Could Madden 25 Superstar Mode actually be good ?

Online multiplayer will always be the driving force behind the success of any sports game. It's something we've come to accept. Fans of single-player sports experiences don't expect the whole cake, but we deserve more than the crumbs EA Sports has given us with recent efforts. Madden 25 has revealed some of the improvements to Superstar Mode this week. I can't say I'm convinced yet, but color me intrigued.

We all knew Madden's more popular little brother College Football 25 would lend a hand, and that's been confirmed. Players from CFB's Road to Glory Mode can be imported into Superstar Mode. A 12-year journey with your created player is better than four years any way you slice it.

The biggest improvement announced is an overhaul of the quests we saw in Madden 24. By EA's own admission, they were generic last year. Now quests will be both contextual and performance-based. If you tell the coach your legs give you the edge over opponents, you might receive quests challenging you to hit rushing goals.

Quests will also take your team's performance into account. A team in a playoff push will give your superstar quests about winning big games and securing postseason slots. If you're out of contention, maybe it's about meeting stat milestones to prove you're a potential building block.

One of the things we love most about sports is the rivalries. Remember Chad Ochocinco threatening to end an interview unless the reporter addressed cornerback DeAngelo Hall as DeAngelo Fall? What about Richard Sherman calling Michael Crabtree everything but a child of God? Madden 25 will offer up Unrivaled quests, that challenge you to show up a particular player. Let the other team know that if they try a sorry receiver against your cornerback, that's the result they're gonna get.

Nothing galvanizes a team or a fanbase like trying to break a record. Superstar Mode will have record breaker quests as well. But the playing field won't necessarily be level. EA warns that for the defining game, some X-Factor players might head onto the field to stop you. Boss battle, anyone?

I reserve the right to be profoundly disappointed by EA's efforts later, but these details have me cautiously optimistic that there will be a reason for those who love single- player experiences to pick Madden 25 up.