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

[Earl1963]

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

This game is not impressive looking at all, why so many think that? This is next gen and to me NHL 15 looks way too washed out.

[lockjaw333]

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

This game is not impressive looking at all, why so many think that? This is next gen and to me NHL 15 looks way too washed out.

Outside of the TV style presentation I don't think this game is impressive visually at all for a next gen title. The first problem is that its obviously low resolution, seems to be 720pish, which frankly is extremely jarring now that most if not all of the other sports games are 1080p. There's also a considerable amount of blur, not sure where that is coming from, possibly a post-process AA solution, but it makes the whole game seem blurry. Also the player models look mostly identical to last gen, unlike a game like Madden where this is a huge step up in player models for '15. I'm not sure why the visuals are so meh, and why the game seemingly is having a difficult time displaying them...

[2kguy]

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

Outside of the TV style presentation I don't think this game is impressive visually at all for a next gen title. The first problem is that its obviously low resolution, seems to be 720pish, which frankly is extremely jarring now that most if not all of the other sports games are 1080p. There's also a considerable amount of blur, not sure where that is coming from, possibly a post-process AA solution, but it makes the whole game seem blurry. Also the player models look mostly identical to last gen, unlike a game like Madden where this is a huge step up in player models for '15. I'm not sure why the visuals are so meh, and why the game seemingly is having a difficult time displaying them...

I agree completely with this. Resolution-wise it looks far below the standards of all other PS4 games I have played and as you said it looks washed out. I was coming here to see if there was any additional information from the developer on this. Any chances this is just because it is a demo and the final version will be much improved? I will not be purchasing the game if this is how it looks - ruins the experience for me.

[Qb]

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

I agree completely with this. Resolution-wise it looks far below the standards of all other PS4 games I have played and as you said it looks washed out. I was coming here to see if there was any additional information from the developer on this. Any chances this is just because it is a demo and the final version will be much improved? I will not be purchasing the game if this is how it looks - ruins the experience for me.

Yes, there's a chance it's due to demo limitations, but to my knowledge, there's been no comment from EA on the matter. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised either way.

[bwiggy33]

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

Yea and it did help a little with the forecheck down low. However there is zero sense of awareness by my AI teammates on where the puck is. They just skate around as of they couldn't care less about the single most important part of the game. It's kind of silly.

You are most definitely correct. You can change the forechecking slider all you want but the AI still doesn't have puck awareness or any of that. It's sad to see. With all of the modes being stripped from the game you'd think AI would have at least been focused on. They say they did but quite honestly I don't see any change to the AI from last gen to this gen. They still play the same way. I do think the strategy sliders are working better this gen though.

[TerminallyOdd]

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

I agree completely with this. Resolution-wise it looks far below the standards of all other PS4 games I have played and as you said it looks washed out. I was coming here to see if there was any additional information from the developer on this. Any chances this is just because it is a demo and the final version will be much improved? I will not be purchasing the game if this is how it looks - ruins the experience for me.

I suppose it's possible, but at this point it seems unlikely. The fact that the question has been posed to EA via their forums, twitter and Rammer's twitter as well, yet has still not been addressed, doesn't bode well for that possibility.

I'm with you though. I still think the game looks good, but resolution is clearly not up to current standards, which is having me lean towards not buying the game on principle.

[ricky24]

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

Maybe they shouldn't have wasted so many resources on recording a "live" pregame for ever scenario. Am I the only who thought the actual real life footage came across as corny and forced?

[bigwill33]

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

EA "worked" on the AI several years ago when they put in all the different formations. It was the year after Tampa went to the conference finals, beating my Pens along the way, playing their 1-3-1 system.

I remember Rammer being so geeked that they had all of these new AI formations in the game and he made all of the videos that showcased them all off.

Well, they haven't touched them since. And the entire AI goes wonky if you pull a man out of position or get beat or caught. Not to mention that they don't know how to adapt or play basic hockey outside of those formations should they be attacked with something that takes advantage of it. So when you play a computer and beat their formation with a tactic, good luck to them recognizing it and fixing the break.

Combine that with all of the other shortcomings of the game's AI and it makes for some ugly hockey at times.

[sweetjones]

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

EA "worked" on the AI several years ago when they put in all the different formations. It was the year after Tampa went to the conference finals, beating my Pens along the way, playing their 1-3-1 system.

I remember Rammer being so geeked that they had all of these new AI formations in the game and he made all of the videos that showcased them all off.

Well, they haven't touched them since. And the entire AI goes wonky if you pull a man out of position or get beat or caught. Not to mention that they don't know how to adapt or play basic hockey outside of those formations should they be attacked with something that takes advantage of it. So when you play a computer and beat their formation with a tactic, good luck to them recognizing it and fixing the break.

