NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

[BL8001]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

Carry, I would say 100% drop down to rookie.

It helped me tremendously for faceoffs. I now can usually win more than the cpu.

But it does help with all aspects of the game. You get a little more time on the puck without being checked or poked or harassed and you can see how the play develops in the O end.

On D you can see what the CPU is doing without it being as lethal.

You can straight up play a play now on rookie or mix it up and go over to NHL Moments and try some on rookie. Either way you can lab the game pretty nicely this way.

Practice mode is awesome but if you go 5-5 you will get your A$$ handed to you. I wish the CPU D didn't get a point in that mode for goalie coverups. If I keep the puck in your zone that should be a wash, not a point for good D.

[centauris]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

Really enjoyed my first night of EASHL and a couple single player games..

only nit pick is that i wish the goal horns were much louder.

[gopher_guy]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

I'd say my biggest complaint right now is that your CPU teammates don't seem to help very much in the offensive zone. I've been trying to set up a cycle a few times, but the forwards more or less post up, rather than coming towards you to cycle.

[muelly]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

I got 15, I’m not really a hockey fan. I may watch it on TV from time to time, I’ll follow the playoffs but that’s about it. I started a offline franchise last year and was have a lot of fun. Does 16 have enough in it for a casual player like myself to invest $60 or would I be better served continuing on 15? My kids are starting to get into playing hockey so I’ve gained more interest, last year considered making NHL a bi-yearly buy but have heard 15 was pretty pathetic. I however hadn’t played a NHL game since 99, and was quite happy with 15 tbh.

[nddurst]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

This may have already been mentioned elsewhere, but the swaying jerseys are way to wiggly, like they are made out of jello, at least in the cut scenes.

Overall I find the game play pretty solid, but I'm pretty bored with the series. Going to trade it back soon.

From the videos I've seen for NHL 16, the wavy jerseys seemed toned down quite a bit but maybe that's just me.

[Stormyhog]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

Really hate the pin point passing by the cpu way to accurate. Overall I'm enjoying the game just seeing some stuff that irritates me.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

A couple videos, and I'll preface this by saying I like a lot of the mechanics and what EA has done with the game.

Take a look at passes one and three in this sequence and the way the puck changes directions off the stick.

Since the AI is able to make so many impossible passes it negates the need for the AI to provide support in the d and offensive zone.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sK9mi4xuWlg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here is Shawn Thornton looking dominant one on one and successfully doing a little dangle. This should probably never happen. Player differentiation needs to be better.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OIPkGSvmqBY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Shawn Thornton again showing off some amazing hands gathering a rebound, getting it to his forehand before rifling a perfect pass.

Second part of the vid, how does the Panthers player get so much power and accuracy on the pass from that position.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CZwxd8a8ieA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Vmascarello]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One &amp; PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

I like the game and Ill play it alot. But, I just took a look at tge feature set for NBA 2k16 MyGM and it looks absolutely amazing. EA has no shot in hell of ever coming close to 2k in terms of single player offline experience.

If anyone has a chance and pull up the new features and overhaul of MyGM for NBA 2k16, and youll see what I mean. If I was a multi-millionaire, I would fund 2k to make a hockey game. Because, until they do, I dont think GM mode enthusiasts will be satisfied.

In the meantime, EA has at least put together a game that is worth playing and fun. Even if it seems way behind in terms of things you'd like to see as a GM mode player.

[BL8001]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One &amp; PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

Yep bad_p,

All EA games suffer from this need for the puck or ball to always go to someone. It's never enough for it just to be loose.

It seems to be getting a little better each game they put out but that spectre remains...

Secondly, when a player, particularly the CPU is interacting with the ball or puck there is always this rush of animations transitioning them from loss of control to perfection.

That vid of the perfect pass across the goal mere seconds after the puck bounces off his chest is so indicative of this.

If after he hit it he played a so so pass or even just choose to bring it back out and reset, either would be acceptable. Instead the games favor the outlandish and improbable, particularly in regards to CPU behavior.

[MizzouRah]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One &amp; PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

For the player separation issue.. anyone mess with the attribute effect slider? I though that slider allowed you to tweak how the attributes effect the players?

[Money99]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One &amp; PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

For the player separation issue.. anyone mess with the attribute effect slider? I though that slider allowed you to tweak how the attributes effect the players?

It's supposed to, but I know in the past, it's never been very effective.

