Since this month has been pretty hectic so far with the releases of NHL 12, FIFA 12, and the BF3 Open beta, it's been hard to write previews/reviews, but I'm getting around to the Be A Pro mode in NHL 12. Hockey's always been one of my favorite team sports and, over the last several years, has become my all-time favorite sport all together. When NHL 12 received its release date I was excited. I already knew they were going to come out with another game this year, just wasn't sure when. So, when more and more details started coming out I was way more excited to see what they did. NHL 11 was a great game, BUT it lacked in several areas, which 12 seemed to have listened to its fans and corrected a lot of them. There are some areas in which I'd still say need improvement, but, overall, 12 is definitely the best hockey game I've ever played and definitely one of the better sports games I've ever played.
I don't know what it is, but it seems to me that every EA Sports game I play has below average passing, whether it be NHL or FIFA, both games have reflected this to me. I understand not every pass is going to be perfect, but how many passes that aren't even close to their target in these games is just astounding. Seemingly "easy" passes turn into a counterattack by the other team. It does get annoying and frustrating after a while of experiencing this. Fortunately, though, these passes don't happen as often as they did in NHL 11.
Another thing I think EA Sports games lack is commentating. Both in FIFA and NHL they're good, but I think they could be a lot better if they worked on them more. It seems EAS just reuses last year's commentating and only add a few lines to the new year's release. I don't know about everyone else, but I enjoy listening to the commentators and what they have to say and how they react to different plays. It adds one more piece of realism to the game and provides for a little more excitement.
The all new mechanics to the game are great, but they lack in precision. What I mean is that the accomplish the overall goal of what real hockey players do, but it's not anywhere near how precise they are done in real hockey. For instance, when checking an opponent along the boards, sometimes you'll be in the middle of actually flicking the hit stick when they all of a sudden turn their bodies and there's absolutely nothing you can do to avoid checking them from behind and subsequently getting a penalty, whether it be a minor, double, minor, or major/game misconduct penalty. This gets frustrating as I don't mean to play as a dirty player. I like performing clean checks and only fighting if I think it's necessary to help my team win. Checking isn't the only are the precision lacks. Besides passing, when interacting with other players (teammates or opponents) it doesn't always feel "fluid" or "real." I love the direction they're going with the interactions, but it definitely could use some tweaking.
There are a few other things I felt could be worked on so I'll just throw them all together as I don't have much to say on each one. They definitely improved the players' AI, but they lack a huge amount to even be considered competent. When bringing the puck down one of the wings, one of your own teammates will bring it upon themselves to block your path even though there's no one in your path and you're at about the same spot as your teammate. It makes no sense to skate in front of you, which causes you to get checked or to lose the puck and the coaches say it's your fault. Another "AI" issue I saw is the way your teammates DON'T move when on the forecheck (offense). Normally, players would move around to try to get position on their opponents, but in this game, they barely move at all. Sure, they might battle for position in front of the net a lot more now, but they don't do much else. I found that this constant "battling" in front of the net leads to too many of your teammates blocking your shots and that's frustrating as well. They should have the ability to know when you're in front of them and the net to move enough so you have a clear enough shot to get it on net or at least to hit the goaltender. The last issue I can think of is when after the play stops and the referee blows the whistle, one of your teammates can very easily just bump into the goaltender and he goes flying, causing your team to get a penalty almost every time. I love the new goalie interactions, but this is just too ridiculous. This does not happen very often in real hockey so it shouldn't be happening anywhere near as much as it does in NHL 12.
