EA Sports College Football 27 Review
Oh, how times change. It was only two years ago when College Football 25 dropped. The series returned after a decade away, and it arrived with an identity of its own: fast-paced, arcadey, and most importantly, it didn’t want to be Madden. I fell for it immediately. Now, on its third trip around the block, College Football 27 seems to struggle with the very thing that should set these games apart. I’m still having a good time with it. However, I can’t help but be worried about where this franchise is headed.
Let me start with what EA consistently gets right: presentation. Firing up CFB 27 feels like strolling through campus wrapped up in a crisp November air. Stadiums, mascots, and traditions are represented as well as they probably ever have been. Student sections sway in unison, and small rituals unique to individual programs pepper every pregame. Player models are detailed and filled with emotion, though, naturally, they still look awkward at times. Coaches on the sideline look like people rather than a Sears mannequin in a polo. Dynamic weather might be my favorite addition of the last few years. Watching a clear afternoon spiral into a heavy rainstorm changes how a game plays out, not just how it looks. And it’s these sorts of details that keep a smile on my face and have me coming back for more. Add in a marching band that mixes fight songs with some absolutely brilliant covers, and you’ve got me like a little worm on a big hook.
A New You
The menus also received a facelift this year, and the new layout looks sharp on the surface. Icons are cleaner, important information is easier to access, and the overall aesthetic is much more eye-catching. Unfortunately, they still feel sluggish, which is just an atrocious thing to have to write. Seriously. A billion-dollar developer in 2026 can’t deliver a product without a laggy menu. What are we even doing here?
Once the ball is snapped, CFB 27 does still scratch that itch, though not for the reasons I hoped. College Football 25 was all about break(your)neck, arcade-style football that set itself apart from Madden. CFB 26 started pulling the two closer together, and 27 continues that concerning trend. The new tackle stick adds a layer of strategy. Defensive playbooks have shot up from nine to 31. A proper fatigue system finally punishes players for leaning on one guy for every down. Those are all exciting additions. Still, I can’t help but mourn the speed that made 25 so refreshing. To be clear, I like CFB 27. I think it’s fairly good. But it’s only been two years, and the glory days are already long behind us.
Road Back to the Glory Days
Speaking of glory, Road to Glory (and Dynasty) are similar in that they’re poster children for incremental change without meaningful substance. Dynasty introduces a new Blueprint system, letting you set Athletic Director expectations and assigning points into recruiting, NIL, and facilities. That all sounds cool on paper, sure. But, cripes, does CFB 27 ever make it boring. To its credit, Road to Glory takes you through high school recruitment and campus life, but it never made me feel like an actual athlete juggling school, training, and fame. This is college sports. I mean, these stories practically write themselves! Yet the mode keeps treating that potential as an afterthought, and at this point it’s downright frustrating.
But all that is a drop in the bucket compared to how egregious the microtransactions are. Without the slightest warning, EA has dropped them into Dynasty and Road to Glory, and it almost feels like a slap in the face. Sure, you can grind out points over dozens of hours and level up your coaches organically, but players are literally unable to reach max level without spending money. In fact, maxing out your level might end up costing you more than the game itself. Sports games have flirted with predatory monetization for years, but slipping it into single-player progression and hiding it until launch crosses a line I can’t excuse.
So where does that leave College Football 27? The on-field product remains good, albeit in the face of losing the CFB identity. Stadiums, teams, rituals, atmosphere are all second-to-none. It’s truly brilliant. But the gap that once separated this series from Madden keeps narrowing. Then, there’s arguably the most ridiculous, embarrassing, anti-consumer implementation of microtransactions I’ve ever seen in a sports game. EA should genuinely be ashamed about it. I like CFB 27; I just don’t trust where the road leads if EA doesn’t reverse course, and soon.
***A PS5 code was provided for this review***
The Good
- Second-to-none atmosphere
- Dynamic weather
- Still fun despite flaws
The Bad
- Starting to feel too much like Madden
- Unbelievable microtransactions
- Sluggish menus
