EA Sports College Football 25 Road To Glory Mode Explained

EA Sports College Football 25 continues to detail more of its new game modes, the latest of which is Road to Glory mode. This latest mode joins College Football 25’s Dynasty mode and its Ultimate Team mode to round out the full college football experience. EA’s slow roll-out of these modes is likely an effort to build hype for College Football 25’s release on July 19, 2024. As the first college football game the company has produced in over 10 years, it seems very invested in ensuring the game is a hit and can revive the franchise.

Unlike the other game modes announced for College Football 25, Road to Glory is strictly a single-player game mode. It is meant as more of an immersive experience than a competitive one, allowing the player to experience a different side of college football than they will with other modes. EA Sports seems to have taken some cues from other styles of games like RPGs when crafting this mode, and it will be interesting to see how those mechanics map themselves onto a sports title like College Football 25.

Customizable Player Character

In College Football 25’s Road to Glory mode, players will customize their own college athlete, who they will play throughout their time in college. The game offers a variety of customization options, from aesthetic choices like the player’s appearance to information about the player’s background and playstyle.

When starting out, players will be given a few options for how skilled they want their athletes to be. These range from the two-star Underdog background up to the five-star Elite background. Each higher level gives the player better overall stats, making it easier for them to perform on the field. Players who want a challenge will pick the lowest stats and grow their athlete over time, while those who want a bit of a head start can pick one of the higher levels.

Players also get to choose one offive positions: quarterback, halfback, wide receiver, middle linebacker, or cornerback. Each of these positions also has its own archetypes that allow players to specialize in how they like to play the game. To round this out, all players then get one of three Mental Abilities that benefit players in either their academic, brand, or leadership categories.

Players Need To Navigate Relationships & Brand Deals In Road To Glory

Players Earn Social Stats Through Off-Field Activities

Once players have created their college athlete, there is more to do than just play in scheduled games. Players will have to manage aspects of their lives off the field as well, including building relationships with their coach and teammates. Players can choose to take part in social gatherings which can help grow their relationship with their team, giving them benefits on the field.

In addition to managing relationships, players may also be offered brand deals. Now that college athletes are allowed to be paid for their image and likeness, these types of deals will be a new reality for them. This mechanic is actually a little meta since College Football 25 itself likely wouldn’t exist if not for this rule change that allows players to make money. When players take these deals in-game, they will be rewarded with benefits on and off the field, like increased stamina or an increase in social media followers.

Time Management & Story Choices Make Road To Glory Mode Immersive

Players Need To Make Hard Choices About How To Spend Their Time

When off the field, players will be tasked with how they manage their time. Players will need to maintain their GPA to stay on the team, do extra training sessions to grow their skills, or participate in activities to increase other attributes like their overall health, which helps avoid injury. Players will need to make sure they are managing their time wisely and choosing a mixture of these activities if they want to be successful.

Aside from choosing how to manage their time, players will also be faced with certain story choices. For example, players can choose to risk attending a party to boost their social stats, but it may force players to skip class and negatively impact their GPA. Players will have to decide when these situations are worth it, and when they will need to play it safe. These elements feel reminiscent of time-management mechanics from RPGs like the Persona series, where players need to efficiently balance their time and likely won’t be able to do everything they want in one playthrough.

College Football 25’s Road to Glory mode stands out from the game’s other modes by being a much more individual experience. Instead of focusing on an entire team, players only manage one athlete. EA Sports College Football 25 allows players to experience college football from whatever angle they prefer, which adds a nice variety to how players can engage with the game.

EA Sports College Football 25

Platform(s)

PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

July 19, 2024

Developer(s)

EA Orlando

Franchise

EA Sports College Football

Genre(s)

Sports

ESRB

E For Everyone Due To Alcohol Reference

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