NHL 12 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (360, PS3)

[Fiddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by blinkfan77

Crushing, crushing disappointment- No face for Brad Marchand. Absolutely crushing. I'm so sick of the gigantic lack of real faces in this game. So pissed right now. For ****s sake, they still haven't changed Thomas's generic face either and he won the Vezine and he's STILL only rated an 89. Pathetic.

yeah, really stinks that the majority of the players in the game have generic faces. would be great one off season they can get a team to work on getting all players that have played a game in the league the past season face in the game. its 2011, no excuses IMO for this.

Quote: Originally Posted by straka91

Like the puck physics. I actually scored a 5 hole above the the circles. AI is still pathetic though lol. Just ran Raymond with Chara, Chara bounced off....

i scored a nice refreshing wrist shot goal, between the glove hand arm of Bobby Lou, looked solid..

Quote: Originally Posted by tgalv21

there's a difference between posting criticism and making statements about how online play is gonna be based on playing a few games of an offline demo.

i understand what your saying, but he is correct. the same deke and dangle moves work still. the d just freezes and zip right around them. sigh. hopefully a tuner or patch can fix this issue? IMO this is why the deking etc needs tweaked.. if it freezes a d man over and over (same move etc), then they have to realize something needs done.

[Money99]

Quote: Originally Posted by FBeaule04

Just a quick question since I won't play the demo until late tonight. Is the AI D still back until running into the goalie so the opposite team can shoot at ease? Is the AI D still go pin themselves on board without pressure? *Assuming you can play the demo locked as a forward*

Only 2 games so take it for what it's worth:

Q: Is the AI D still back until running into the goalie so the opposite team can shoot at ease?

Didn't appear like that to me. I had some difficulty breaking down the D in order to get a clean shot from in tight.

Q: Is the AI D still go pin themselves on board without pressure?

Didn't see it once.

[RealmK]

Keep em coming boys, good to hear the puck physics are improved and the shooting and passing feel "better". Shame about Marchant's cyber but eh, there's 750 players in the NHLPA that not every face is 100% doesn't bother me, its such a nitpicky thing. Looking forward to giving it a whirl this evening.

[Fiddy]

my thoughts.. initial impression when playing a play now game, was wow, i like the slowed down feel to the game. wasnt expecting that at all.

just some quick hits here..

pros
- skating, seems like they added some new animations etc, looks better no doubt, feels the same as past games though
- like mentioned already, shots seem to have some extra omph behind them
- presentation pop ups for goals, stats in general, very slick looking
- seen some solid goal variety so far, more so than in NHL 11 (wrist shots going in clean in different spots on the goalie etc)
- goalies movement while following the play looks better and they seem to react better on shots as well
- brush off saves, pucks glancing off the goalie look very solid (at times look weird as well)
- Tim Thomas seemed to play like himself, tried some sprawling side to side saves
- knocking Thomas over lol
- auto stick movement while backing in on d, very nice
- didnt see the d auto pin for no reason or even when pressured a bit
- passing feels a bit better, but still way to easy
- checking feels more loose and free
- player reactions on bench a nice small addition
- goalies on the bench, have their helmets off, again nice small addition

cons
- skating feels very much the same, even though it looks a bit different
- same dekes (i know its a demo) work just like in games past (same dangle and deke move works, same back hand to forehand goal works, backhand to forehand etc on all levels. seems toned down more though on superstar which is good. hopefully sliders can fix this.)
- player faces, the generic ones, just disappointed we dont have all these guys cybers in the game yet
- Canucks overall goaltending rating a 97? huh? Bobby Lu is a 90, Schneider is an 83!! (was like this for past games as well)
- default passing, to much tape to tape still, hoping sliders fix that
- strategy's are all the same
- the cpu AI on your team still get in your way, just bc they going where they programed to be, sigh
- checking, while feels better, something feels off, like it doesnt feel like you hit the guy when you do
- same old rebound goals, goalies cant cover it even though its right there, sliders or patch fix this?

[MiNiDiTkA]

Some crappy Gameplay I recorded

[Tomba]

When they add a real broadcast cam I'll be all over their gameplay. right now as it stands it's looked the same for years from their broadcast angle. Bothers me too much to play .

[Money99]

Random observations:

In my first game, Mason Raymond got his lid knocked off when he was run by Lucic.
He kind of spun off the hit and landed on his knees on the ice while his helmet just laid there.
The hit looked very realistic as did the reaction.

Rich Peverley scored with 8.7 seconds left to beat me. I collapsed too far on my goalie, Rich took a beauty pass from Bergeron, walked into the mid-slot and fired one over the shoulder of a screen Luongo (I was screening him).

Can't wait to get home and play some more.

[N1ghthors3]

Quote: Originally Posted by beantownbruins

Wow as a main OTP/Club player here is what I was looking for and noticed... The computer D is still inept (even on superstar, which is one level higher than OTP). Which means kids that glitch goal and curl drag over and over and over again will still be able to do so. Hits are even bigger than in '11, how is that possible??? Mason Raymond came and knocked me over with no momentum when I was Johnny Boychuk, how does that work? Most realistic hockey game ever, FAIL. We can only play "be a pro" as a center???...Here is what that says to me, EA is still working on the "in front of the net presence" and will release yet another product unfinished. If you can't play D in the "be a pro mode" how are we supposed to know if the "in front of the net presence" works or doesn't work correctly? Yet another NHL demo has been released where we cannot play as a goalie. A HUGE disappointment since that contained one of their "new" features. Look guys, I really went into this with the highest of hopes but the lowest of expectations. I still came out disappointed. I will end up getting this game, but only because there is no other hockey option out there. I know there will be a lot of you that will knock me for this post, but it is just my opinion. I'm trying to think in terms of OTP/Club and I just don't see that area of NHL improving, or even being upgraded, through this demo.

How are you supposed to know if net presence works or not? Maybe try playing Play Now rather than BAP Center (which if you play Center, you can easily skate lower in the slot and mess around anyway) and switch to a defenseman when the other team has the puck - not rocket science here.