NHL 16 Trial Available Now For EA Access Subscribers, Get 10 Hours of Gamplay

[bad_philanthropy]

So I just want to illustrate an example about the gameplay seeming too end to end and too pass happy, and maybe a bit basic. There simply isn't enough loose puck play or using the boards to intelligently move the puck. The AI seems a bit situationally dull as well, and simply programmed to receive the puck, and if not in position to skate into open ice make an awkward looking fast pass to whoever is open.

Check out this video and the sequence starting at the 3:45 mark:



Pittsburgh dumps it in, Staal recovers it behind the net, makes a dumb short pass to a player standing still in the circle, who then rifles another defensive zone pass across the ice to a player who turns it over.

What the hell? Three passes to guys standing still in the defensive zone? Also, you have three attacking forwards deep in the zone. Staal needs to get the puck along the boards (outletting along the boards behind the net where the winger crashes down to help or to the short side where a winger should have moved to the boards), and either get it out of the zone, or have a teammate stop the puck and keep working to get it out. This is not a scenario where you want to make three damn passes across the zone to launch an attack.

Compare this to the Legacy Edition. While it's not a perfect comparison. Check out Phil Kessel's play at 2:40. He knows the pressure is on, the defense is not quite in position, so he makes a play the attempts to work the puck out of the zone, while keeping it out of the middle of the ice.



I understand that using the front of the net/middle of the ice for breaking out of the defensive zone is a thing in the NHL today for some teams/coaches, but the scenario in the first video is an absurd example of this. In it, the winger needs to get on the boards, and Staal needs to chip the puck up to him at the very least. Instead, the winger doesn't even react to the fact that Staal has possession of the puck and just buzzes around in the circle marking a Pens player (?).

[ThaLiveKing]

Look how the cpu scored 7 goals on me in the 3rd period lol

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ay_lYxbahkU

[Diehardfan]

Ok, first actual gameplay I've seen....and they're saying that this is a new game?

Really?

[knich]

Quote: Originally Posted by mkharsh33

not trying to sound critical, but how does the dev team at EA continually miss what we are seeing? it's the SAME GAME year after year... with the same issues each year. I've watched a good deal of videos on this new title - and there's no way I'd buy it. some of it just doesn't even look like real hockey. had higher hopes...just really disappointed. if everyone else is, then hold your money and don't impulse buy. it's too bad...

I think they have made some strides in a nice way. But the poor AI and unusable sliders are unacceptable. They even did an EASHL thing so people could test. Don't see how the AI could be as bad as it continues to be. The NZ problem is the most glaring of all and has been present for years.

[knich]

Quote: Originally Posted by jake19ny

So it appears albeit early to call that the offline penalty calling is indeed messed up again. It also appears reading other posts that the slider controlling penalty calls does nothing once again. Shame because despite all its flaws I was able to tweak NHL14 to be enjoyable but this problem made it really hard to enjoy playing a full season and if its present in NHL 16 I don't know if I can play through it.

I tried 20 minute period and 1 penalty. While that can happen IRL, the other games I played had no penalties at 15 min. I had to go down to 15 minutes (and now lower) because the ridiculous AI shoots 50 times a game and that's after it hangs in the NZ for 5 min each period.

[jdl24]

I'm confident that most of the gameplay issues can be corrected through tuner updates and patches. As long as the demand is there hopefully EA will comply.

[ThaLiveKing]

Quote: Originally Posted by jdl24

I'm confident that most of the gameplay issues can be corrected through tuner updates and patches. As long as the demand is there hopefully EA will comply.

Usually they're good. 15 played to my liking after a few tune ups. I'm sure there's one on Tuesday

[BL8001]

Ok I started making videos of when the cpu assists the scorer while facing backwards away from the play and then gave up because I could make a video almost every game of the cpu scoring this way. I have two vids on my ipad and 1 on my phone.

It's the same deal every time. The cpu is in a non threatening place being defended and facing the wrong direction but then makes a perfect tape to tape pass for the one timer goal.

On one the cpu was a righty facing the boards about a foot from them and I was behind him defending, he somehow warped the puck from his left to his right AND banked if off the board directly to his near post team mate who one timed it in.

EA must fix this. Simply nerf passing accuracy when facing the wrong direction.

This is what made me turn off manual passing. If the game is going to make it harder for me to pass it station to station facing the pass recipient on manual yet pull this passing nonsense on the other end...no thank you.