Let's face it ...

[tvman]

It's European hockey at it's finest.

[bwiggy33]

Quote: Originally Posted by gopher_guy

Let the consumer decide! Hardcore game mode could include the AI that is tight in the neutral zone.

100% agreed. That's what pretty much everyone on here has stressed at one point or another. Options are a sports gamers best friend. That's the great thing about The Show and why I enjoy it so much. They have options galore whether it be in franchise mode or selecting the difficulty levels or other gameplay options. You basically customize the game how you want it to play. NHL limits us with that, however that addition of Custom AI has helped. If they can just keep expanding with that I think we could all get to a point where each and every one of us would enjoy the game because you can change it to how you want it to play.

[tofubrain2]

Quote: Originally Posted by bwiggy33

100% agreed. That's what pretty much everyone on here has stressed at one point or another. Options are a sports gamers best friend. That's the great thing about The Show and why I enjoy it so much. They have options galore whether it be in franchise mode or selecting the difficulty levels or other gameplay options. You basically customize the game how you want it to play. NHL limits us with that, however that addition of Custom AI has helped. If they can just keep expanding with that I think we could all get to a point where each and every one of us would enjoy the game because you can change it to how you want it to play.

It's literally been the same game since NHL 08. The meat and bones of this title has played THE SAME WAY for the last 4 years. It's like putting make-up on my grandmother, either way she's still old as the sun.

EA Canada would be less pretentious if they would let the dog off the leash and allow us to customize their game to the way we all would like it, whether it be simulation or arcade. Until then, the skating looks real pretty and feels nice but ITS THE SAME GAME annually.

[Al_Tito13]

Just to be able to compare the two games, I decided to put my NHL 12 disk in last night and play two games on it. After that, I can really say that NHL 13 is a HUGE upgrade over 12. There are a few things that we don't remember from 12 after playing 13 for this many hours, but going back to it was not really good.

First thing I noticed was the graphics. Lighting and player jerseys are much improved and look much more real. There were also other improvements in that area, but these were the two that stood out for me right off the bat.

The skating engine is so improved compared to last year, it's not even in the same league. Anybody who is saying that with the latest patch and tuner, the game went back to NHL 12 skating should go back playing a game on 12 and if he still say the same thing after that, then he's probably simply malicious, because there's really a world of difference, especially while pivoting and back-skating. In fact, every player felt almost exactly the same skating-wise in 12, from the fastest to the slowest player.

Player positioning and poke checks were also not really good in NHL 12 either. Pass reception ease was exceptionally high and there were very little strategies to choose from.

So, all in all, NHL 13 is not perfect and has flaws like every other game, but it's still a huge upgrade over NHL 12, no doubt about it for me.

[catcatch22]

Quote: Originally Posted by Al_Tito13

Just to be able to compare the two games, I decided to put my NHL 12 disk in last night and play two games on it. After that, I can really say that NHL 13 is a HUGE upgrade over 12. There are a few things that we don't remember from 12 after playing 13 for this many hours, but going back to it was not really good. First thing I noticed was the graphics. Lighting and player jerseys are much improved and look much more real. There were also other improvements in that area, but these were the two that stood out for me right off the bat.....

I think what you are arguing is not what the original poster is arguing. He is saying that the game though better is not representing the sport in a free flowing environment.

In other words like many have said since NHL 08, the game does not flow freely. The game is ruled by a feel of... predetermined results that take away the flow of the game.

Case in point would be that at times all the way back to NHL 08 the game would have instances where you were unstoppable or vice versa to no extraordinary play of your own.

This is where I think many have issue with the game. Too many lucky bounces rule. What it does is it forces you to play a style different from real hockey to win competitively online or against the CPU. Yes you can adjust sliders and what not to adjust if you are new to the game however veterans who have been adjusting sliders and playing online in the EASHL and HUT have grown so good at gaming the game or feeling the feel of the game that sliders no longer can give you the magic of first playing the game in NHL 08 and also give that sim feel that many want.

Is there a fix for this, not sure. Backbreaker was the only somewhat free flowing game out there and even that game was adherent to predetermined instances which all games of this generation need.

