NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

[MizzouRah]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

You're saying you don't see any ping pong passing on Superstar, where 75 OVR players are doing behind the back, no look bullet passes?

I play on AS default with penalties on 4/4.

[Shadak]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

If you want a person who reps OS to give you a deep dive into the game from more y'alls perspective, my 2,500+ words are live at IGN: https://www.ign.com/articles/nhl-21-review

review says the ping pong passing and AI issues are there but in this thread I see otherwise, is it an IGN issue mayeb with settings/sliders?

Last NHL I bought was 17, it wasnt terrible tbh but I wasnt going to get another ps4 NHL as it didnt exactly blew me away. I dont mind out dated rosters and if the gameplay is solid it might be worth getting 21.

[capnlarge]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

One thing that bothers me is that although EA removed the ability to edit player types in franchise, every coach still wants Playmaker-power forward-sniper on every line. Which means 2-way forwards will just kill whatever line they are on.

[Stormyhog]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

I play on Pro difficulty against the cpu but this year the AI goalies seem far worse than on Pro last year.

[MizzouRah]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

review says the ping pong passing and AI issues are there but in this thread I see otherwise, is it an IGN issue mayeb with settings/sliders?

Last NHL I bought was 17, it wasnt terrible tbh but I wasnt going to get another ps4 NHL as it didnt exactly blew me away. I dont mind out dated rosters and if the gameplay is solid it might be worth getting 21.

I'll get more games in later today and tomorrow but on AS simulation default everything except for penalties on 4/4, 7 minute periods, play now, I'm not seeing any ping pong passing. The games have been fun and much different from 20.

[johnnydrum]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

Sigh..... I want to LOVE it----but they just dont understand the NHL fans.

Things like being able to EDIT players appearance's (which you could do many years ago, since the makers cant get even hair colours--and skin colours right)
and the ability to EDIT players attributes once actually IN a Season!
(so for instance, an unknown player or rookie whose attributes created by EA, may actually play a prominent role in real life, but if you have started you season, you cant bloody UP --or decrease--his attributes.)
Bonkers

[ChaseB]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

I'll get more games in later today and tomorrow but on AS simulation default everything except for penalties on 4/4, 7 minute periods, play now, I'm not seeing any ping pong passing. The games have been fun and much different from 20.

So I'm not going to disagree with what someone is seeing because everyone can have a diff experience.

I wrote the IGN review so my thing with ping-pong passing is two-fold. The AI doesn't tic-tac-toe as much, but passing accuracy is still off the charts, and the general concept of ping-pong passing (a bunch of rapid, accurate passes for a scoring chance) are still readily available at any time for both the user and AI.

I still can do it with ease, and the AI still completes 90+ percent of its passes. In addition to still just being an up-and-down game nonstop it's just somewhat exhausting playing a "normal" NHL game because games/teams mostly just feel same-y.

Now, that being said, I do think with some heavy slider edits there's a good hockey game here for the sim crowd, but I just wasn't going to do that for a review for a mass audience. The best way to score -- and it's even stronger this year -- is cross-crease passes off the rush, or just wristers off the sideboards with no screens etc. The base ways of attacking just don't feel varied enough by default.

All that being said, I do really think the NHL devs really did try to deliver this year and I like the general path they're on again, but I just think there's some longstanding legacy issues that still need to be hammered out (ratings scale to make players feel different -- especially in regards to strengths/weaknesses so it doesn't feel like most players are elite passers etc. -- rush-heavy play, board play, "grind" play in and around the net and the angles defenders take to the puck).

[giantsharks]

Re: NHL 21 Trial Available For EA Play Subscribers - Post Your Impressions Here

The neutral zone improvements are encouraging, but the game itself is just so catered to rushes (exactly like FIFA which is why FIFA is also boring) which makes it a really boring experience if you genuinely follow pro hockey. Pro hockey does not simply revolve around rushes. More than ever, teams are taking away the goalie's vision and scoring ridiculous tip/screen goals. The real NHL has "snipes" through screens that are so fun to watch. Usually a great screen, paired with a nice toedrag to change the angle from the vision side to the screen side, finished by a great placement in the upper corner and you have yourself a highlight reel goal.

Unfortunately for us, EA believes that an unscreened wrister from beyond the tops of the circles short-side is a "sick snipe" and will continue to cater to people who think hockey is simply played on the rush, or that "in-zone" offense consists of the puck carrier doing continuous loops in the corner until an AI defender inexplicably leaves his weakside assignment to open up a one-timer goal.

Hockey is a beautiful, dynamic game if you let it be. EA won't let it be, therefore the experiences are rather mundane. Can you imagine PES-like physics with the puck in this game? That would be insane!

Spot on. This is well said.

Also yes pes style physics would be amazing especially with the puck. it could also benefit the momentum of the players. I would love if NHL added some animations for when guys are close to each other, much like the way shielding works in PES.

[CujoMatty]

Re: NHL 21 Trial Available For EA Play Subscribers - Post Your Impressions Here

Spot on. This is well said.

Also yes pes style physics would be amazing especially with the puck. it could also benefit the momentum of the players. I would love if NHL added some animations for when guys are close to each other, much like the way shielding works in PES.

You arent wrong but having grown up with hockey here in middle Canada my biggest problem is real hockey is pretty boring.

