The NHL series is pretty much the only sports game series I play. I've tried others (MLB 2K10, MLB: The Show 10, Madden), but none really capture their respective sports like NHL or FIFA, for that matter, which is the only other sports game series I play more than just trying out. I'll probably wind up getting FIFA '12 as well, but that's another preview post for the blog.
Well, I first want to congratulate Steven Stamkos for making the NHL '12 cover this year. It's always interesting to see who they choose for the cover and I think Stamkos definitely deserves it. He was one of the best players this past season.
I really haven't heard/seen much on the new game yet, but what I have heard/seen has been fairly promising. I don't want to get my hopes up too much like I did for '11 since it fell short of those expectations when I got it.
With last year improving the checking, deke, and faceoff systems, I expect EA Sports to continue to work on those as well as improve other areas, which I already have seen some things about those.
So far, the most interesting thing I've heard/seen has been the "physical system," meaning when at faceoffs if you're not the center you get more physical and battle for position before, during, and after the puck is dropped making it that much more realistic. Realism is probably one of the biggest factors behind sports games to me. I'd rather have a sports game that is fairly close to the real thing as possible. I'm sure the "physical system" comes into play in other areas, but the faceoff was most prevalent. By the way, I'm not even sure if that system is called the "physical system;" I'm just calling it that.
I loved how EA pretty much revamped the physics engine last year and they're continuing that this year. You'll now be able to break the glass along the boards if you check someone into it hard enough, knock opponents over the boards into your own or your opponents bench, and there is greater influence of goalie screens and contact, meaning you'll be able to run into the goalie and he'll most likely move with your contact and whatnot. Along with all of that, I'm not sure if hard enough slap shots into the glass boards will shatter them as well, but hopefully they include a system in which hard-hit pucks will put cracks or even break the glass when shot into them. I know that's something I would like to see and was surprised they didn't include last year (My Be A Pro player has his offensive stats maxed out currently and has the hardest, most accurate shot available in the game and I've hit the glass several times really hard where you can clearly hear that it did). With checking opponents into benches, it has been said that benches will now react to the check as well. For example, if you check an opponent into your own bench, your teammates sitting on the bench may become slightly hostile towards that player until he gets back on the ice (I'm not sure HOW they will react specifically, but an interview with one of the people working on the game touched slightly on that in a video I saw on YouTube). For the goalie screening affects and everything, in that interview video, they also touched on the net coming loose when ran into just like a real game. I think that's awesome and will add something to the game. I know there have been a few times when I ran into the net where it would have came loose and would have been cool to see a stoppage in play to reset the net.
EA has said they are working on revamping the "Be A Pro" mode as well, which is mainly what I play and judge the series off of. It allows anyone to become an e-NHL player, pretty much. You now get goals for the game/each shift that you'll need to try to accomplish in order to take the other team out of the game and give your team the edge. Along with the "Full Contact Physics Engine," which is what EA officially calls the "physical system," the Be A Pro mode should be a lot more fun and realistic this year.
70,000+ cheering fans under falling snow at Pittsburgh's Heinz Field: The NHL Winter Classic. This is something I'm looking forward to this year. I love how they brought back the Winter Classic in real life and now this year's NHL '12 will include being able to play it as well. With the game, the 2 teams playing get new Winter Classic jerseys to play in. That should be cool to see/play with.
Goalies will now be more active when in net. They will peak around screens, push screening opponents out of the way, and continue to make crazy desperation saves. They had a few in NHL '11, but they're working on continuing improving that system and add more to it. That should be pretty sweet to see what they came up with. Along with an improved goalie system, goalie's will now be able to step out from the net and get into a fight with the opponent's goalie. That should be interesting - and awesome - to say the least.
A new feature I saw was the "Action Tracker, which tracks everything that happens/happened on the ice. All events are saved and can be watched later via replay. That sounds pretty cool, interesting, and useful. We'll have to see how it pans out in the upcoming months.
Here's the link to the NHL '12 site so you can check out all the updates and whatnot as well as see anything I might have missed: NHL ' 12 Home Page
Anyways, NHL '12 looks amazing so far. Hopefully it stays that way when it comes out on September 13, 2011.
Happy Gaming!
GeNiO
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
NHL '10 & NHL '11 [XBOX 360/PS3]
I never made a blog post for probably my favorite video game series of all-time so I'm just going to merge '10 and '11 together for this post.
NHL '11 was a huge improvement from '10, but I still feel as if some features fell short this year. I love the new face-off and checking systems. They're so much more realistic and add so much to the game as a whole experience. I'm not really sure when they added the "real-time progression" feature so that although you may lost points in individual stats (Be A Pro) your overall rating stays consistent. The same goes for all of the players throughout the game. I like that a lot since it allows you to build your player(s) up to whatever you may want/like/need.
