even worse frostbite. Which ignite was much better then

[@YashayahTheAlmighty]

Madden 10 was the best madden of all time. downhill from there

[@KenKaniff-dw4jw]

@@YashayahTheAlmighty shut up clown.

[@baggingup40]

The most comprehensive review of any game I've ever watched. This was amazing...detailed and well thought.

[@steventhekid5985]

They removed the player controlled franchise from the game and that was the only mode I actually played

[@steventhekid5985]

This is a case of ea removing a feature from the game in favor of promoting a worse one

[@ErikDayne]

@@steventhekid5985is that why they did it? They want people to play Superstar mode instead? Because if that’s the case why not just combine the two and put Superstar mode in franchise as the user controlled option.

[@B1inded3agle__]

@@ErikDayne so basically have another Madden 13? No thanks. Also that's literally the point. If your going to keep building upon superstar mode (even speaking to the future), why should you have both options? This wasn't the case with the PS2

[@xxwarpigspartan1138]

same

[@joeydrummer7929]

Well was a nice little break to see dude make a positive review video for college football lol. Nice while it lasted haha.

[@Royal10123]

Stopped playing madden about 4 years ago.. nothing is ever gonna change.

[@seeeworld]

Unless no 1 buys the game, that would teach em

[@Royal10123]

@@seeeworld too many sheep for that to happen

[@ToyMovieMakerProductions]

They literally changed the game.. you have a gun in the back of your head or sum?💀

[@Ccubed92]

I mean your not the targeted audience so it doesn't hurt them at all. People who have jobs and enjoy the game play it and don't stress about the little things that doesn't affect real life

[@emoney705]

Your amount of detail is unmatched. I enjoyed 😊

[@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.

[@jakepophal985]

04 through 10

[@MrBigdjc]

03-05 ps2

[@youtubeemployeesarestupid3464]

The Genesis era.

[@SunlightGwyn]

@@WestCoastDude 05-08 actually. And only on the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox.

[@purwantiallan5089]

For me John Madden Football Sega Genesis till Madden NFL 12 (PS2 and 3 Included).

[@CalsCornerPodcast]

NFL 2k MyCareer and MyEras would be 🔥🔥🔥

[@Freddie-c9w]

I'm 47 years old and played every Madden in my lifetime. I have to tell you young people this will never change. NFL2K leaving allowed them to use the Frostbite engine to death. Enjoy paying that 70 kids I'll be on my emulator with modded rosters playing NFL2K on my PC.

[@TrailMix2K]

I’m 43 and I’ll second everything you just said. Kudos to this video for acknowledging the greatness that was the PS2 create-a-playbook.

[@MrDArkNsXXy]

Weird comment

[@Coolquip43]

You nailed the Kate Scott critique

[@GizmoNbella]

BRO.. the entire hood was waiting on this video since you announced it. Thank you

[@RumblyAxe]

Everytime you name all those old madden features I just sit in awe at how many things madden today doesn’t have 😭

[@jdevlin1910]

It's wild what it should have now and what we thought it would have when we were youngens.

[@stpfan729]

2k should come back and charge $40 for their game to fuck EA again

[@Abdul48716]

Ngl that would be so badass and a big middle finger to Ea

[@lancerussell755]

Thats how they lost the licence in the first place, NFL mad they charged $20 but not mad EA cant make a good football game.. But, that's their priorities because they don't care about video games or games, and that's pretty clear....

[@quanmfsanchez411]

Ea should drop a NBA game 2k been ass 😊😊😊😊😅 3:16

[@timgimmy609]

I don't want games to get cheaper I just want them to be good products again. Been playing a lot of PS2 games recently, very few of them have glaring bugs and technical problems. Basically every big game at launch now has countless little blemishes that have 0 guarantee of being fixed. It's embarrassing, pretty much no other industry gets away with constantly selling blatantly faulty products like this.

[@Wedarealsinnas]

@@quanmfsanchez4112k been ass since 2k18, really 2k17, the only thing that saved 2k that year was the parks, which was the same as 2k16. So imo, 2k16 was the last fresh nba 2k game.

[@adamalmighty5064]

It’s a damn shame when you have a Indy football game like Axis football or Legend Bowl out here with a deeper franchise mode than today’s Madden…

[@DiscoPanda89]

I told a friend "its pretty good but should have been released 10 years ago. We should be so much further than this."

[@riquetc0060]

I wouldn't even call it pretty good, I'd rather play madden 11 personally

[@dominique8662]

​@@riquetc0060 MAANNNNN Madden 11 was my jam.

[@RayceMonster]

@@riquetc0060not even, I’d much rather and STILL playing madden 16 to this day, it’s much better than Madden 25.5

[@deonlepharaoh]

I was 18 when 2k5 came out and after 20 years have passed, no Madden game has come close to what 2k had going

[@seeeworld]

Mind boggling how they haven't lost the license

[@edwardstringer7732]

I think madden 07 and 08 was the closest but that’s it fr

[@JustStop19]

A 43 MINUTES REVIEW? MAN, YOU'VE MADE MY EVENING!

[@FilmsMF]

Thank you for doing this bro. Fully behind you

[@JayNBA]

lmaoooo 34:58 let me tell you i howled

[@cloak1408]

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…

[@shawnchristianson324]

Damn, must not be a real fan. Football season is still the best time of year.

[@PGO_Gaming]

I agree. The quality of both Madden and the NFL have diminished significantly. Madden does not represent the NFL game in any way. The NFL game is not as nuanced as it once was. The running game has been diminished. TOO MANY FLAGS AND PENALTIES. The QB's have been propped up and it's a passing fest to see which team gets the ball last for a final drive. Rinse, and repeat.

[@cloak1408]

@@shawnchristianson324 I watch college football instead. A lot more entertaining.

[@cloak1408]

@@PGO_Gaming bingo! 🎯🎯🎯

[@PGO_Gaming]

@@cloak1408 And I watch college football as well. Always have. Much better product. They have their systems and they play harder. You rarely see penalties called. Little to no replay challenges. The running back is valued. Every game matters. The pageantry, the excitement. NFL doesn't come close. Those who like the NFL, are completely ignorant to how much it has changed the past 20 years.

[@jameshawkeye8430]

To this day I still play Madden 08 on the PS2 and it's because I just can't fully get through a current Madden especially through Franchise mode. With that said if one enjoys playing Madden 25 then that's fine but for me I rather play Madden 08 on the PS2. Hopefully one day we will have a decent Football game if the license gets opened up to other companies

[@kfdyy]

As someone who's last Madden was Madden 20, honestly the gameplay itself isn't that bad. Go back and play Madden 20, then play Madden 25. Madden 20 feels like a heavily animation dependent janky mess, it's a night and day difference. I'm actually having fun with it (I only play offline franchise and Superstar so your mileage may very). That being said, the gameplay does still have those annoying legacy issues that will never go away unless they rebuild the game from the ground up. EA also missed a lot of the little things in franchise and the gameplay that prevents it from truly being a good to great game. I do agree that we need compitition back in football games, it's been long overdue and I think the NFL as a whole would benefit from more competition in the football game market.