One of the things I wanted to discuss was presentation in the newest NHL 20 and other hockey games. Back in the day, I was kinda all about sliders and tweaking the games to be as realistic as possible. I still am and miss the days of NHL Champ 2000 and Powerplay were the game felt right out of the box. But realistic and esp pacing is subjective so I appreciate the tuning. But I also think one of the aspects I really get is a good presentation in hockey games.
Let me preface by saying I don't have 20 yet but I have watched a lot of videos thus far. The presentation here is just not good. At least not for the serious hockey fan who enjoys a tv style presentation.
The new 20 presentation is what is. You guys have all heard it. It was cried Doc and Eddie were boring and yeah I can see it getting stale a bit but they went the other way and now it is annoyingly over the top with Cybulski.
Cybulski has way more lines than Doc but sounds way more repetitive. Here's my take as to why. Nearly everything he says...like seriously a lot of what he says....during pbp is 5-7 words, same cadence, same pitch. "Buffalo shoots the puck into the zone". Most every line is with the cadence/pitch of "high-high-high-high-high-high-low". 5-7 words. It grows really old really quick. Ray sounds fine as he interjects more of a conversational sound to his lines. Then again he has much less lines. Cybulski's lines are too much of the same cadence, same pitch, same tone and man, it is aggravating. I hope they can get him to record more lines and tone it down a lot and make it sound less repetitive in cadence.
I know this is nothing new but it is real disappointing that you can tel that a lot of the 8 month development cycle went into presentation and this is what we ended up with which to me is a regression from 19. Yes, Doc and Eddie got old but at least it sounded like hockey. And no, the overlay stats were poorly done but the NBC packaging again, felt like a broadcast.
Whoever is in charge of this aspect needs some serious help. EA thinks that a good presentation is a replay at ever stoppage of play. Wrong. A big whoosh with the EA logo. Repeatedly. Sigh. Arcade style graphics you would see in a Midway game. Wth? This is 2020 (almost). EA should look to the past. Games like NHL Championship 2000 by Radical, 2K8's superb presentation package with tons of stats/pop ups/overlays. Those were two of the best. Perhaps the single best presentation in a hockey game is from the Faceoff/Gretzky series. Yes, the gameplay got too fast and arcade like but I still play the Faceoff/Gretzky series quite a bit for the superb camera angles, pop up overlays with tons of statistics and an amazing presentation. The camera cuts are so good in that series. Heck, in addition to a ton of pop up stats Faceoff/Gretzky even had a focus on coaches and great shots in the locker room post game.
Heck, if EA would just go back to NHL 04. At least it gave you nice readable pop up stats and gave them to you right at the stoppage of play. Now they just pop it up a mere seconds before the faceoff so you can't even digest it and enjoy it. That is a brutal decision. And it's been like that for years now. So weird no one understands this. This would not be a hard fix.
Hockey analytics and stats are such a great part of the sport. We need the night's lines, scratches, season pp/pk% and league ranking in each prior to the 1st special teams and the game's propr pp/pk results in subsequent special teams play, toi, pim, points in season/current game, losing streaks, a focus on how individual players are performing, anthems, coaches segments. Sure a replay now and then but how about shot charts, diagrams showing a team's breakout or movement on pp. So much could be done. Hell, just watch HNIC and mimic it.
Instead we get arcade big graphics ala Hitz (which I loved but not what I want in a "sim"), CONSTANT replays, annoying commentary with 80% spoke in same cadence and overbearingly forced to be "exciting" and a complete lack of pop up stats.
What was wrong with this look from NHL 04? Oh, I forgot. That was Blackbox in charge of that game. Why it was real good.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the skating a lot. I love the true broadcast camera which is a part of presentation. I like the way the shooting and passing feels and with the right sliders can get a very loose game of hockey that feels good. And being away from the series since like 13 I think I am less critical of the gameplay then some of you are cause it's still kinda fresh to me. But the defensive AI needs reworking and the presentation...well, I just wish I could be in charge. But don't we all wish we could have our two cents in.
