Madden 19 College Football: Mod Review

Madden 19 College Football Mod Review

Madden 20 comes out today, which means that, suddenly, millions of gamers are left with an old copy of Madden 19 that’s not doing anything but taking up memory. Where some see a waste of memory, however, PC users can turn the now-obsolete game into NCAA 19. Is this just a way to make an excuse to write about a Madden 19 mod when it’s now an obsolete game? Yes, but the point remains, thanks to a community of modders who have set out to create 32 playable NCAA teams for Madden 19 PC. So today, when everyone is losing their minds trying out their new favorite players and game metas (you know they’re there), I’m going to review the NCAA 19 Madden PC Mod. One note: the mod only works for the “Play Now” mode. You can use it on the other modes, but it’s not as if you’ll be recruiting high school players or going to the College Football Playoff. Anyways, let’s get into it.

The Good: 

The Rosters

There was a time when every football game came with the capability of creating new teams players and even fans (I personally was fond of creating Browns fans with dog masks). Most kids who played Madden at the time remember trying to create players and teams to fit their high school/college/flag football team rosters, which means they also remember how long, tedious and borderline infuriating replicating a team on a video game can be. But the modding team did a pretty good job of replicating the players with accurate representations of their look and ability. Dwayne Haskins looks like Dwayne Haskins, at least with his helmet on, and the Alabama defensive line plays unfair. So does Wisconsin’s offensive line, by the way. Their guards are two of the highest-rated players in the game, if that’s what you’re looking for.

The Detail

No one would have blamed this group if they had just thrown together a few photoshopped jerseys and helmets onto the players and called it a day. Most fans probably would have been happy if the roster came by itself with nothing else. But instead, the team meticulously redecorated the stadiums, designed the uniforms, and built a title screen that looks incredible. Down to things like the “Play Now” logos or the loading screens, this team took detail very seriously, and even use college rules! Overall it helps with the mod’s credibility, and you can tell these guys care deeply about their project.

The Not So Good:

Relative Ratings

To be clear, I have immense respect for the work that these guys did. Some ratings are good, for sure. Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray are the highest-rated quarterbacks in the league, at 95 overall each. But from a team-overall perspective, there is a range of 6 in a field that goes from Clemson to Boise State. That seems a bit...close to me. The players also don’t seem totally right. Nick Bosa is only ranked an 87, and that’s low even with his injury. Will Grier is also a top-5 rated quarterback in the game, which seems a bit generous to me. 

This mod is really fun. Getting to play college football on AAA-quality gaming engines is an incredible experience, and I’m really excited to try out the new college mode on Madden 20(which I will also review, so stay tuned). There are glitches, but overall this tremendous amount of work deserves to be recognized, and it’s a great thing to at least play for a little while. I highly recommend it to PC players and fans of college football, as it’s an opportunity we haven’t had in a long time. Hopefully, the wait for a real game is almost over.

-By: Alex Spieldenner