College Football 26 Review: Physics-Based Gameplay Shakes Up the Series

EA released College Football 25 last year, which became not only a cultural revolution, but one of the most-praised football video games of all time. The amount of love and authenticity that went into that title felt like a rare spark in the industry. How does one follow up with that? By doubling down on that love and authenticity for college football while addressing the most requested community inquiries. College Football 26 adds so many little things while overhauling one major aspect: gameplay. The introduction of the physics-based engine that's seen in the Madden series will be what truly determines if this game wins over the community like the previous title.

Five years ago, it was unthinkable to think how this video game franchise could work. EA, however, found a way and brought in real players and many were more than happy with that. Now, the game features over 300 real coaches, including both offensive and defensive coordinators, bringing an authenticity that hasn't even been seen in Madden to this point. This opened up to more realistic and diverse playbooks and play styles for designated teams, plus the ability to further diversify if going down the Dynasty Mode route thanks to the number of combinations possible.

Some coaches look spot on while others including Florida State's Mike Norvell refuse to look at the camera. Going into last year, there was a short turnaround in terms of the green light for the release of the game and when EA could start scanning player and coaches faces. With 300 new coaches and the fact that they have a big job to do, it could be another year before the faces are all in. This may get nitpicked on by some out there, among other things, but the fact is that the goal to expand playcalling tendencies and just overall better expand college football so it looks like it does on Saturdays in this game was accomplished. This was a hurdle that many thought couldn't be done, but it's here, including recruiting tendencies in Dynasty Mode.

The Gameplay Additions Change How You Play

It's going to take some time to get used to pre-play setups on both sides of the ball. It never feels like you have enough time to set your defense. The additions go even deeper for advanced players and aren't required for casual players. Last year, the team added the ability to quick switch to players in the secondary using the right stick, and this wasn't used by everyone, but was a welcome addition. This year, zone coverage depth can be set on-the-fly in pre-snap, adding more customization to the defense.

If you don't understand the term zone coverage, then this probably won't matter to you. It would have been better to set the depth of the overall defense pre-snap rather than trying to quickly cycle through and adjust individual players, as time simply runs out. Coaching Adjustments are still in the game and the depth can be set in that menu and whether to cover wide or inside, but it would be good to see this in play. This is what Practice Mode is for then. The one time it was adjusted in the game menu, the AI scored on a deep pass down the sideline with a wide open receiver. These tools are available in the game if you're able to master them.

One of the more "under the radar" additions to how the game is played are the defensive line mechanics. Stunts were previously built in directly to certain plays, but now these can be added to any play and there's quite a variety. These are hidden in plain sight as you'll need to hold down the button on the defensive play you want to use, then simply let go of the button. There are a variety of stunts available based on the amount of down lineman. These additions work wonderfully and seeing the AI pull off the stunts correctly so players come through, open up gaps for blitzers or even close running holes is exactly the gameplay shakeup the defensive line needed.

Offensive lineman can also be pushed in different directions this year with Block Steering, allowing the opportunity to forcefully fill a gap if capable. This subtle addition can disrupt more than you think. You have the option to forcefully begin the collapse of the pocket or block the passing lane so the quarterback's vision is limited (which is also in this game). The option to commit to a route with Route Commits is here, so if you know for a fact where something is going, you can gamble. These commits, however, are always a gamble when it comes to coverage or committing to the run. If you're wrong, you're wrong big. These are fantastic implementations to the series on defense and are just the shake up that was needed on that side of the ball.

Going Even Deeper on Realism

Wear and Tear was introduced with the return of the series, which tracks how much abuse players take throughout a game and a season. Wear and Tear 2.0 brings in even more depth with the ability to customize the amount of damage players take in Dynasty Mode. You have the option to choose just how detrimental or not you want certain hits and situations (including weather hits which are harder) to be. Wear and Tear is also now measurable across an entire career and it can be quickly viewed on a player card within Dynasty Mode.

Wear and Tear 2.0 is available in all modes and the dev team have made sure to make it more of an impact than it was last year. No longer will there just be like a -3 on throwing power or speed. Some of these hits with a running back in a game have caused a -15 knock on attributes. It's really noticeable when a backup player is brought in just how far gone the starter is. By the way, the devs added quick substitution which is fantastic to have. This allows for better micro management of players health plus the ability to sub in and out with more of a visual presentation rather than just swapping in the play menu.

Wear and Tear 2.0 is available in all modes and the dev team have made sure to make it more of an impact than it was last year.

You can sub a player out pre-play for the next play and the game will provide an asterisk if someone is hurting bad. The logic on subbing the players is either wrong or a bug, as the next person in line to sub in for someone shouldn't be majorly out of position. The depth chart also seems to go in order to the left rather than to the right, which feels unnatural. There's just such a short amount of time to get these changes in, which is the game of football and understandable. It gets better with time managing all of these new aspects.