Anyway, thoughts?
Pics of NHL 04's pop up stats. So much better than the very little we are given now.
Maybe everyone in the videos is skipping everything and it has tons of pop up stats but I kinda think it doesn't.
Let me preface by saying I don't have 20 yet but I have watched a lot of videos thus far. The presentation here is just not good. At least not for the serious hockey fan who enjoys a tv style presentation.
The new 20 presentation is what is. You guys have all heard it. It was cried Doc and Eddie were boring and yeah I can see it getting stale a bit but they went the other way and now it is annoyingly over the top with Cybulski.
Cybulski has way more lines than Doc but sounds way more repetitive. Here's my take as to why. Nearly everything he says...like seriously a lot of what he says....during pbp is 5-7 words, same cadence, same pitch. "Buffalo shoots the puck into the zone". Most every line is with the cadence/pitch of "high-high-high-high-high-high-low". 5-7 words. It grows really old really quick. Ray sounds fine as he interjects more of a conversational sound to his lines. Then again he has much less lines. Cybulski's lines are too much of the same cadence, same pitch, same tone and man, it is aggravating. I hope they can get him to record more lines and tone it down a lot and make it sound less repetitive in cadence.
I know this is nothing new but it is real disappointing that you can tel that a lot of the 8 month development cycle went into presentation and this is what we ended up with which to me is a regression from 19. Yes, Doc and Eddie got old but at least it sounded like hockey. And no, the overlay stats were poorly done but the NBC packaging again, felt like a broadcast.
Whoever is in charge of this aspect needs some serious help. EA thinks that a good presentation is a replay at ever stoppage of play. Wrong. A big whoosh with the EA logo. Repeatedly. Sigh. Arcade style graphics you would see in a Midway game. Wth? This is 2020 (almost). EA should look to the past. Games like NHL Championship 2000 by Radical, 2K8's superb presentation package with tons of stats/pop ups/overlays. Those were two of the best. Perhaps the single best presentation in a hockey game is from the Faceoff/Gretzky series. Yes, the gameplay got too fast and arcade like but I still play the Faceoff/Gretzky series quite a bit for the superb camera angles, pop up overlays with tons of statistics and an amazing presentation. The camera cuts are so good in that series. Heck, in addition to a ton of pop up stats Faceoff/Gretzky even had a focus on coaches and great shots in the locker room post game.
Heck, if EA would just go back to NHL 04. At least it gave you nice readable pop up stats and gave them to you right at the stoppage of play. Now they just pop it up a mere seconds before the faceoff so you can't even digest it and enjoy it. That is a brutal decision. And it's been like that for years now. So weird no one understands this. This would not be a hard fix.
Hockey analytics and stats are such a great part of the sport. We need the night's lines, scratches, season pp/pk% and league ranking in each prior to the 1st special teams and the game's propr pp/pk results in subsequent special teams play, toi, pim, points in season/current game, losing streaks, a focus on how individual players are performing, anthems, coaches segments. Sure a replay now and then but how about shot charts, diagrams showing a team's breakout or movement on pp. So much could be done. Hell, just watch HNIC and mimic it.
Instead we get arcade big graphics ala Hitz (which I loved but not what I want in a "sim"), CONSTANT replays, annoying commentary with 80% spoke in same cadence and overbearingly forced to be "exciting" and a complete lack of pop up stats.
What was wrong with this look from NHL 04? Oh, I forgot. That was Blackbox in charge of that game. Why it was real good.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the skating a lot. I love the true broadcast camera which is a part of presentation. I like the way the shooting and passing feels and with the right sliders can get a very loose game of hockey that feels good. And being away from the series since like 13 I think I am less critical of the gameplay then some of you are cause it's still kinda fresh to me. But the defensive AI needs reworking and the presentation...well, I just wish I could be in charge. But don't we all wish we could have our two cents in.
Anyway, thoughts?
Pics of NHL 04's pop up stats. So much better than the very little we are given now.
Maybe everyone in the videos is skipping everything and it has tons of pop up stats but I kinda think it doesn't.
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