I know it seems as if I'm bashing NHL 12, but I'm really not. They are some flaws in the game, but those aren't the only parts of the game so there are a lot of positive features as well. A good majority of the game remained the same so there really isn't much need to learn the controls if you played 11. With all the tweaks they did implement, there have been some pleasant ones as well. The new shooting mechanics are a nice, realistic addition as now you can actually score in a more realistic way such as balancing on one skate and wrapping a shot around a player/goalie to score. On breakaways, or if you're a player who can deke well, you'll notice the ability to be able to move the puck in ways you've never seen before, but they actually do it in real life hockey so it's awesome to see some of these things come into play with NHL 12. I had a goal where I was impressed by how it actually played out like a real play rather than something set in stone in a video game. I came from the side of the goalie, had an opening, started to deke around the one defenseman that was in my way and my player actually wrapped his stick around the goalie to get the goal. It was beautiful to see, actually. The checking mechanics are, for the most part, a lot better this year as well. Although some checks don't play out as "real" the majority of them do. I love how they made your own player interact with the check as well as the player you are checking. If you're a smaller player and, no matter how hard or big of a check you dish out, your player reacts in a realistic manner, such as if you try to check Chara with a smaller player, you're not likely to check him off of his skates, but you're more likely to fall down as a result. Even on huge hits where you do lay someone out, you can fall down, too, and I think that that makes for a challenge in itself as you can take yourself completely out of a play if that happens. Sometimes I think your own player takes a little long to get up and back skating, but the checking mechanics more than make up for that. I didn't really notice any difference in how the puck reacts, but I also didn't really think it needed much tweaking as the puck mechanics were pretty decent last year. Deflections aren't always 100% accurate so it's exciting to see some narrowly miss or deflect way off target. Some go in and you have no idea how, but that's just hockey, unpredictable.
Even though I just started my own Be A Pro, I just go out of the Juniors and made it into the NHL drafted by the Colorado Avalanche starting the 3rd line. Not too shabby for myself, I must say. Playing in the Juniors was another cool addition they added. it was a good way to practice and get ready for the NHL. If you're ready, you'll play on a NHL team. If not, you'll be sent back down to the AHL to get ready. I like the new game & shift goals they set for you. It's something to play for throughout the game and the time period they give you. It does need to be tweaked in a few areas, but nothing major that makes it a disappointment or just in the way.
Although there are more flaws and good things about this game, they are way outside the scope of this blog post. As I experience more and more, I will post updates as I can. Definitely check out this game; it's worth getting and playing.
As always,
Happy Gaming!
GeNiO
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
FIFA 12 - Career Mode (2011) [XBOX 360]
So, I bought FIFA 12 and it arrived on the same day it was released. I didn't expect that nor plan for it as it was the same day I received my early access to the BF3 Open Beta. Nevertheless, I went with the BF3 beta and left FIFA 12 for the next day. I like playing as one player, preferably a created player reflecting me, so I immediately jumped into the Career Mode to test things out. I've heard many people mention this, but the conclusion seems to be the same with the majority: the new tactical defense makes things difficult in the beginning, but as soon as you learn to use it it becomes a lot better. I've somewhat experienced this as I play as a Centre in Career Mode. I usually don't get too close to our own goal under normal circumstances. I really don't have anything negative about the game except for that, like all EA Sports games I've played, the passing could be a little better.
I like the new player interactions and movements. It adds a lot more realism to the game than FIFA 11 had. The commentary could be improved a great deal, I think, but it's players preference. Personally, I enjoy hearing what the commentators have to say throughout the match. Not a big deal as I could always just put on some music and play that way. The dribbling tricks remained pretty much the same so there wasn't much new learning to do in terms of how to do it on your controller. I've always liked the small amount of time you get to practice before a match. I use that to practice those dribbling moves just in case I get into that kind of situation. I have yet to master all of the celebrations, but those are also cool to play around with. The way the ball interacts with the environment and players seems to also be much more realistic. It bounces slightly more to reflect its real life counterpart. Scoring is always fun so definitely try out all of the ways to do so as well. I've had some exciting goals where you actually feel like you worked for the goal.
Well, I'm not too far into my Career yet, but I will update more as I go further. Oh, before I forget. FIFA 12 also has this feature that connects all FIFA 12 players for each of their favorite teams and every week a new winner is announced. I'm not sure if they reward that team/those players, but that would be pretty cool in the future. If you like soccer, football, futbol, or whatever you call it, definitely check this game out.
Happy Gaming!
GeNiO
I like the new player interactions and movements. It adds a lot more realism to the game than FIFA 11 had. The commentary could be improved a great deal, I think, but it's players preference. Personally, I enjoy hearing what the commentators have to say throughout the match. Not a big deal as I could always just put on some music and play that way. The dribbling tricks remained pretty much the same so there wasn't much new learning to do in terms of how to do it on your controller. I've always liked the small amount of time you get to practice before a match. I use that to practice those dribbling moves just in case I get into that kind of situation. I have yet to master all of the celebrations, but those are also cool to play around with. The way the ball interacts with the environment and players seems to also be much more realistic. It bounces slightly more to reflect its real life counterpart. Scoring is always fun so definitely try out all of the ways to do so as well. I've had some exciting goals where you actually feel like you worked for the goal.