The presentation aspects and the additions of missing introductions and turnover traditions have all been filled in. There are now 136 schools in the game, so that's 136 different playbooks just with those teams, and more stadium atmosphere. No longer is Mo Bamba on repeat at stadiums. Mr. Brightside, Enter Sandman and new band-recorded pop songs all add to the updated atmosphere. It's no longer just a solid core to get started, the series is officially going. Differences between night games, rivalry games and those pesky noon games against the Pandas are apparent. If the stadium offers a drone light show at night, it's in. The flashing lights at various stadiums to better replicate the insanity of epic night games? It's here and it's felt. It's the only place to feel this other than actual gameday. No other video game experience has this and EA continues to outdo itself with this college football atmosphere.

There are now 136 schools in the game, so that's 136 different playbooks just with those teams, and more stadium atmosphere.

Physics-Based Gameplay is the Elephant in the Room

On paper, adding physics-based gameplay especially tied in with the Wear and Tear 2.0 makes perfect sense. There are just some outright phenomenal sequences. Whether it's seeing a defensive back in man-to-man coverage look back for the ball and properly defend it with every bit of contact fluid, or a wrap-up tackle that the defender literally scoops the ballcarrier up, or a complete and fluid gang tackle on a ballcarrier, this will be some of the best and most-authentic looking video game football you'll not only ever see, but also feel. The audio helps in some of these as well.

You'll feel everything in College Football 26 and this physics-based engine is much more consistent than what's been seen in Madden. But that's the problem: the speed and the consistency of this engine. It's more rewarding when it works, but what makes the gameplay so attractive in CFB 25 is that it's fast paced and some of the animation issues are allowed to slide to make sure the game accomplishes what it wants to. It feels less of a hardcore simulation and more competitive. Introducing these physics swings the pendulum more towards Madden, and we already have Madden. The game feels slower in some parts due to change of direction of ball carriers. It's not as responsive as it was last year, but the game does take player ratings more into consideration. Some players can cut on a dime and are OP, so the element of what was here last year still remains to a degree.

There's more of a stark difference between highly-rated teams and lower-tier teams. Playing FSU versus Alabama to start the season in Dynasty, Alabama feels better in every facet of the game. Never once was there a feeling of being cheated, but rather the fact that Alabama could simply ball. The AI plays much smarter than it ever has, and quarterback tendencies are also different for everyone. Bouncing back the next week against James Madison felt more satisfying. Whether it be individual matchups or Wear and Tear getting to a star player by the fourth quarter, these individual elements all add up in the end and can be witnessed along the way.

With the physics-based gameplay comes the potential of bugs and they are here. College Football 25 seemed to have most of this in order, but there are some things that open themselves up for issues with the sandbox that's the physics-based gameplay. There's instances where the ball can't be hiked and others where a pitch from a quarterback comes back to them with the arm attached the whole time. Also, unless something is being missed, a toss sweep to the left out of the goal line formation is never caught by the running back. It's fine to the right, just not the left. These are hopefully all things that can be quickly shored up. It looks like the dev team is already on top of a lot. The AI aspects in terms of defensive coverage, matchups and really anything that goes into those aspects seems fine. It's simply these actual gameplay bugs that need to be shored up.

Playing FSU versus Alabama to start the season in Dynasty, Alabama just felt better in every facet of the game.

Year Two of the Returning Dynasty

While no new modes were introduced, nothing was left untouched in terms of gameplay. Wear and Tear 2.0 is instilled to every mode and with the ability to customize in Dynasty Mode, there isn't going to ever be a point where the mode won't feel different when starting new ones. Dynasty Modes now includes every trophy that's winnable out there for players, formation subs, protected opponent scheduling, manual player progression and crossplay in online. The Trophy Room is available across all modes as this includes rival wins and more specifically in Dynasty, but everything tracks across all modes.

You can either create a coach again but with a lot more creation options including clothing or start as one of the 300 in the game. You'll inherit that specific coach's Archetypes and stats, whereas these can be built from the ground up with creating a coach. Coaching Level Cap was raised to 100 and the Archetype Abilities have been rebalanced to prioritize one with a major reward rather than spreading them out. Recruiting, in general, is much more improved. The definitions are available for what every recruitment option does and the fact that the needed players are now listed on the same page actually has now changed how recruiting is done.

There are misses at the end of the cycle and it would be good to see why this happened in the future, especially when you're pulled into the recruitment rivalry. How did that team come out of nowhere and snag this player even after winning at the scheduled visit? There are also more variables in available player talent and less five-stars overall. Dynasty Mode is more difficult, strategic and satisfying all at the same time. Players can also get volatile and transfer as this is your chance to capitalize what you missed on in the recruiting pool. The mode, much like the rest, is solidly improved over last year.

Opening Up Your Road to Glory

Probably the most-requested element for the return of the College Football series in general was the ability to start your Road to Glory in high school. The devs have brought this into College Football 26 and completely destroyed what the old high school element to the mode ever was. This is the best Road to Glory experience and one of the better career modes in sports games. It isn't overbearing or repetitive, and starting in high school actually splits this into separate experiences when factoring in college. You can actually run out with your team, and if you become a superstar, you can break off. This does get a little repetitive, but it's cool either way.