As always, the graphics are usually in the top notch category so that continued with '11 this year. I didn't notice it until this year's game (if it was in '10), but the ads around the inside of the boards around the rink change over time with relevant ads. I thought that that was a pretty nifty and clever way of integrating them like a real hockey rink. The players look even more real, as would be expected for a game series that has won over 22 sports game of the year awards, and their movements are more realistic as well. One thing I noticed, though, is that when you're sitting in the penalty box and watching the face mask visors on other players as they go by they sometimes show up in front of the box's door. Besides that, the graphics are good and I look forward to '12's debut later this year.
I do have some pet peeves with this game, though. First of all, the goalie passing in this game is horrendous, which is not so in real life hockey. Some goalies are actually quite good with handling and passing the puck that it's a shame that all of the goalies in the game are horrible.
Secondly, EVERY ONE AND THEIR MOTHER thinks that they can deke, which is ABSOLUTELY NOT the case in real life hockey. Some players can deke very well; some can deke okay; and some can barely deke at all, if they even ever try, which is likely the case for defenseman defenseman.
Third, the overall passing is pretty bad as well. Now, I understand a few passes here and there not making it to their intended targets, but all the time is just frustrating as hell.
Next, EA Sports "claimed" to have made the AI a lot better, but it actually seems worse to an avid player like myself. Every game there seems to be an unusual amount of an inability to play hockey on a professional level as it should be. Seemingly "simple" plays turn into complex, difficult plays that shouldn't be at all.
The last pet peeve I can remember right now is sometimes when one of your teammates or an opponent is doing board play and an opponent or a teammate is pressing them against the boards and you go to poke check the puck when you get stuck in place and can't move, then you're open to get rocked by an opponent checking you. That's annoying.
Anyway, I think that's about it, but before I go, I cannot wait for NHL '12 to come out in September to check out what's new and whatnot and continue playing probably my favorite sport, hockey.
Game Spot Score: 9.0 (Editor's Choice)
Critics Score: 8.9 (37 Reviews)
User Score: 8.9 (533 Votes)
My Rating: 8
Happy Gaming!
GeNiO
NHL '11 was a huge improvement from '10, but I still feel as if some features fell short this year. I love the new face-off and checking systems. They're so much more realistic and add so much to the game as a whole experience. I'm not really sure when they added the "real-time progression" feature so that although you may lost points in individual stats (Be A Pro) your overall rating stays consistent. The same goes for all of the players throughout the game. I like that a lot since it allows you to build your player(s) up to whatever you may want/like/need.
As always, the graphics are usually in the top notch category so that continued with '11 this year. I didn't notice it until this year's game (if it was in '10), but the ads around the inside of the boards around the rink change over time with relevant ads. I thought that that was a pretty nifty and clever way of integrating them like a real hockey rink. The players look even more real, as would be expected for a game series that has won over 22 sports game of the year awards, and their movements are more realistic as well. One thing I noticed, though, is that when you're sitting in the penalty box and watching the face mask visors on other players as they go by they sometimes show up in front of the box's door. Besides that, the graphics are good and I look forward to '12's debut later this year.
I do have some pet peeves with this game, though. First of all, the goalie passing in this game is horrendous, which is not so in real life hockey. Some goalies are actually quite good with handling and passing the puck that it's a shame that all of the goalies in the game are horrible.
Secondly, EVERY ONE AND THEIR MOTHER thinks that they can deke, which is ABSOLUTELY NOT the case in real life hockey. Some players can deke very well; some can deke okay; and some can barely deke at all, if they even ever try, which is likely the case for defenseman defenseman.
Third, the overall passing is pretty bad as well. Now, I understand a few passes here and there not making it to their intended targets, but all the time is just frustrating as hell.
Next, EA Sports "claimed" to have made the AI a lot better, but it actually seems worse to an avid player like myself. Every game there seems to be an unusual amount of an inability to play hockey on a professional level as it should be. Seemingly "simple" plays turn into complex, difficult plays that shouldn't be at all.
The last pet peeve I can remember right now is sometimes when one of your teammates or an opponent is doing board play and an opponent or a teammate is pressing them against the boards and you go to poke check the puck when you get stuck in place and can't move, then you're open to get rocked by an opponent checking you. That's annoying.
Anyway, I think that's about it, but before I go, I cannot wait for NHL '12 to come out in September to check out what's new and whatnot and continue playing probably my favorite sport, hockey.
Game Spot Score: 9.0 (Editor's Choice)
Critics Score: 8.9 (37 Reviews)
User Score: 8.9 (533 Votes)
My Rating: 8
Happy Gaming!
GeNiO
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