Can a true free flowing game exist on this platform of systems with all the requirements needed of memory, graphics and what not? Probably not. Does EA do the best it can with what it has? Probably. However this style has worn thin on those who have been with the series the last 5 years and more.

The game engine that is being used is past its prime and I am not sure if they want to go in a direction of free flow since in a more constricted game you can better show differences in players and styles and what not. Well only time will tell but just because someone has a difference of opinion do not shout him down by saying it is his fault. This game is not close to true hockey simulation in terms of its flow but does a good job for those recently new to the franchise.

[Al_Tito13]

Quote: Originally Posted by catcatch22

I think what you are arguing is not what the original poster is arguing. He is saying that the game though better is not representing the sport in a free flowing environment. In other words like many have said since NHL 08, the game does not flow freely. The game is ruled by a feel of... predetermined results that take away the flow of the game.

I'm actually not arguing with the original poster here, I'm simply giving my thought on the game compared to last year's one, based on an actual test I did last night, because a lot of people are saying that NHL 13 is not a real improvement over NHL 12. I read it in this thread and also in many others.

This is a game, so it won't ever be perfect or represent exactly what the real game is, it's impossible. There will always be flaws. However, I don't see what some people are calling 'comeback code' or 'predetermined results'. If I play sound defensively and doing a good job adjusting myself, I have no trouble at all. If I get scored, even in the last minutes of a game, most of the time, I really think that I deserved it.

Like I said before, I like the game as it is right now, but if you ask me, I would certainly love to have a more realistic one, with a sloppier gameplay, less tape to tape passes, more difficult zone entry, more neutral zone play, etc. However, I know that the game is also played a lot by casual gamers who want to have fun and don't bother about the realism at all. I think EA did a great job this year by giving us hardcore gamers a more realistic gameplay while still giving the casual ones what they want. I repeat myself, for me, the game is a huge upgrade over NHL 12.

I think that having an hardcore mode that would be giving a much more realistic and sloppy gameplay would be ideal for people who want it. I would also like to have more sliders to edit and a scale from 0 to 100 for each of them (like it's the case in Madden for example), instead of simply a 0 to 6 scale. But I also know that this would represent a lot of work for EA.

Some people don't like the game and I respect their opinion. However, I personally love it. Even if there are flaws, and even if I know them, I don't consistently ask myself what could have been better or what I don't like every time I play, I simply enjoy it, because this is still a great game.

[GlennN]

While I agree there has been an improvement on the ice in 13, we disagree on the degree. I truly find little improvement since 10 (and no substantial improvement in BeAGM mode at all since 10).

OP said 13 was a terrible game (something, to his credit, he did later agree was an overstatement). I immediately disagreed - it is far from a terrible game. However, it is an incremental advancement (if any at all) over 12 (which was barely any better than 11, which was no better than 10). Let's keep this all in perspective - 13 is not a bad game at all, but I do not feel anyone should pay full price for such a minor advancement.

I agree totally with tofubrain2 - EA needs to change the same old thing they give us every year.

[Vikes1]

Quote: Originally Posted by Al_Tito13

Like I said before, I like the game as it is right now, but if you ask me, I would certainly love to have a more realistic one, with a sloppier gameplay, less tape to tape passes, more difficult zone entry, more neutral zone play, etc. However, I know that the game is also played a lot by casual gamers who want to have fun and don't bother about the realism at all. I think EA did a great job this year by giving us hardcore gamers a more realistic gameplay while still giving the casual ones what they want. I repeat myself, for me, the game is a huge upgrade over NHL 12.

I see things pretty much the same way.

The game is imo, moving closer and closer to a more realistic playing hockey game. To me...the new skating and puck physic alone have made a huge difference. Just a few years ago, you'd slap shot the puck against the boards from 10' away...and the puck would just lay against the boards. I doubt I could even play a hockey game like that again. And the skating now imo, has made a world of difference.

Like you Tito, I also respect others opinion. But I do disagree with those that say the gameplay just isn't all that much different from '12'. Heck...that's what makes our board great, and keeps me coming back. That our members see things differently, and can respectfully disagree with each other. If we all saw things the exact same way...this place would be a bore.