NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

[kerosene31]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

Played some more games. More opinions (sorry I just suck at the game, or whatever)

Pros:

-The magic keep away game from 08 is gone. You can't just play keep away from the CPU or vice versa all game long. 09 plays a lot nicer in this regard. You still set up plays, but you can't keep the puck in the zone for 10 minutes straight. The improved passing plus better D controls work really well together. The one-timers are toned down. You still see pressure at times, but it is more realistic (not every play)

-You have to move the puck side to side to get out of the zone and through the neutral zone. I think you could actually play a trap and be effective causing turnovers.

-Shooting is improved. A little less accurate overall. I still think they could make it even less accurate, but a move in the right direction.

-I'm more impressed with the CPU defense than before. At first they seemed a little passive, but they come after you fairly well. You can still do the spin around move along the boards every time though. The AI does not ever seem to adapt to that. You can't generate consistent chances from that though. I'm really interested in seeing different teams play.

-Play along the boards is much improved. Not perfect yet, but the dump and chase seems to actually work pretty well. You dump in and force the D to turn their backs to you and drive in.

Cons:

-The goalies worry me on all-star. No matter what team I play, my goalie gives up terrible goals on long shots. I switch teams and the other goalie does the same thing. Hopefully this is what they talked about fixing in the final version.

-Rebounds - for those getting good garbage goals... I'm not seeing them. All I see is a weird rebound that comes off the goalie at a 90 degree angle. A puck hit Fleury straight in the crest and flew off along the goal line for an easy goal. I see this happening a lot. I'm just not seeing loose pucks in the crease. Is anyone else? I'm trying to fire low, hard shots.

-The animations for your player are definitely slower than the CPU. The CPU can clearly do things you can't. You can adjust to it of course. Like I said before with the skating, it seems more floaty and you end up moving around more. Liked 08 better in this aspect. Not sure why it is different. It is more like 2k8 (which I didn't like at all) where you have to make these bigger circles to move. I thought 08 was a lot tighter than that. Even with vision control you can't stay in a tight circle.

Overall:

-The game isn't 100% sim by any means, but the more I play the more I am enjoying it. Remember too that I only play offline, so these CPU issues stand out more. For those who play online, you probably don't see most of these things at all.

[MizzouRah]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

i noticed this too. the new lighting effects are really cool and make the graphics look better but it seems like the framerate on the 360 took a hit with it, especially during cutscenes. it's still not bad though and perfectly playable.

I actually think it has to do with the player models.. they look a bit better this year and the uniforms are unreal.

[MizzouRah]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

I saw a goal tonight where the puck just sat there for a bit and a few seconds after the stick did its motion, the puck finally went forward and into the net. Looked really odd...

[RealmK]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

I'M NOT SAYING THE GAME IS TOO HARD.
I'M NOT SAYING THE GAME IS TOO HARD.
I'M NOT SAYING THE GAME IS TOO HARD.
I'M NOT SAYING THE GAME IS TOO HARD.
I'M NOT SAYING THE GAME IS TOO HARD.

Whatever. Sorry you can't look at the game objectively. Every game needs to cheat. 2k, PES, EA, they all cheat. No $60 game is going to have an AI to beat you fairly. It isn't possible.

You're just flat out wrong on this, I'm sorry, I swear its the same two people year in year out, you and Baa who repetely complain about cheating AI that 99% of the rest of us just don't see.

[phillyfan23]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

I'M NOT SAYING THE GAME IS TOO HARD.
I'M NOT SAYING THE GAME IS TOO HARD.
I'M NOT SAYING THE GAME IS TOO HARD.
I'M NOT SAYING THE GAME IS TOO HARD.
I'M NOT SAYING THE GAME IS TOO HARD.

Whatever. Sorry you can't look at the game objectively. Every game needs to cheat. 2k, PES, EA, they all cheat. No $60 game is going to have an AI to beat you fairly. It isn't possible.

I understand you're not saying the game is too hard....but you're saying the ai cheats to "keep up" with you....RIGHT ?

I disagree....the game keeps up with me because they do have good AI logic and me the user isn't perfect. Sometimes I use bad strategy, sometimes I take chances that I don't need to take which result in goals, etc.

I'm looking at the game very objectively, but since I differ in opinion with you....automatically I am in denial...and you're right

ironic you use the term "objective"

[kerosene31]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

I understand you're not saying the game is too hard....but you're saying the ai cheats to "keep up" with you....RIGHT ?

No... I'm not...

