"So instead of improving the game by, say, doubling the number of animations, "It's using physics," he shares. "It's not animation-driven."
During face0ffs, for instance, the position you take going in lets you kick the puck, push the opposing centerman, turn your back to him, or slap his stick. In earlier iterations of the franchise, you knew whether you won the faceoff the instant the ref dropped the puck. Now, your jockeying could lead to your not touching the puck at all, giving your wingers a chance to snatch the rubber instead.
The physics also give the development team the opportunity to execute on a feature fans have been asking about for years: broken sticks. What took so long? Littman clarifies that "we didn't want to do it until we could do it right." With real-time interaction replacing scripted sequences, shattered stick can get in the way of the play, obscuring the puck during a pass or hindering you while you're skating. As in a real hockey match, this situation adds an element of panic and strategy, which you can solve by grabbing a new stick from the bench, changing lines, or --our favorite -- passing yours to a stick-less player. Breaking the stick doesn't put you out of the play, either: you can kick the puck up the ice and even glove-pass to teammates.
If a downed defender is flailing madly, the redefined deke system lets you stylishly escape around him, and even OVER him, too."
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