I only play on varsity and it is still way more difficult against higher rated teams than I remember.

I used to hate Heisman mode in this game. I owned a few PC versions in the 90's and a couple on PS1 in 2000 and 2001. I played dynasties mostly on XBOX and XB360 after downloading named rosters for maybe 8 seasons each on average on every game from 2002 through 2014 versions. I played on All-American and I lost to Florida the first year on 2002 when we were really bad and they were about the best team in the game when they returned the kickoff after I scored to take the lead in the final seconds. Even in games like vs. OSU in the first year in 09 and 11 I got to the point where I could win pretty easily. Each season in the dynasty after year one it was more about trying to be more dominant than the last.

My friends asked why I didn't switch to Heisman. I felt to me like the AI was about as good as they knew how to make it and it didn't change from level to level. It was more like:

Junior Varsity: We give the other team a ratings debuff
Varsity: Ratings don't change
All-American: We give you opponent a ratings buff
Heisman: We give your opponent a slightly bigger buff and basically give you a scripted loss on a play every once in a while where you have little chance like when your opponent called your play in the Techmo Bowl games 35 years ago. It felt so bogus that it broke the immersion.

The gameplay seemed to take a step up in 2013. It felt a little more real. It sounds like it feels even better now. Like it is hard to beat a really good team with an average one because the computer AI isn't dumb. But it sounds like the sim engine is even worse and weird bugs pop up on people. The bugs aren't too surprising after a long hiatus. So, I'm just past 50 now and probably not going to buy a new console just to play this. But this is something I have wondered about. Its sounds like even the lower modes are more challenging but were they able to make Heisman mode really hard without making the game feel bogus?

It's definitely harder on Heisman than the old days. Gone are the times back in 2014 being in my dorm room beating Teddy Bridgewater and Louisville on my way to an undefeated season. The opponents star players seem to make a huge impact in this game. Syracuse TE couldn't be stopped. I wouldn't say it's totally bogus but the ratings matter in this game and not just speed and play call. I feel like in the past if you had a fast player and called certain plays you can find success with any rating...but it's changed. Still a ton of fun don't get me wrong.

Here is a list of the top players in the MAC from the game:

https://www.hustlebelt.com/2024/7/15/24198245/ea-college-...

Oh yeah, for this Dynasty I'm on the lowest. Trying to get a feel before I start. It's tough. I won the CFP with OU season one (#22, snuck in as the highest G5) and last night playing on the road at Ohio State was insane. The atmosphere pulse shakes the play and people are running around willy nilly. Seegers had 17 sacks and Weaver had 16.5 last season if anyone believes in signs. :)

100% agree. The guys hope Madden pours in the same passion as NCAA did. Anything else would suffer a backlash.

Update: I’m 0-3 and officially throwing in the towel on Heisman. Doing a restart on All-American and seeing how it goes. I got up early on USA but fell apart. Subbed out FCS for Kennesaw State who is just a bad team in the game. Lost in 2 OT. Time to regroup.

Anyone else notice if you set your team to OU the start screen on the background has a ticket stub from September 9, 2005?

;)

Rourke: 84
CJ Harris: 75 (Parker is a 73)
Bangura: 76 (RHJ is a 75, Tyus a 73)
Jones: 76 (Eamon Dennis our #1 w/ 73)
Cross: 75
Kacmarek: 81 (Holy OSU over-inflation)
Foster: 74 (Mason Williams a 78)
Shedrick Rhodes: 75


Thompson: 74
Buehl: 75

Vakos: 76

CB25 just arrived today! I'll be eager to check it out when I get off work.

Well, played my first game (All-American Difficulty)... threw lots of picks and got crushed by Marshall. This will take some getting used to. My last football game was NCAA Football 11 on the PS3. CB25 feels and plays way differently. Keep in mind I haven't played any of the modern Madden games, so everything physics-wise feels brand new to me and I don't have any preconceived notions. But I was starting to get the hang of things by the 4th quarter.

Gameplay feels much more fluid and immersive. Maybe not 100% realistic, but leaps and bounds over over NCAA 11. Penalties occur and are called way more realistically than they have in past games- that's one thing I've noticed that's a huge upgrade. In older titles, only a select few penalties seemed to ever get called- holding, pass interference, false starts. There's a greater variety of penalties that get called that are more realistic in an actual football game. The AI seems better- I can't just cheese my way to first downs by running slant routes, like I used to do. Though maybe I just haven't figured out the OP plays yet. There's going to be a learning curve, but it's a lot of fun.

From an audio/graphics standpoint, it really shines. My last console was PS3, so obviously it's a huge improvement from what I'm used to. It feels so much more like I'm actually at Peden Stadium. The fight song plays during drives, you hear the Bobcat growl, etc. There's actually fans on Victory Hill. There's a lot of little things that make the environment feels much more "lived in" and natural.

I just wish there was a time cycle, as I know others have complained about. I played a 6pm game and it never got any darker. I'm sure that will get incorporated in an update. The only glitch I encountered was the ref occasionally popping in/out during a penalty call.

But that's just my experience so far after one game. I'm definitely going to have some fun with this!

Interview with EA's head developer on the project. Great listen for anyone wanting to know how they pulled this off and how/why they went into so much detail with the first new iteration of the game.

https://www.splitzoneduo.com/p/ea-sports-cfb-video-game-2024