It's back, annnnd maybe better than ever? I was always a big Dynasty guy, and I've already spent way too much time setting up my recruiting board for the 2026 recruiting class of the Kent State Golden Flashes, but here are some quick thoughts if you're on the fence:
-Recruiting and Scouting of players in Dynasty seems both deep and rewarding, and really makes you prioritize your time so you can make it to a recruit's Top 5 then start scheduling visits and selling your program so you can get commits. Haven't made it to Transfer Portal yet.
-The update to lighting and physics in EA's Frostbite engine seem spectacular, a good bit ahead of even the latest Madden installment. MANY football moves feel rewarding and tackles feel fluid and realistic, though there are still some wonky physics moments. From what I've seen lighting inside domed stadiums is almost photo-realistic.
-In Dynasty you can select to start off as an Offensive or Defensive coordinator, but I think, though am not certain, you can still climb the ranks and assume HC duties where you earn XP for all on-field play via the Coaching Carousel. If you choose to start as OC or DC, you still get to play all facets of the game, but can use Super Sim if you want to role play.
-Plenty of drills and mini-games to get you acclimated to the new passing mode, which itself feels to properly reward things like momentum and floating a ball to let a receiver run under it and penalize stuff like throwing across your body or trying to fire bullets to every receiver. Not every QB has a howitzer like in Madden.
-Two different commentary teams, so if you're doing a Play Now or Dynasty as a school like Illinois, you're unlikely to hear Kirk Herbstreit, which really adds to the feel of watching a CFB broadcast.
Haven't touched online competitive or Dynasty options, nor Road To Glory, but have seen people say good things about RTG on social media.
So far it's a very solid entry, returns me to the nostalgia of the mid-late-aughts.
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