My thoughts after 6 hours on the game

I know 6 hours isn't really enough to form entire opinions, but I think I know enough to have mostly formed mine.

This game is far from perfect, but I believe it's the best one since the series returned.

The gameplay feels much better than last year. I don't really know what it is, it just feels so much more alive and closer to the older games (like 25 was). I've played more offense than defense so far and it just FEELS fun to play.

The defensive side of the ball got some much needed love this year. I still see problems with pursuit angles (more on that later) but the new adjustments and AI (need more time to fully judge) seem like good additions. I'm still having some issues but I chalk that down to user error lol

The NIL system is really good. If you're not a fan of grinding it out you're not going to like it, but I've thoroughly enjoyed managing that aspect. Gone are the days (until someone inevitably finds a way to exploit the system) where you can turn Northern Illinois into a title winner in 3 seasons. I tried being Mississippi State just to see what a lower tier SEC program would feel like and it was genuinely difficult. Pretty much impossible to keep top tier players AND add a bunch of top tier talent. Scouting matters way more than it did last year.

There are some problems I've noticed. The pursuit angles I mentioned earlier are a real issue. They're improved, but they'll never be 100% until the game is physics based. I don't know why EA is sticking with the animation dice roll style, but it severely limits some core gameplay elements. Microtransactions in dynasty are a complete no go. That mode and all other offline modes need to be left alone. I still have no clue why we can't schedule neutral site games when it was a feature THIRTEEN years ago. You should have the option to import team builder teams without replacing another team. The list goes on and I'm sure I'll notice more issues as I play the game.

Overall, in my opinion EA got MOST of it right. There are still so many things that need to be added, but this is the most complete experience they've given us since the OG series. I'm happy with it, but I hope they don't stop here and call it good.