I was a diehard hockey fan and EA hockey fan for a lot of my life but got away from it during the New Jersey trap days which was the era that killed hockey IMO.

I will admit that it is better now with rule changes and obstruction penalties but I still just cant get into real hockey.

That's probably why I like this game. It isnt that much like real hockey but it's fun to me.

I wish the settings worked better because unfortunately the sim setting isnt really close to "sim" enough so I feel for the hardcore guys.


edit...... meant to quote the guy you quoted lol

[ChaseB]

Re: NHL 21 Trial Available For EA Play Subscribers - Post Your Impressions Here

Spot on. This is well said.

Also yes pes style physics would be amazing especially with the puck. it could also benefit the momentum of the players. I would love if NHL added some animations for when guys are close to each other, much like the way shielding works in PES.

Yeah the general collisions for smaller-impact stuff -- and board play -- needs something new and refined. When you get into situations where like 6 players just sort of run into each other in front of the net, it's when the game looks about at its worst.

[tjung0831]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

The game is fun to me and that’s really all that matters to me. I don’t want to spend my limited gaming time on a game that doesn’t have fun factor.

[ChaseB]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

The game is fun to me and that’s really all that matters to me. I don’t want to spend my limited gaming time on a game that doesn’t have fun factor.

Get that 100%

[MizzouRah]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

So I'm not going to disagree with what someone is seeing because everyone can have a diff experience.

I wrote the IGN review so my thing with ping-pong passing is two-fold. The AI doesn't tic-tac-toe as much, but passing accuracy is still off the charts, and the general concept of ping-pong passing (a bunch of rapid, accurate passes for a scoring chance) are still readily available at any time for both the user and AI.

I still can do it with ease, and the AI still completes 90+ percent of its passes. In addition to still just being an up-and-down game nonstop it's just somewhat exhausting playing a "normal" NHL game because games/teams mostly just feel same-y.

Now, that being said, I do think with some heavy slider edits there's a good hockey game here for the sim crowd, but I just wasn't going to do that for a review for a mass audience. The best way to score -- and it's even stronger this year -- is cross-crease passes off the rush, or just wristers off the sideboards with no screens etc. The base ways of attacking just don't feel varied enough by default.

All that being said, I do really think the NHL devs really did try to deliver this year and I like the general path they're on again, but I just think there's some longstanding legacy issues that still need to be hammered out (ratings scale to make players feel different -- especially in regards to strengths/weaknesses so it doesn't feel like most players are elite passers etc. -- rush-heavy play, board play, "grind" play in and around the net and the angles defenders take to the puck).

I respect your opinion, your article was a great read. I liked 19 but 20 was terrible.. the CPU AI was so bad I just simmed every game. 21 is so much better than any other current gen NHL game. They focused on gameplay issues and it shows. Even the speed of the game on default really represents NHL hockey to me. YMMV.

[ChaseB]

Re: NHL 21 Has Been Released - Share Your Impressions with the Community

I respect your opinion, your article was a great read. I liked 19 but 20 was terrible.. the CPU AI was so bad I just simmed every game. 21 is so much better than any other current gen NHL game. They focused on gameplay issues and it shows. Even the speed of the game on default really represents NHL hockey to me. YMMV.

Yeah, that's interesting. I didn't think '20 was terrible, or at least not so bad that '21 would be this wholesale change that would make someone turn around from 20 to 21 and think it's this major difference maker. So I think your viewpoint is good to know about.

And I do think this is one of the bigger one-year differences if we include BAP upgrades and other off-ice stuff. And I think the puck is looser so you don't just load up on big guys for HUT now etc. But I think NHL was starting from a lower point than some other series in terms of how "good" it was to begin with since I do think this generation has been rough for the series in totality.

[Zkibu]

Re: NHL 21 Trial Available For EA Play Subscribers - Post Your Impressions Here

You arent wrong but having grown up with hockey here in middle Canada my biggest problem is real hockey is pretty boring.

I was a diehard hockey fan and EA hockey fan for a lot of my life but got away from it during the New Jersey trap days which was the era that killed hockey IMO.

I will admit that it is better now with rule changes and obstruction penalties but I still just cant get into real hockey.

That's probably why I like this game. It isnt that much like real hockey but it's fun to me.

I wish the settings worked better because unfortunately the sim setting isnt really close to "sim" enough so I feel for the hardcore guys.


edit...... meant to quote the guy you quoted lol

This is something that I have never understood. The bashing of NJ Devils. Maybe it's because I am from Europe where the slower breakouts and more careful pressing is quite usual. Lately I have been rewatching the 94-95 Stanley Cup finals and I just don't see the Devils solely sitting in the NZ and waiting for Detroit to do something stupid. Instead they are actually quite willing to press with two guys. Only when Detroit clearly has the puck for ex. behind their net then they'll retreat in the 1-2-2 formation in the neutral and try to intercept the buck near the boards. This is a pretty similar system that the Flyers used in the last season. The only sin what I can see is the constant obstruction and slowing opponents down with the sticks, but NJ wasn't the only team doing that.

I would love the game have some sort of intelligent forecheck/trap system implemented in the game. I mean that the AI would understand that there is no point to forecheck if the attack is undermanned or the forechecks starts late (when the opponent clearly has possession and has enough guys back). I have found that adjusting the slider to "sit back" position is close, but it is still quite unpredictable for the user.