Combine that with all of the other shortcomings of the game's AI and it makes for some ugly hockey at times.

This goes back to my point I made a couple of days ago. I truly believe they have no idea on how to improve the AI. This should have been a before next gen improvement. Im just starting to take the game for what it is. We will never see a Real Hockey Video game from EA or at least from this current dev team. It's so unfortunate that there's no competition.

[Peter10]

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

Guys, you are giving me a tough time. I really intended to buy a PS4 and play this game, although i was rather bored quickly with the previous editions.

My main beef during the years has been that it was too easy to detect the way the game wants you to play. Once you have figured that out, it has gotten way too easy even on the hardest level. Even if you play by the "house rules", when the game got somewhat tight i found myself doing what is "expected" to score. It may be that i am just lacking the discipline to contain myself but it always seemed like a catch 22 to me. I know excatly how to beat the AI but i am not allowing myself to do it only to have fun.

If you guys could tell me it was half as close to NHL 2k3/4/5 i would buy it instantly but i am seriously concerned it wont get any close to that.

I am reading comments saying that with slider/team strategy adjustment the game might be able to reflect what i want but i am seriously concerned with the game. I could justify spending the money for the game but in my case i would also have to buy a PS4, so any comment pro or contra would be highly appriciated.

[bigwill33]

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

Guys, you are giving me a tough time. I really intended to buy a PS4 and play this game, although i was rather bored quickly with the previous editions.

My main beef during the years has been that it was too easy to detect the way the game wants you to play. Once you have figured that out, it has gotten way too easy even on the hardest level. Even if you play by the "house rules", when the game got somewhat tight i found myself doing what is "expected" to score. It may be that i am just lacking the discipline to contain myself but it always seemed like a catch 22 to me. I know excatly how to beat the AI but i am not allowing myself to do it only to have fun.

If you guys could tell me it was half as close to NHL 2k3/4/5 i would buy it instantly but i am seriously concerned it wont get any close to that.

I am reading comments saying that with slider/team strategy adjustment the game might be able to reflect what i want but i am seriously concerned with the game. I could justify spending the money for the game but in my case i would also have to buy a PS4, so any comment pro or contra would be highly appriciated.

I feel the same way as you, handicapping myself to get a more true experience. As I said before, you wouldn't play a baseball game where every time you bunted the ball it was a base hit and still enjoy it. You wouldn't fire up a football game where a toss right went for a first down every time. Why are we stuck with a hockey game that has so many money plays and refuses to adapt or counter them after half of a decade of the same stuff.

My personal advice to you is this: Wait until the weekend to decide. By Thursday enough of us here, and many other people, will have the Xbox One version. You can watch those people play on streaming sites like Twitch to get an idea of what to expect.

I hope to answer a lot of people's questions about the game play myself. It will be a very busy weekend for me, however. I am heading to Miami on Sat/Sun for the Phins/Pats game so my time will be limited, but I plan on helping out people on the fence in any way I can with honest critiques of what I find in playing.

[Penaltybox4ever]

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

Anyone getting a blur effect on visor in replays or after a goal when scorer skates by the bench for example? Looks really cheap, little things like that really puts me off...

[Earl1963]

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

I also find scoring is pretty easy. There are ways you can score at a high percentage in this series and nothing has changed this gen. In the crease skating from right to left of the goalie and shooting it left or blocker side of goal tender, = SCORE.


Sent using a telephone

[Sip_16]

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

I got to say I am enjoying the demo and looking forward to next Tuesday. There is definitely still some work to do but the groundwork I believe is there and I will have a lot of fun with this game.

One thing that I have tried that I never had before was play on True broadcast (heard some people mentioning it on here). It was a little tricky to get used to but the visual aspect is amazing, looks real. I didn't realize you could see plays happening that I didn't see before and I found it more fun setting up in the offensive end. I think it makes it more of a challenge offensively and defensively and can't wait to start a Be A GM with it.

[Penaltybox4ever]

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

I got to say I am enjoying the demo and looking forward to next Tuesday. There is definitely still some work to do but the groundwork I believe is there and I will have a lot of fun with this game.

One thing that I have tried that I never had before was play on True broadcast (heard some people mentioning it on here). It was a little tricky to get used to but the visual aspect is amazing, looks real. I didn't realize you could see plays happening that I didn't see before and I found it more fun setting up in the offensive end. I think it makes it more of a challenge offensively and defensively and can't wait to start a Be A GM with it.

Yeah, didnt play any other camera than True Broadcast in NHL14, except in BaP of course. Had problem last year with bottom corners since sometimes camera didnt pan there enough. Especially on forecheck but havent encountered that in demo so that's good.
Remember to change aim setting to Always Up which help alot in True Broadcast camera. Especially if youre using skillstick.