This game has me seriously considering using aim assistance
 

I bought NHL 19 months ago but never played it until this week because I was binging on NBA 2K18 and NBA 2K19. So I put in NHL 19 a few days ago, and I must say that this may be one of the worst hockey games I've ever played. I've played 3 games on 10 minute periods (half an hour real-time) and every single game feels like torture. NHL 19 makes half an hour of hockey feel like 4 hours. I used to love EA NHL so much in the past because games breezed by and I never felt "stuck" whereas I feel "stuck" playing NHL 19. Hockey is a sport that was made for video gaming, it's fast, brutal, and exciting.

I did not know it was possible to make a boring NHL game....until this year. How can it difficult? The natural real-life NHL hockey is practically the closest sport to a real-life video game. All you have to do is make a video game that is remotely-similar to real NHL hockey and that should be enough to make it fun. But this game is opposite of it. Literally every goal looks/feels the same. I'm not even excited when I score because it looks just like all my other goals. I've being playing NHL for years and never used aim assist but I'm considering it just to get more variety of goals. In years' past you could score 4 goals in a game and every goal felt different, ranging from greasy goals to sniper shots and everything in between. Now it's all the same, no random variety. I have NEVER been this bored scoring goals. Has anyone used aim assist before and does it liven up this game? The 5-on-5 action is torturous.

1) The speed of the game is too slow, the puck doesn't fly off the stick like in years' past.
2) The backhand shot is incredibly weak and underpowered
3) Penalties are too common, in the first game I played there were 3/4 penalties before I got half way through the first period.
4) The even strength 5-on-5 gameplay is predictable and stale.
5) Every goal feels like the same with no variety outside of breakaways and shootouts which isn't enough to save this game since you can't count on breakaway goals and shootouts to occur every game.

Re: This game has me seriously considering using aim assistance
 

I've been using aim assist for the last 2 years.I feel you get a variety of goals.

Re: This game has me seriously considering using aim assistance
 

I turned pass interceptions up to 98 I believe, and I turned passing assist to 0. IMO it's the only way to play, as any amount of pass assist turns the game into a goal-fest as it's incredibly easy to setup plays. I also play "Season Mode" so I can adjust the CPU strategies in-order to make the AI a lot more challenging.

I believe with my sliders + strategy manipulations, I see a ton more goal variety and gameplay experiences. I've never had this much fun playing offline (except for NHL 2k10 as the presentation/rink atmosphere was so good!) NHL before. I need to update my post, but take a look at the way I play here because doing this stuff saved the game for me, maybe it'll save the game for you!

Re: This game has me seriously considering using aim assistance
 

Me too. I think it also helps add more separation between the goal scorers and guys with hands similar to mine.

Getting the puck to a sniper like Laine or Stamkos feels so good when they bury it.