EA Sports’ “NHL 15” — the 24th installment of the video game franchise — was released Tuesday on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. Bruins center Patrice Bergeron is the official cover athlete for all consoles, marking the first time since 1994 that a Boston player has appeared on the front of the game.
Along with the “NBA 2K,” “Madden” and “FIFA” franchises, the “NHL” series is widely regarded among the industry’s best. So does “NHL 15” live up to those lofty expectations? Find out in our review below.
Presentation: 9/10
The NHL on NBC presentation is new and an improvement from past installments. Broadcast duo Doc Emrick and Eddie Olczyk are a solid tandem, and even some of Emrick’s famous description words, such as “waffleboarded,” find their way into the commentary. Ray Ferraro is the ice-level reporter and doesn’t bring much to the experience, and he also feels out of sync with Emrick and Olczyk. There’s certainly a lack of chemistry between them, but to be fair, chemistry is hard to implement in a game.
The pre-game cut scenes, which feature an outside look at the arena, as well as NHL on NBC logos and graphics make for a television-like experience. The NHL on NBC scoreboard also is included.
The arenas themselves are incredibly detailed, right down to sponsor placement, championship banners and jumbotrons. For the first time in the series’ history, all 30 arenas are included with their real names. TD Garden in Boston, which is making its series debut, looks amazing.
via Twitter/@EASportsNHL
There’s a good collection of classic jerseys available, but not every team has multiple alternate and/or classic sweaters available, which is a bit disappointing, but most of the classics (such as the Whalers, old Jets and Nordiques) are present.
One of the biggest issues with the presentation is a lot of players don’t have realistic faces. Many superstars, such as Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews, look very life-like. Tuukka Rask, for example, doesn’t look anything like he does in real life. Other players don’t even have the right hair color. These are subtle details that shouldn’t be a problem with consoles as powerful as the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.
Gameplay: 7/10
The gameplay is pretty solid for the most part. The new puck physics, which include bouncing pucks that make it more difficult to pass, shoot and win possession, are a welcome addition. The puck also bounces off the boards, players and the post in more realistic ways. There also seem to be more deflections that lead to goals, whether it’s off a player’s stick in front of the net or off a defenseman’s leg.
Playing defense is a little more challenging because if you don’t poke check well, expect a ton of tripping penalties. The improved skating animations will help fans who have trouble defending in their own zone.
Goaltenders also move much more life-like and don’t have superhuman agility to get back into position for a save, which was an issue in previous installments. This leads to more goals, and ultimately, a more enjoyable experience.
Whenever you shoot a puck at a goaltender following a whistle, one of his teammate usually defends him. This also is true when you crash into an opposing goaltender. “NHL 14” had way too many automatic fights after huge hits, and fortunately that has been toned down in “NHL 15.”
Shooting also feels fluid, especially if you use the right analog stick to deke defensemen and goalies. The frequency of pucks going off the post and into the net is higher, but there also are instances when the puck is fully across the goal line after hitting the post and nothing happens (see photo below).
Vicious checks from behind also are penalized fairly, sometimes with game misconducts. Players will argue with the referee before exiting the ice.
Practice mode is much worse than last year. The only option available is one skater versus a goaltender. Doing drills 5-on-5 or practicing special-teams situations no longer is available.
Replayability/Customization/Modes: 5/10
The lack of modes and customization features will result in fans — especially those who aren’t die-hard NHL followers — becoming bored with this game.
The lack of a season mode on next-gen consoles is disappointing. Offline “Be a GM” mode is fun for fans who enjoy a robust simulation, but there aren’t any exciting new features to note. “Be a Pro” mode lacks deep customization and your player automatically begins in the NHL. It would have been nice to start your career in junior hockey and the AHL and work up to the top level.
The “NHL Moments” mode returns on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions and helps fans rewrite history. San Jose Sharks fans are able to prevent their team from blowing a 3-0 lead in Round 1 of the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs.
“Hockey Ultimate Team,” a card-based team building mode, also returns. However, it’s still not as fun or as deep as FIFA’s ultimate team mode.
Some modes and features —Â such as offline tournaments and online team play — will be added to the game in the form of a downloadable patch in the coming weeks, per EA Sports. In previous versions, these all were included from Day 1.
Here are some other notes:
- Player numbers cannot be changed, which is frustrating because when a player is called up from the AHL, he’s stuck with the same number for the remainder of your “Be a GM.”
- Players cannot be edited. For example, Patrick Kane should be rated higher than an 89, but his skill attributes are locked in.
- AHL games are not playable in “Be a GM” mode on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
- Fantasy drafts and preseason games are absent from “Be a GM” mode on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
- All-Star Game is gone from “Be a Pro” mode on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Overall Score: 7/10
This is the first year the franchise is being released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and it’s not always easy for developers to make a smooth transition to next-generation consoles. With that said, this game has so much promise but fails to deliver in too many areas.
The gameplay is good, and the presentation is fantastic, but the lack of modes and customization hurt the overall experience. “Be a Pro” and “Be a GM” — arguably the two best-played modes — have been scaled back considerably, with several features taken away.
If you enjoy the occasional game against the AI or playing with a friend, “NHL 15” is worth $60. If you’re looking for an in-depth hockey game and plenty of online modes/options, wait until next year.
