NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

[StoneColdSwede]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

The game looks amazing on broadcast view.

I started off on the default camera angle and it felt like I was playing NHL 10 all over again.

Once I changed to True Broadcast it was like a whole new game for me. Not changing back.

[Smirkin Dirk]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

I started off on the default camera angle and it felt like I was playing NHL 10 all over again.

Once I changed to True Broadcast it was like a whole new game for me. Not changing back.

Same.

It's just a matter of adjusting the controller muscle memory to the side on view.

[Gerg04]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

After trying "true broadcast" last night and not really liking it, I have given "broadcast" try this morning.

This is the way this game is meant to be played. While "always up" is the most comfortable and nostalgic way, this game needs to be played on some sort of "broadcast" camera angle.

With the new puck physics and the way the cpu defends (All-star / hardcore) it really changes the feel of the game. And definitely for the better. Past iterations of the series didn't benefit the way 15' does on broadcast (IMO) because everything was tape to tape all the time.

Shots and scoring chances come at a premium and are very rewarding. Passing is harder, hitting is harder, but staying in position on D seems easier. Plus there'll be a learning curve at first. At least for myself.

All in all I went to bed pretty disappointed last night after a few games. This morning it's like new life has been breathed into this game!

[Qb]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

After trying "true broadcast" last night and not really liking it, I have given "broadcast" try this morning.

This is the way this game is meant to be played. While "always up" is the most comfortable and nostalgic way, this game needs to be played on some sort of "broadcast" camera angle.

I used the side-scrolling broadcast camera for years offline and it does give a better view of the action. It's easier to see plays develop, find your D at the point, etc. Once you adjust to the controls, the biggest drawback is not having as good a look at shooting lanes/angles compared to going up with a lower camera.

I got away from it when my offline play dwindled and my time was mostly spent in EASHL. OTP controls are locked to always up; obviously that doesn't mesh with a side view. Redshirt looked into it, but unfortunately it couldn't be changed. So I settled back into up & down with some custom cameras.

I briefly tried true broadcast on the demo and it sure looks good. I find it hard to play, but with OTP on the shelf for now, maybe it's time to give the side views another go.

[Simple Mathematics]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

I am having a blast with the demo. If we can't edit players this year I will be heart broken. With the Revamped rosters and a good slider set this game will be amazing.

[Gerg04]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

I used the side-scrolling broadcast camera for years offline and it does give a better view of the action. It's easier to see plays develop, find your D at the point, etc. Once you adjust to the controls, the biggest drawback is not having as good a look at shooting lanes/angles compared to going up with a lower camera.

I got away from it when my offline play dwindled and my time was mostly spent in EASHL. OTP controls are locked to always up; obviously that doesn't mesh with a side view. Redshirt looked into it, but unfortunately it couldn't be changed. So I settled back into up & down with some custom cameras.

I briefly tried true broadcast on the demo and it sure looks good. I find it hard to play, but with OTP on the shelf for now, maybe it's time to give the side views another go.

Yea true broadcast looks great but has some weird zoom angles that make things difficult. And you're right about the shooting lanes being a little tougher to see.

Oddly enough I have to leave the controls on "always up" as opposed to "camera relative". Muscle memory is en grained in my head to the point where any other way is just impossible for me.

[Södy]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

The only way I can play Broadcast cameras is with the hybrid controls, so button shooting. And that is a drawback aswell. I stay with classic and always up.

[gopher_guy]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

Impressions:

Presentation:
Good - The presentation on the game so far is pretty amazing. The views from outside the stadium, to the announcers pre-game. All really stunning work, and it really helps pull off the feel of the game. I will be skipping those details a lot once the game is in full swing, but I love the work they put into it. I really think Eddie and Doc breath new life into the commentary in the game. It was weird at first not hearing Gary and Bill, but I adjusted very quickly. The NBC presentation is also very well done.

Bad - The sometimes get quite behind a play. The calls also don't always match up well to the intensity or importance or the lack of either in the game. This is a bit forgivable though since at the end of the day it's still a video game, and they had to pre-record all of these sound bites.

Graphics:
Good - The game is visually stunning. It's the best game I've played on my PS4 so far. The arenas are really polished, and the fans look fantastic. The crowd definitely feels more real than in any other sports game I've played so far. It puts Madden to shame.

I really love the way the ice looks. During a replay I forgot I was looking at a video game for a second.

Bad - The sweaters look amazing, but the way they flutter is a bit much. They feel like they need some more weight to them. As others have said, they give off a tissue paper vibe. The faces look amazing, but some of the face scans don't look exactly like the players. Probably has to do with the shape of the faces. There is still some clipping that goes on, especially with the goalie and the net and the refs.

Sound:
Good - The game sounds fantastic. I love hearing the skates on the ice. The stadium music, and goal sounds make you really feel like you're watching the game on TV.

Gameplay:
Good - The game definitely feels different from past-gen on the sticks. The players feel a lot more weighty, and have better momentum to their movements.

The puck behaves more normally, and getting those rebound goals is so satisfying. It's really night and day from NHL 14. This makes scoring goals a lot more life like as well. There are some crazy things that happen that result in goals by forcing the goalie out of position. Really fun and it feels realistic.