This is the best Road to Glory experience and one of the better career modes in sports games.

You'll select the ten schools you want to go to and play a handful of games with a senior night at the end. The schools you choose may not be interested, and if you don't fit the system, there's not much of a point. A lot of logic has gone into this as specific coaches will request specific goals be accomplished in a game. You'll strategize based on a handful of "quests" provided on bonuses provided by the listed schools to lean into what school you want to go to.

Moving onto college will have you balancing your life both on and off the field, but this time it's much more difficult. It does seem if there are logic issues here, as there's no point why your team would be way up or way down and you're not seeing time in the game? One of the aspects that was highlighted about this mode for College Football 26 was to bring in at different and unique times, but it doesn't seem to happen. Playbooks are limited early on and a game can't be managed. Running backs also shouldn't be calling plays, it should come in from a coach. It doesn't matter the position played, but you'll be choosing plays. If you go into Turbo mode, however, there are magically more plays to be selected. This is either missed on as a bug or by design, but things really opened up when going to no-huddle.

GPA also feels impossible to keep up with even when focusing everything on it. Balancing this, popularity, leadership and XP along with Wear and Tear which now tracks for the entire career, this mode is much deeper than it has ever been. If you take too much abuse, coach will pull you. You'll also get benched if you don't do well and one-on-one matchups in the mini-games are available to move up the depth chart. Road to Glory is fantastic with some questionable portions, but the overall experience is the best it has ever been.

Looking at What Other Modes are Left

The other modes include Mini Games, Practice, the online Road to the College Football Playoff and Ultimate Team. Mini Games are fun ways to learn the game and train, while practice takes you to the facility to hone your skills. Road to the College Football Playoffs remains the most streamlined way to get into an online game. Expect everyone to choose one of five teams. The devs added the ability to view playcalling tendencies and some stats to have an idea of who you are playing against. After going 2-0, retirement was imminent.

Ultimate Team remains what it is, and a new Pack Helper will provide some guidance. There's still a lot going on in the menu, but it has been streamlined to simplify management in the menu. The problem remains the menu is as slow as molasses. Assumingly this is due to trying to keep players on here as long as possible, but it's nice to add starters immediately and complete actions without having to go deep into menus. The new live events system will allow for new cards more often in the mode.

The Technical Aspects of College Football 26

At times, College Football 26 is the best-looking sports game out there. Players look more realistic in terms of shape and their face rather than a bunch of generic-looking body types. The lighting engine is the biggest change and it's huge. Yes, there are shadow issues that crop in, but mostly the lighting redefines the look and feel of College Football 26.

The new Dynamic Time of Day changes everything about the feel of the game. This does seem to be per quarter, but when the shadows start to settle in, this will subconsciously affect your play. Stadiums look magnificent, and updated crowd members help to offer more variety, but some of these people have taken Joker's laughing gas as their emotional reactions are extreme. Some players still don't look like their counterparts, even cover athletes. Some player heads with their helmets off look too big for their body.

The new Dynamic Time of Day changes absolutely everything about the feel of the game.

College Football 26, much like last year, runs a lot smoother on a PlayStation 5 Pro. The game runs fine on a regular PlayStation 5, but it's noticeably better on the Pro. Weather effects are overall improved, as well, albeit not a lot of weather games have actually popped up during play. Outside of the random shadow issues in cutscenes, players will stutter and shake randomly after a score in the cutscene.

The audio department continues to stand out for the series. More music (including more variety in the menu music), more crowd chants and some improved commentary help to complete the College Football experience. Rece Davis did get the memo about being more excited and goes about as crazy as some of these fan faces look. Chris Fowler received complaints last year about a lack of enthusiasm and there's slight improvement there. Both broadcasts sound like what you'll hear and there's more specifically-geared commentary that has been added this year to give some narrative, which are nice touches. This wasn't a personal issue, as both commentary teams did a stellar job last year and do just as well this year.

Closing Comments:

Everything that sold everyone on College Football 25 is bigger and better in College Football 26. The game simply can't be put down and the game modes are more encompassing than they were last year. Road to Glory will have you making multiple characters and Dynasty Mode will have you hooked on the updated aspects with recruiting and crossplay with your friends online. 300 coaches, multiple playbooks, 136 teams and the updated Team Builder with a better online process makes College Football 26 an unprecedented experience. The elephant in the room is the physics-based gameplay as the extremely upbeat and snappy gameplay from last year takes a slight dip in favor of more realism and that's truly felt. Bugs that weren't nearly this apparent last year are here at launch. The physics-based gameplay starts to shift the franchise towards Madden, and a big selling point to many on this series is that it isn't Madden. In the end, however, there's an impeccable College Football replication in EA Sports College Football 26.