NHL 13: Grading the Realism

[RaychelSnr]

True Performance Skating has revolutionized hockey gaming, but how does the rest of EA Sports' NHL 13 fare when compared to real hockey?

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[onac22]

Very solid write up. I agree with all that was said.

A couple of honorable mentions: The crazy rubber rebounds that fly from goalie to corner, to point, back to goalie, back to corner, to opposite point back to goalie and so on until a goal is scored.

My last improvement is a change to fighting. I'm not a big fan of running around fighting everyone in sight but the engine is old and unsatisfying to watch even on EASHL. I would rather watch the third person and see the scrap.

[tvman]

QB mentioned that tripping penalties had been increased after the latest 1.02 tuner to help deal with all the poke checking. Was this review done before or after that tuner?

[addybojangles]

Really good write-up!

I'm super glad you address the POINTLESS left-trigger to skate backwards - as someone who held LT maybe 80% of the time in NHL 12, I keep doing this. I just want to be facing the puck!!! Not skating backwards...

And really good points on how they addressed skating but totally left pretty much everything else out. The goalies are totally masking the mindless AI defense and the jostling in front of the net is awful. I really want to like NHL 13, and true performance skating is a huge gamechanger, but you can't neglect everything else and expect an outstanding product.

[drewst18]

Not often I say this about the front page articles, but very well put from start to finish. Seems like you know your hockey and aren't some random writing about a sport you know nothing about...

[FBeaule04]

Re: NHL 13: Grading the Realism

This article is showing what most people are discovering when playing more and more games.

True Skating is great, while not perfect, it's great, but took so much effort that EA neglect almost everything else in the game.

Last year (NHL 12), we had a Ferrari frame with a Lada motor, but a brand new cupholder (Goalie Fights) and glovebox (Breaking glasses). This year (NHL 13), we have the same Ferrari frame with a Lada motor, but we got new tires for a gift.

Next year, only hope they find a Ferrari motor to put in that damn frame, and not coming on with brandnew sunshades and carpet!

[RUFFNREADY]

Spot on in your write up, my good man! One thing i would like to mention is the tangible puck and the "USER"; dont you find if you are skating towards the puck to get it, and find that your player skates right by it for no reason? But if the cpu AI happens to do this, they never skate over or pass a puck?
cheers

[plaidchuck]

Re: NHL 13: Grading the Realism

So the consensus is skating= good everything else= the same? Kind of what I figured after playing the demo.

[Vikes1]

Re: NHL 13: Grading the Realism

Good write up.

First off, I judge the game just on off-line play vs the AI.

I found myself agreeing with most everything except the goalies. Personally now...I know their far from prefect, but I really don't have much of a problem with the cpu goalies. But the human team goalies...seem terrible.

Even with NHL '13' weakness, I'm going to have a great year with this game. As long as I can solve my goal tender problems.

[savoie2006]

Re: NHL 13: Grading the Realism

So the consensus is skating= good everything else= the same? Kind of what I figured after playing the demo.

I wouldn't say the same, as there are some improvements throughout, but not near as groundbreaking as the Skating. The new Customize AI feature helps the lackluster AI a bit, but should be an enhancement, not a saving grace. The checking and boardplay is somehow worse in my opinion . The new GM Brain is cool as far as what it options it gives you and it acutally shows you what players teams are willing to part with. Plus you can edit what you are looking for from type of player to ratings in certain attributes, really COOL.

[pc21]

The early reviews on OS was that the game was awesome and much improved from NHL 12. I fork out 59.99 plus tax and all I get is a game with an improved staking engine. EA is so sub-par. There is no real fluidity to the game as there is in say MLB 12. Line changes look like cheap cartoon movements of an era gone by; players have the same mirror image movements on the bench and the game actually struggles to load from screen to screen. I thought I was purchasing a Ferrari but ended up with a lemon. I guess Sony is so far ahead in its MLB platform that it has ruined by ability to appreciate anything less.

[savoie2006]

Re: NHL 13: Grading the Realism

The early reviews on OS was that the game was awesome and much improved from NHL 12. I fork out 59.99 plus tax and all I get is a game with an improved staking engine. EA is so sub-par. There is no real fluidity to the game as there is in say MLB 12. Line changes look like cheap cartoon movements of an era gone by; players have the same mirror image movements on the bench and the game actually struggles to load from screen to screen. I thought I was purchasing a Ferrari but ended up with a lemon. I guess Sony is so far ahead in its MLB platform that it has ruined by ability to appreciate anything less.

In NHL's defense, it much easier to replicate the sport of baseball than it is hockey, which is probably the most difficult.

[Flyermania]

Re: NHL 13: Grading the Realism

For me, the game has improved in a lot of area. Goaltending still needs a LOT of work. But with penalties lacking for yet another year, the best I can rate this game is a "C". Penalties are such a huge part of hockey, and this game just doesn't have enough of them. Plain and simple.

[xx19kilosoldier]

Re: NHL 13: Grading the Realism

The penalty issue which has appeared for the third straight year in the NHL series rate this game a D in realism for me.

Power plays and penalty kills are an INTEGRAL part of hockey, so much so that having this aspect broken again is unacceptable. Its akin to having strikouts or base on balls not working properly in a baseball game.

So realism for NHL 13: D

[SA1NT401]

C+....penalty issues killing it for me again this year.