College Football 25: Latest on Dynasty Mode, Gameplay, Crossplay, More from Previews

College football fans are already teeming with anticipation for the release of EA Sports' new video game, and early previews will only add to the excitement.

Taylor Lyles of IGN and Chris Vannini of The Athletic were among those invited to play a not-yet-completed version of the upcoming College Football 25 game. While there are still some things for the developers to iron out ahead of the July 19 release, both of them had effusive praise.

Lyles called the graphics "gorgeous" and highlighted how realistic small details are, such as grass and turf fields and uniform differences across various schools. She also called the game's vibes "immaculate" and pointed to its ability to capture the traditions and school spirit that differentiates college football from anything else.

Perhaps most notably, Lyles said "College Football 25 is no junior-sized version of Madden."

She said the gameplay is much faster than the NFL game, which leaves less room for error. Vannini also discussed the comparisons to Madden and noted there are "differences between the games, such as the playbooks, the kicking meter, player attributes, Stadium Pulse and more."

Dynasty mode and Road to Glory will be familiar to those who played the old version of the college football game, but the transfer portal and name, image and likeness opportunities will add a modern feel.

The new Road to the College Football Playoff gives gamers the opportunity for online crossplay as they battle for a national title. Lyles noted those who play this mode will begin as a recruit and can build their way toward Heisman in an effort to provide better balance of skill level while playing online.

As for Vannini's takeaways, he called the game-playing experience "incredibly smooth and realistic" and said that "running the ball is actually fun" because of the improved blocking AI and realism provided by reading blocks, breaking tackles and falling forward.

He highlighted the new wear and tear system, which can increase the chance of injury if players do not manage their rosters correctly. That is especially true over the course of longer games.

What's more, 134 different playbooks with 10 different offensive styles and a variety of pre-snap options such as adjusting pass protection in different directions and altering how far downfield hot routes go provide an even deeper gameplay experience.

Vannini also praised EA Sports for capturing the pageantry that is college football with unique crowds, properly placed student sections, team-specific chants, stadium-specific music and unique school bands.

That means the White Out at Penn State, pom-poms at Michigan, checkerboard crowds at Tennessee and much more. There will even be special crowd colors for bigger games in Dynasty mode.

Vannini also reported that EA Sports plans to send out roster updates throughout the season, much like what happens in Madden. That means breakout players on the actual gridiron will be rewarded with better rankings in the virtual world.

It has been more than a decade since NCAA 14, which was the last version of the game, was released.

Much has changed in college football with the implementation of a playoff, NIL opportunities, the transfer portal, conference realignment and more. All of that will be reflected in a game that is as highly anticipated as any in years.

In fewer than two months, fans will have the opportunity to finally return to the beloved franchise.