NHL 14 Review (360/PS3)

[NHLandPESFan]

Are the robo-goalies really gone? That absolutely ruined NHL 13 for me.

[birthday_massacre]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bearded1nfidel

How do you guys think someone with no hockey experience (real life and game, except for watching some NHL playoffs) would enjoy the game? Thinking about picking it up. Madden just isn't hooking me this year. All the reviews I've read praise the heck out of the game. Just curious how someone with no knowledge of the game would fair. Appreciate any thoughts. FYI, I've tried getting demo past couple nights but its just been too slow for me to download for some reason, 7+ hours. Not typical for my Internet either.

You will love it, you can always turn off some of the rules if needed like iciiing. Hockey is the best sports video game IMO to play if you dont know the rules (well next to soccer since that is easy to pick up).

[birthday_massacre]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dolphins88

Ya the game needs more realism.. Not enough separation between players skills and each team should play differently... Hopefully 2k make a realistic hockey game on next gen if EA won't ... I'm canceling my preorder and wait for a price drop

What level do you play on? it seems if you play on all star there is seperation of players. its when you bump it up past that, all that goes out the window since the CPU basically gets boosts to compete with the user

[Bleak5170]

Quote: Originally Posted by birthday_massacre

What level do you play on? it seems if you play on all star there is seperation of players. its when you bump it up past that, all that goes out the window since the CPU basically gets boosts to compete with the user

Play on anything above Pro and you can completely disregard any player attributes.

[Bearded1nfidel]

So I picked up the game for 360 based on recommendations, here's my 2 cents.

I've got about 4-5 hours in so far (I couldn't put it down last night) and would have plenty more if it weren't for my kids. Hands down, most fun I have ever had with a sports game. Ever. Tutorial was decent enough to at least familiarize me with controls and prevent a slaughter. Game modes and menus are explained well enough to get you pointed in the right direction. Controls are going to take some learning, ie. deke, advanced deke. That aside, honestly feel as if I'm learning more about hockey along the way, so much that I'll watch it more often this upcoming season. I've done the EAHL (or whatever it's called), ultimate team, and a couple games vs computer. I'm addicted. Appreciate the recommendations from forum members, definitely was steered in the right direction.

[birthday_massacre]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bleak5170

Play on anything above Pro and you can completely disregard any player attributes.

Oh its pro and not allstar?

so I should be using pro for my base sliders and not allstar?

good to know, back to work on my sliders ha

[addybojangles]

Yes, absolutely, this is LARGELY the same exact game as NHL 13. But that game was a heap of doodie, mainly due to the skating, so the fact that true performance skating DOES INDEED improve the gameplay this year, already makes it a better game.

It's funny, a lot of things remain relatively untouched.

It certainly seems like this past year was a year of refinement....and having a team put together a new fighting engine. Seeing as I fight maybe twice a year, this means nothing to me (but a lot of dudebros are into it, which is weird).

To wrap up: NHL 13 was a step in the right direction and NHL 14 is the refinement the team needed to get the engine right. Everything else though remains relatively unchanged.

[BigBadTom]

I think NHL is a solid franchise, but it has some issues that just feel nothing like hockey. The way in which the stick control works is unlike hockey. Stick handling in hockey is very hard and there is a lot less control than other sports such as ball handling in basketball and soccer. The way in which the players carry the puck in 14 is way too controlled in certain areas and not enough in others. The puck is attached to the player and stick, there is no separation between the two entities that make them realistic. The only way the puck moves is when the player is hit or a check is thrown. You can carry the puck left to right when you are only inches from the goalie and you can go from the far left of the cage to the far right with the puck when you are skating and only inches from the goalie. That type of control doesn't exist in true hockey, the puck seems to stay stuck to the stick in a very unrealistic fashion. I am not sure if I have explained well enough, but I hope I am clear. Second, goalies are incredibly unrealistic. Sure they save what needs to be saved, but the way in which they move and their speed makes them a joke to look at. They need to make it look like a real goal with the way they move. Solid game, but the stick handling is fake and goalie locomotion is garbage