My point is the way the CPU cheats can be annoying. The more I play, the "puck magnet" from 08 doesn't seem to be there in 09 now that I have the D controls down. The poke is much more effective when you use the button and right stick.

The turning and accelerating thing is there, but not bad really.

Playing more tonight the one thing that gets me, is my player reacts slowly sometimes. That's what really gets me. The puck is right near your player and you move to get it and it seems to take forever sometimes relative to the other players on the ice. I wish the animations were quicker. I don't really know how to describe it.

Anyway, the game is growing on me after some initial letdown. You can actually play D in the zone now and have fun with it.

[tgalv]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

there's more of an emphasis on "man on man" D, not just a zone. it's pretty good, but sometimes i wish i could block passing lanes in open space a little better. i haven't been too impressed with the new pokechecking so far. team defense is really going to be tested online. i don't think you're going to be able to singlehandly play defense for the whole team like you could to some degree in 08.

[bad_philanthropy]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

I don't see the cheating. The cpu adjusts their strategies to become very aggressive. You see it all the time when teams are down but get some mometum and start to get really aggressive. What about last year when Montreal came back against the Rangers after being down live five goals? Or when Toronto came back being down 3-0 in the third period against Philly to win the game? Was that due to comeback AI? I've found that in the past two NHL releases on NG if you make adjustments it's really not all that difficult to defend.

After I figured 08 out I didn't think it was difficult at all, I still lost some games but it was usually due to me making some mistakes and getting down early. Rarely did I have a team come back for a win against me. There is no comeback AI in the game, it isn't like the EA football games where you know that you are destined throw a pick or fumble the ball at a certain point.

[baa7]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

Cons:

-The goalies worry me on all-star. No matter what team I play, my goalie gives up terrible goals on long shots. I switch teams and the other goalie does the same thing. Hopefully this is what they talked about fixing in the final version.

LOL, no, that's the exact same cheat programming that was in NHL 08. Move up to Allstar and your goalie starts letting in floaters from the blueline, will the CPU G plays like a brick wall.

[RunN1st]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

I loved this demo! I especially like the checking...lot's of fun!

Not a big hockey fan so I may hold off a bit before I go out and buy it. Knowing EA, there will be some kind of bug that will hamper the game for the first month or so, anyway.

[Qb]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

Did you guys know that you can play as the goalie through position lock in the demo? You can't get the goalie mode camera in regular play (you can in the SO), so it's far from ideal, but if you use the Action camera focused on the goalie (hit the back button) it's doable. If you go to the starting lineups screen and press X (360, square on PS3?) once, it will lock you onto the 'tender.

I was BAD at goaltending in 08 and I didn't do much of it aside from in shootouts, so I'm not the best judge of it. But it feels a little smoother to me and the post-hugging animation is better and seems to kick in automatically more appropriately. If someone who can actually play the position were to try, I'm sure they can give you a better impression of it...

[RealmK]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

LOL, no, that's the exact same cheat programming that was in NHL 08. Move up to Allstar and your goalie starts letting in floaters from the blueline, will the CPU G plays like a brick wall.

Thats funny, since with the new goaltender animations, I've scored far many garbage goal rebounds and otherwise just a better variety of goals, than prolly most of last year with 08. But hey keep with your "I suck so the ai must cheat" crusade, its good for a laugh.

[clivo1050]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

idk if anyone mentioned this yet, but during a break in play it showed the crowd doing the wave!

[baa7]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

with the new goaltender animations, I've scored far many garbage goal rebounds and otherwise just a better variety of goals, than prolly most of last year with 08.

Sounds good. And the demo sounds great. Let's just hope they also fixed the programming cheat where your goalie momentarily turns into a sieve/swiss cheese/pylon whenever the CPU needs a quick goal.

[RealmK]

Re: NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

Sounds good. And the demo sounds great. Let's just hope they also fixed the programming cheat where your goalie momentarily turns into a sieve/swiss cheese/pylon whenever the CPU needs a quick goal.

Eh I didn't see that in 08 and haven't so far in my time with the demo, I actually just scored two breakaway goals via well time stick lifts at center ice within a span of 2 mins of each other, winning 3-1, the one goal I gave up was my fault trying to pass into traffic in the crease. The game at least demo wise is absolutely bloody brilliant this year afaic. I can only imagine that with proper slider tweaks in the full version and a bump up to superstar I may just not be able to remove NHL09 from my 360 for a while to come. Shame, I wanted to try Fallout3 too. heh