Well, I'm not too far into my Career yet, but I will update more as I go further. Oh, before I forget. FIFA 12 also has this feature that connects all FIFA 12 players for each of their favorite teams and every week a new winner is announced. I'm not sure if they reward that team/those players, but that would be pretty cool in the future. If you like soccer, football, futbol, or whatever you call it, definitely check this game out.
Happy Gaming!
GeNiO
BF3 Open Beta [XBOX 360]
After several days of on and off playing of the BF3 Open Beta, I feel there is some more I can write about to update my previous preview/review post on the BF3 Beta. Again, I absolutely need to remind everyone that this is still a BETA! There still is going to be flaws, bugs, etc. so please be patient and let EA/DICE work out the kinks. The retail date isn't for another 3 weeks so they still have time to fix the major problems as well as address as many of the smaller ones as possible before the release date. Even after then, they can still release patches and updates for the game so that any bugs or glitches can be sorted out in a timely manner. Personally, I can't play any beta games everyday. It's just too difficult to do for me. I understand it's a beta so I don't go overboard with the criticism, but there is only a certain amount of annoyances one person can take in a day so I usually alternate between the BF3 Open Beta and one of the many other games I play on a daily basis.
Now that I've ranked up some more and unlocked a few more guns, customizations, and equipment I'm starting to like the game more and more. Don't get me wrong, I was already stoked for BF3 when I first heard about it who knows how long ago, but being able to try it out early (even just the little bit that the beta is) has added so much more to that excitement. For those who didn't hear yet, a few days ago I heard that DICE wasn't exactly ready yet or something (not exactly sure on the full details), but they had to release something so they released an older build to the game so it's speculated that they're far ahead in terms of development and smoothing out the issues. Again, I'm not certain on all of this, but it's just what I heard. I was also able to run some games with friends the past couple of days so that added to the fun of the game.
A couple of days ago I was able to unlock the SCAR and the UMP and I feel they make the game a lot of fun, too. I can't wait to get to use all of the weapons, vehicles, and equipment. I love how the DICE team setup the loadout customizations. I've always been partial to the "level-up" system that most FPS utilize because having a high rank doesn't always mean that you are one of the best; it could just mean that you've played the game a lot, too. Either way, I feel DICE did the best they could do and it works for BF3, fortunately. I would rather more and more people become BF players. You can almost get exactly what you are most comfortable with and excel most with because, well, isn't winning the name of the game? You just have to be patient and play the game until you can try everything and find your niche. I feel parts of my niche are already formed, but I haven't found all of the pieces yet; it's a creative way of giving the players what they want as long as they play for it.
With the same map and game mode over and over you really start to get a feel for everything after a few days of gameplay. More and more players play more confidently now than when I first started playing the game. It definitely adds to the difficulty, but that's where the "competition" comes into play. Some people wouldn't think it, but you can actually make some money playing video games. Look up "video games" or "gaming" or any other gaming-related term in the news and I'll bet you can find something. Anyway, I've ran into at least 2 separate map glitches outside for the first set of M-COM Stations. One is over by A and the other was somewhere along a walkway in the middle. The glitch was just that I went under the map and couldn't get back up. It's funny, though, I was actually able to kill enemies just hanging out under the map. It was kind of funny, but annoying at the same time, I wanted to play the game. One other thing I think they could fix is how some surfaces that should be easily ran over become a problem and even the jump-over action sometimes doesn't work even though it said to press the button to do so. Besides those, I don't recall any other map problems. Maybe some small fixes for the terrain and all the stuff in the subway would be good, too. Oh, the actual player doesn't move fluidly. He's more choppy than smooth, I would say. Sometimes it doesn't look like what they're actually doing or something along those lines.
I know those last 2 paragraphs were kind of backwards, but I will end on a good note. With playing more, I'm even more excited for this game, as most of you should be, too. I wasn't able to play the PC version of the Beta, but I am really looking forward to using some of the vehicles, especially the new ones. As for the weapons, I think some of the beta versions should be tweaked if not done so already. I'm also looking forward to the other maps. With everything EA and DICE have done, I'm excited to play all of the maps, not just one. The player movement is pretty nice as well. I think they're going in the right direction on that front. The beta player movements are pretty intense when they work so I can only imagine what the final product is going to be like along with all of the wonderful Battlefield music and sounds. With everything that's been going on and being talked about with the multiplayer, it's understandable to push the campaign to the side. I usually run through the entire campaign before jumping into any multiplayer, but that's just me. That's something to look forward to, though. I think that's about it for now.