Those vids bad_p posted are pretty bad and it's what many of us have been pointing out for years now.

To be honest, if it was an elite player getting off those pin-point passes so quickly I'd have no problem with it. It would help separate the top playmakers from scrubs even more.

Those quick animations and decision making should be tied to offensive awareness and playmaking abilities.
For someone of Shawn Thornton's ilk, his animations should be noticeably slower, and his decisions should be shallow as well.
I would imagine a player with limited offensive abilities such as himself probably would have shot instead of passed.
But more realistically, it would have taken him oodles more time to knock the puck down, get it settled and then look up to make a play. By that time, he would have had the puck knocked away, or been body checked.
Instead, we see him make a play Wayne Gretzky would have envied.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One &amp; PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

It's supposed to, but I know in the past, it's never been very effective.

Those vids bad_p posted are pretty bad and it's what many of us have been pointing out for years now.

To be honest, if it was an elite player getting off those pin-point passes so quickly I'd have no problem with it. It would help separate the top playmakers from scrubs even more.

Those quick animations and decision making should be tied to offensive awareness and playmaking abilities.
For someone of Shawn Thornton's ilk, his animations should be noticeably slower, and his decisions should be shallow as well.
I would imagine a player with limited offensive abilities such as himself probably would have shot instead of passed.
But more realistically, it would have taken him oodles more time to knock the puck down, get it settled and then look up to make a play. By that time, he would have had the puck knocked away, or been body checked.
Instead, we see him make a play Wayne Gretzky would have envied.

Exactly what I was getting at with the vids. I also don't think if we nerf Shawn Thornton's abilities the cpu offense will die. Have Thornton bat at the puck there (in the video). Maybe he bangs a greasy one home. Or, maybe he knows he isn't going to be able to corral the puck there and make a play so he gets it in his feet and gets his body between the defenseman and goalie. Once he establishes a stable platform he can get the puck down low to someone else or something.

There's just no decision-making from the AI any more elaborate than pass or shoot in too many situations where another option is the applicable hockey play.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One &amp; PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

Here's another great example of why the gameplay ends up way too ping-pongish/ back and forth. Passes like this from Niskanen are a huge part of the cpu AI's arsenal moving the puck, and this sort of thing is a huge tool for the AI to get out of it's zone and quickly transition to a counter-attack.

I just don't believe this element of AI game design represents "fun" if I can have a possession or an o-zone turn into a counter-attack in a second by a pass like this from behind the net.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jCTdYdyhrTQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[brandon27]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One &amp; PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

Here's another great example of why the gameplay ends up way too ping-pongish/ back and forth. Passes like this from Niskanen are a huge part of the cpu AI's arsenal moving the puck, and this sort of thing is a huge tool for the AI to get out of it's zone and quickly transition to a counter-attack.

I just don't believe this element of AI game design represents "fun" if I can have a possession or an o-zone turn into a counter-attack in a second by a pass like this from behind the net.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jCTdYdyhrTQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

That's painful to see.

Sadly it happens all too often, as you mentioned though. It's unfortunate, because as I've said before, it's the stuff like this that really ruins the game experience, especially when stuff like it leads right to a goal for the CPU. It doesn't end up in a fun hockey battle, it ends up with you feeling like you got scored on, or lost because you were cheated by something that shouldn't be possible.

The more I play, the more this really becomes my only legit gripe. Lack of penalties still bothers me, but this stuff really takes the cake.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One &amp; PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

Since we can't alter game speed without the frame rate glitching out, I lowered acceleration progressively in one on one practice. I timed laps with the puck with Morgan Rielly (since the camera won't track you without the puck), and with accel at 0 the lap times were about 20-18 seconds. Conisdering this is with the puck I think it's probably pretty accurate.

I jumped into a game with the acceleration set to 0 for human and cpu and I really liked what I saw. The pace seemed more to my tastes, and the cpu AI seemed less frantic. Everything felt less twitchy and slide-y. Maybe I'm crazy, but I'd like to get some other guys' feedback on playing with acceleration tuned all the way down.

Seems like I'm down on the game, but I'm not. I think it's prudent to highlight this AI stuff because I think it's the game's biggest shortcoming.

Here's a praiseworthy clip from a game with acceleration tuned down (which I think may allow some of the dev's animation work shine brighter). Look at the quality of the seamless puck pickup animation by Boychuk here. Really nice stuff by EA.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gTmlZsVz3uM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>