NHL 19 Trial For EA Access Subscribers Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here

[MizzouRah]

Maybe it's because Madden 19 has patched the heck out of their franchise mode and has me playing it daily or maybe it's because I have a backlog of Steam games on my pc or maybe it's because my Blues are terrible this year so far. Whatever the reason, I cannot get into NHL 19.

The skating is improved for sure, but the game still feels exactly the same as years past. The CPU AI does the same thing game in and game out. I could put generic jerseys on players and hide the teams name and you wouldn't know Pittsburgh from San Jose, or Conner McDavid from David Perron.

There is nothing in franchise mode that isn't old hat. Sure, we can send scouts out now, but that does nothing for the repetitive game play. The announcing is the same, panned shots around the arenas the same, replays are the same, faceoffs are the same, I could go on and on. Franchise mode has no feeling and the worst part is the game play is predictable and tiresome.

I should have purchased a physical copy so maybe I could go back to release without patching or tuners, would that even help? I know I was having fun at first but was that just because it was THE new NHL hockey game?

I know my love for Madden this year is mostly because I haven't played Madden in many years, maybe it's time for NHL to get that treatment? I just don't have the desire to play at this point in time... hopefully that changes at some point because I love hockey more than any other sport.

[SocialAssassin]

These games are a pile of crap. You know full well a game you're going to get shutout because the opposing goalie makes every ridiculous save under the sun. I got shutout two games in a row 1-0 outshooting the teams I played by a total of 78-22 and I couldn't score. F this.

[ODogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by SocialAssassin

These games are a pile of crap. You know full well a game you're going to get shutout because the opposing goalie makes every ridiculous save under the sun. I got shutout two games in a row 1-0 outshooting the teams I played by a total of 78-22 and I couldn't score. F this.

Man I never get shut out, I don't know what you're doing wrong..I usually get about 2-4 goals


Sent from my iPad using Operation Sports

[Armor and Sword]

My last and only version on the PS4 of this game was 16.

I am more of a casual hockey video gamer. And this is a significant upgrade for sure. Both in the depth of franchise mode and gameplay. I just dove into the deep end and started an expansion franchise and am loving it.

Really fun game.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[Money99]

Fired up NHL 19 for the first time in a long time.
Took C'Bus vs TB and 10 minutes in I'm up 3-0. It was becoming a bit of a cakewalk so I thought maybe I should raise it from Pro to All-star.
I lost 6-3 and maybe had 1 legit scoring chance the rest of the game.
The CPU won ever puck battle, got to every loose puck first, threaded needles, fired lasers,....etc, etc. You get the picture.

Why can't we have a nice slope through the various difficulty levels.
Why do I go from playing with kittens to being thrown into a Lions den?

The thing that really frustrates me to no end is how the CPU can do things I can't.
They make these quick little jukes at the blueline all the time to get away from my defender.
I CAN'T DO THAT!!! Why not???
Also, several times when my dman has the puck along the boards and I get two guys coming at me, my only option is to pass forward to my winger on the same side.
The problem is, as soon as I press 'pass', the CPU's dman jumps forward and intercepts the puck.
Why does my winger never, ever, every jump into open ice to receive a pass? There is always lots of real-estate there for him to get away from his shadow, but never does.

Which bring me to my next point, it seems like the CPU has a spidey-sense to always know when I'm about to pass or shoot. That's because it does.
The split second I press either, the CPU jumps in the lane to intercept the pass or warp into a hit so I can't get a good shot off.

I had a good slider set on Pro that worked for me. What I'm praying for is that when I changed the difficulty from Pro to All-star, it wiped out all my sliders in favour of the default All-Star slider set.

Even with good sliders, I'm still sick and tired of feeling like I'm stickhandling in mud, and moving laterally in mud, when the CPU can jump and deke and jive all over the ice like a waterbug.

I never see this changing though. That's because if the user is provided the ability to do these things, then the CPU will no longer be a competent opponent.
It needs these cheats because the AI is so weak, it can't win without them.

[kerosene31]

I've pretty much given up on the game. With all star the CPU just can take the puck away from me at any point. I'm skating with someone behind me and they can somehow poke through my body and steal the puck and go the other way. Not just poke the puck mind you, but just steal it. They can turn on a dime while I feel like a dump truck, no matter how many points I put into skating.

Plus the CPU AI vs my teammates (I'm playing Be a pro) is just a joke. I come over the line and 3 players converge on me. Meanwhile my CPU teammates can't even properly pick up a zone dump while we're on the PP without getting board pinned and creating a short handed chance.

My CPU teammates will only pass to me when I'm on the backhand. I get into the slot in perfect shooting position with no defenders blocking the pass and nothing. They'll wait until I am almost out of the slot and on the backhand, so I basically have no chance of scoring. It is totally scripted because I can make it happen anytime.

The Division 2 is the first game in a long time to actually show some major AI improvements (shooters seem to ignore it just as much). EA needs to put a ton of time into AI for me to buy another one of their games. I'm just at a point where pro is too easy but all star is no fun.

[SuperGoalies]

am gonna give my impression, I really like NHL 19, so... I hope u release rosters all the way to Stanley cup finals, I love goalie mode and coach mode and franchise, I only like playing goalies in be a pro and sometimes as forward, but I just wish scoring as forward for be a pro wasn't too hard to get shot off, I felt most of times as forward I was fighting off least 3-4 AI CPU off of me.


coach mode is best thing I've ever seen don't change it, I hope it comes back next year.


now... for 20 minutes, I wish shots we're lower and hit totals lower, when playing franchise as a user controlling players on ice, I wish time of Attack was higher, its way too low, doesn't go past 7-8 minutes, in real NHL TOA is like 15-35-45 if its OT or double over time.


20 minutes this year has been very playable to me, I was finally able to lower scores lower.


if I was gonna rate NHL 19 it would be 4/5, its not perfect yet, but its good to play and sucks my time away.