Important Dates:
October 10, 2011 - Open Beta ends
October 25, 2011 Battlefield 3 Retail Release
If you're even remotely interested in this game, go buy it and try it out for yourself. BF deserves to be a top contender, but people just need to play it.
As always,
HAPPY GAMING!
GeNiO
Now that I've ranked up some more and unlocked a few more guns, customizations, and equipment I'm starting to like the game more and more. Don't get me wrong, I was already stoked for BF3 when I first heard about it who knows how long ago, but being able to try it out early (even just the little bit that the beta is) has added so much more to that excitement. For those who didn't hear yet, a few days ago I heard that DICE wasn't exactly ready yet or something (not exactly sure on the full details), but they had to release something so they released an older build to the game so it's speculated that they're far ahead in terms of development and smoothing out the issues. Again, I'm not certain on all of this, but it's just what I heard. I was also able to run some games with friends the past couple of days so that added to the fun of the game.
A couple of days ago I was able to unlock the SCAR and the UMP and I feel they make the game a lot of fun, too. I can't wait to get to use all of the weapons, vehicles, and equipment. I love how the DICE team setup the loadout customizations. I've always been partial to the "level-up" system that most FPS utilize because having a high rank doesn't always mean that you are one of the best; it could just mean that you've played the game a lot, too. Either way, I feel DICE did the best they could do and it works for BF3, fortunately. I would rather more and more people become BF players. You can almost get exactly what you are most comfortable with and excel most with because, well, isn't winning the name of the game? You just have to be patient and play the game until you can try everything and find your niche. I feel parts of my niche are already formed, but I haven't found all of the pieces yet; it's a creative way of giving the players what they want as long as they play for it.
With the same map and game mode over and over you really start to get a feel for everything after a few days of gameplay. More and more players play more confidently now than when I first started playing the game. It definitely adds to the difficulty, but that's where the "competition" comes into play. Some people wouldn't think it, but you can actually make some money playing video games. Look up "video games" or "gaming" or any other gaming-related term in the news and I'll bet you can find something. Anyway, I've ran into at least 2 separate map glitches outside for the first set of M-COM Stations. One is over by A and the other was somewhere along a walkway in the middle. The glitch was just that I went under the map and couldn't get back up. It's funny, though, I was actually able to kill enemies just hanging out under the map. It was kind of funny, but annoying at the same time, I wanted to play the game. One other thing I think they could fix is how some surfaces that should be easily ran over become a problem and even the jump-over action sometimes doesn't work even though it said to press the button to do so. Besides those, I don't recall any other map problems. Maybe some small fixes for the terrain and all the stuff in the subway would be good, too. Oh, the actual player doesn't move fluidly. He's more choppy than smooth, I would say. Sometimes it doesn't look like what they're actually doing or something along those lines.
I know those last 2 paragraphs were kind of backwards, but I will end on a good note. With playing more, I'm even more excited for this game, as most of you should be, too. I wasn't able to play the PC version of the Beta, but I am really looking forward to using some of the vehicles, especially the new ones. As for the weapons, I think some of the beta versions should be tweaked if not done so already. I'm also looking forward to the other maps. With everything EA and DICE have done, I'm excited to play all of the maps, not just one. The player movement is pretty nice as well. I think they're going in the right direction on that front. The beta player movements are pretty intense when they work so I can only imagine what the final product is going to be like along with all of the wonderful Battlefield music and sounds. With everything that's been going on and being talked about with the multiplayer, it's understandable to push the campaign to the side. I usually run through the entire campaign before jumping into any multiplayer, but that's just me. That's something to look forward to, though. I think that's about it for now.
Important Dates:
October 10, 2011 - Open Beta ends
October 25, 2011 Battlefield 3 Retail Release
If you're even remotely interested in this game, go buy it and try it out for yourself. BF deserves to be a top contender, but people just need to play it.
As always,
HAPPY GAMING!
GeNiO
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