It's football time on PS5.
Knox News higher education reporter Keenan Thomas is having a really tough time at work today. After getting his hands on an early copy of EA Sports College Football 25, his job is to lead Tennessee to victory while also seeing how accurately the game developers have portrayed Neyland Stadium and the Volunteers.
This live blog will be updated throughout the day with our thoughts on the game as well as links to gameplay stories.
EA Sports College Football 25 officially launches on July 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X for $69.99. It's the first college football video game since 2013, made possible in part by NCAA rules that allow players to monetize their name, image and likeness rights.
EA Sports College Football 25: Pre-release impressions
After playing the game today, higher education reporter Keenan Thomas and growth and development editor Ryan Wilusz offered some thoughts on EA Sports College Football 25 .
Hi, I'm Keenan. I haven't played a football game in a really long time, but I still fondly remember my days playing NCAA Football 2004 on the original Xbox.
I had a surprisingly fun time playing this long-awaited comeback, the controls are easy to learn but offer the opportunity to learn more complex elements, and the animations and graphics are probably the best yet, although the spectators and non-footballers could use some improvement.
What surprised me the most was how much detail was put into the game. We only played two teams, my alma mater Tennessee and North Carolina, and I was blown away by how accurately the game was replicated.
Neyland Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and the Vols lettering on the Bell Tower were great to see, and while the game doesn't capture everything, the details are pleasing.
While I wasn't able to play a full season, I had a lot of fun with the exhibition mode in the few hours of gameplay I got, and if you don't mind paying $70, you'll probably have a good time winning as the Vols.
But I'm hoping that mascot mode will return.
EA Sports College Football 25 adds more Tennessee football rivalry
Alabama wasn't the only team we set out to conquer in our Early Access preview of EA Sports College Football 25. The latest instalment in the video game, a decade in the making, lists five teams that could be considered rivals for the Volunteers.
Alabama's rivalry game technically takes place on the third Saturday in October, while the Florida game takes place on the third Saturday in September. While the other rival teams don't have the pleasure of having their own rivalry namesake, it's still fun to score against them.
Check out the full Tennessee rivalry in EA Sports College Football 25 here.
We won a college football national championship! …in a video game!
To make every Vols fan's dream come true, we scheduled the biggest game imaginable: Alabama vs. Tennessee for the National Championship.
It was a heated battle. And by heated, I mean they dominated the Crimson Tide, winning by a final score of 77-7. How did they win? Long passes, interceptions, fourth-down rushing, five sacks of the Alabama quarterback and a relentless drive down the field that put the final nail in Alabama's coffin.
The game was on easy settings and lasted maybe 20 minutes total, but I was really happy to win.
EA Sports College Football 25 has six Volunteer uniforms to choose from
The game offers six standard uniforms with the option to customize the uniforms the Tennessee Volunteers wear on the field, but fans may be disappointed to discover there's one glaring omission (two, if you count the “Summit Blue” alternate uniform) from this new football video game.
Learn more about the uniforms that will be featured in EA Sports College Football 25 and those that will not be in the game.
Do you like numbers? EA Sports College Football 25 has loads of stats and ratings
By my count, there are 85 players on Tennessee football's virtual roster whose in-game skill is based on a rating in over 50 categories. Surprisingly, there is only one player with an overall score above 90, and that is James Pierce Jr. (RE).
Here's a complete look at Tennessee's fastest, strongest and best all-around player according to EA Sports College Football 25.
Tennessee is ranked 15th in the EA Sports College Football 25
The broadcast scoreboard and commentary team consider Tennessee football the No. 15 program in the country. Up next, we'll take a look at the top overall players, fastest players and strongest players, based on EA Sports' rankings.
The Instant Replay Tour provides a detailed look at Neyland Stadium
We paused the game to take a look around Neyland Stadium in instant replay mode. The game developers have done a great job of making the virtual version look like the real thing, even replicating some of Neyland Stadium's latest upgrades.
However, it is missing some features, such as retired jersey numbers. Check out our full article on what went right (and what didn't) in the game regarding Neyland Stadium.
Alabama vs. Tennessee is a recognized rivalry, but there's no celebration.
The Tennessee-Alabama matchup is known as “The Third Saturday in October,” and the cigar-smoking celebrations after leading Tennessee to victory are conspicuously absent, although a pre-kickoff animation shows fans holding up “VOL” hand signs to the tune of “Rocky Top.”
Mascot and real-life Smokey make appearance at Neyland Stadium
The lovable Tennessee mascot will be cheering on the team from the sidelines throughout the game, and a real Blue Tick Coonhound will run through the “T” before kickoff. As of now, there's no Davy Crockett mascot in sight.
Tennessee's win over Alabama is highlighted on the menu screen
When you select Tennessee as your favorite team, your main menu will be customized with images of the Volunteers, including:
- Quarterback Niko Iamareva in action
- Tennessee foam finger and pennant
- Photo of Smokey the Mascot and the Bluetick Coonhound
- A replica ticket stub from Tennessee's iconic 2022 win over Alabama
- Hashtag #GBO
Contact Keenan Thomas at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com and Ryan Wilusz at ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com
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