The players collisions are both good and bad, but mostly good. Watching guys trip and get mixed up is pretty fun, and adds to the game.

The computer is definitely smarter with the puck. They spread it out and keep it away from you better. They're a lot better with this when they pull their goalie too. I caught myself chasing the puck in order to have a shot at the empty net, not realizing that this was no longer NHL 14, and that they wouldn't give it up nearly as easy.

You really have to be careful with your passes this year. They're a lot less likely to go through skates, sticks, and legs than in past-gen. Sending it at someones skates is a sure fire way to lose the puck.

Bad - Some of the problems from past gen are still around. The AI just doesn't seem all their at times despite many of the improvements. You'll make a hit, or get hit, and have a team mate next to you who won't go after the puck, or you'll make a hit, and switch guys on accident and your last controlled player closest to the puck will seem completely oblivious to where the puck is.

The AI still stacks up at the blue line, and they don't dump it in when they should. I would like to see this logic reworked a lot.

The board play seemed a lot harder to engage so far. I've played quite a few games, and the suction being reduced is a good thing, but it also seems really hard to engage at times. I really hope board play is reworked next year.

Final verdict: Overall I'm very excited for the game. It's made a lot of very good strides towards a promising future. NHL 15 isn't perfect by any means, but it's a great building block for the future.

Good post.

I think your point about the jerseys is good. I noticed the same thing. I get what they're trying to do, but sometimes it looks like the jerseys have the same weight/thickness of a kleenex. Would like to see the fluttering toned back a bit.

[Sparkles]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

I got a chance to play the demo last night at my friends house and I must say, it was amazing. This morning I played nhl 14 and it sucked haha. I miss 15!!!! Can't wait for my purchase of the xbox one

[bwiggy33]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

I don't know, bwiggy, I saw a good bit of pucks out of play last year when playing online. Lots of shots that hit sticks on the ice and went up and over the glass and especially the pucks off of the cross bar and goalies that bounced over the glass.

It almost feels like in this demo the glass is too high on the ends or the puck just doesn't have that extra spring off of the objects it interacts with. It is way better than the bouncing basketball like puck of last year's post tuner adjustment, but needs a tad more fine tuning, imo.

That surprises me then. I rented 14 from gamefly and played it for maybe an hour, but from what I saw it looked exactly like 07-13 in that regard. The entire last gen just seemed like pucks were tuned to only go so high to prevent whistles, unless of course you do the flip dump way too high. Either way I've never liked this area of the game. The fact goalies never deflect pucks out of play is just another thing about the goalie portion of this game that ticks me off.

[cp22]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

Gameplay was pretty good. I wasn't too impressed with the graphics. They're nice but they are not on the same level as Madden, nba 2k, or The Show.

I may be interested in HUT this year, does anyone know what the period length generally is?

[Gotmilkman24]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

5 minutes per period.
However it may still change.

[Gagnon39]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

I don't think there's any doubt I'll be turning the commentary completely off. I love Doc and Eddie-O but the play-by-play in the demo is simply horrible.

[meep316]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

The more I play it, the more I can't stand it. Just the sheer IDIOCY of these people making the game. Why the **** is the same ****ing button that advances the cutscene the one to change my faceoff??? Did one person seriously not play this and stand up and go "This is the stupidest thing we've ever done." ?

Why the **** is there no "restart" option after I finish my game? So I have to go all the way back to the beginning and reset all of my stuff and take 200 years just to get into another 2 minute game.

Why the **** do I have to do all of my settings every single time?

What the **** is the point of the 2-3 strategy if I never have help attacking the puck carrier in the offensive zone? There is never any forecheck whatsoever. Unless of course, I'm in my own zone, then the forecheck is insane.

Why the **** is there no overtime?

Why the **** is it 2 minute periods? I can't do ANYTHING in 2 minutes, just give us one 5 minute period.

The AI is still the same lazy bull****. Instead of making them play smarter on a higher difficulty, they unrealistically make them too good and just throw all ratings out the window. Any time they poke the puck, it's off my stick and onto theirs. I can't do anything. They let you walk into the zone completely uncontested, then there are four guys on you immediately and not a single teammate anywhere near you supporting you for a pass.

Nobody skates to obvious open space. Odd man rushes are a joke. You can't play this game with any realism. They WANT you to deke deke deke swerve around. There is no incentive whatsoever to use any of your teammates because they all have their heads up their asses.

Nobody puts themselves in position to shoot. Lefty/Righty is ignored. A guy will put himself on his off side, leaving no possible way for him to get a shot off if you pass to him. It's garbage. I honestly question if they play the game or not, or if they ever even watch hockey. Seriously it is SO bad.

[Blzer]

Re: NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

Why the **** is there no "restart" option after I finish my game? So I have to go all the way back to the beginning and reset all of my stuff and take 200 years just to get into another 2 minute game.

Why the **** do I have to do all of my settings every single time?

Why the **** is there no overtime?

Why the **** is it 2 minute periods? I can't do ANYTHING in 2 minutes, just give us one 5 minute period.

The answer to all these is that this is only on the demo.

I think this is really the wise way to do it, because it stops me from playing too much and being oversaturated by this game before the final product. Obviously the final product will have these settings, features, and save files so you won't have these issues.

Your other complaints are probably rather legitimate in that they will appear in the retail version of the game.