NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions Here

[Dolphins88]

I didn't notice much difference between 13 and 14 albeit fighting which happens too frequently now and wrong players. Fighting is much better though w 3 rd person view. Gameplay is where this game needs attention. There needs to be more player ability separation. There should be noticeable differences in skills, speed, size, hitting, shooting , etc. the puck needs more variability resulting in more organic gameplay. Team differences and line matching... Ex chara on ice against Toews , etc.. Boston plays hard forecheck, Chicago speed, skill, LA speed and hitting.. I wish sports gaming would take that turn in making the gameplay more organic, player separation, strategy. Nba 2k and show r best we have do far.

[Dolphins88]

I didn't notice much difference between 13 and 14 albeit fighting which happens too frequently now and wrong players. Fighting is much better though w 3 rd person view. Gameplay is where this game needs attention. There needs to be more player ability separation. There should be noticeable differences in skills, speed, size, hitting, shooting , etc. the puck needs more variability resulting in more organic gameplay. Team differences and line matching... Ex chara on ice against Toews , etc.. Boston plays hard forecheck, Chicago speed, skill, LA speed and hitting.. I wish sports gaming would take that turn in making the gameplay more organic, player separation, strategy. Nba 2k and show r best we have do far.

I think Ea needs to do address this in NHL and madden.. Add more ratings for players and make them actually mean something. If they want to make a hockey or football game for casual game make an arcade version.

[adayinthelife]

Re: NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions He

I think Ea needs to do address this in NHL and madden.. Add more ratings for players and make them actually mean something. If they want to make a hockey or football game for casual game make an arcade version.

I agree with most of this. I think if they grew the rating scale to 0-100 and had those ratings mean something, that would be a great start. Add in the same type of thing when it comes to sliders and I just feel like that would be enough to satisfy both sets of people, without creating 2 totally separate games. They put out that 3 on 3 arcade game, that's not the answer IMO.

There's a market out there that wants to play something that is a blend of realism and video game-ism and that's who the games are made more for. I'm not too happy about that only because I'd love a more realistic hockey game. At the same time, I can actually see their side of things because I prefer a game like Madden to something ultra realistic simply because I'm not a huge football guy the way I am a hockey guy.

[ggazoo]

I have to agree with the comments about the NHL '94 mode feeling gimmicky. Picture a mash-up of NHL '94 and NHl 14... doesn't work. It would have been better to just include the old game on the disc with updated rosters.

[Gerg04]

Ive been reading all your impressions the last couple days gentlemen. Just got back from a camping trip with the fam, playing my 1st game as I type this.

Number 1- the big hits are....well, as often as you want to pull them off. Kind of taken back by this it seemed like you all said it was toned down. However whenever I want it feels like I can wind up and uncork a monster at any time. Disappointing.

2- outside of a (slightly at best?) Polished skating engine, and more deflections, '14 feels nearly identical to '13. Again, disappointing.

I had been dead set on NOT buying this. Then about 2 weeks ago I was reading and watching vids and knew that it would be nearly impossible to pass on a hockey game and decided to pay it off at gamestop. After literally 5 min playing the demo I'm pretty disappointed an considering canceling that pre order.

I'll give it a little more time before I decide for sure. However there's one fact that remains true and will for the foreseeable future.

If EA continues to be the only product available, with no competition from other developers, WE WILL CONTINUE TO GET THE SAME REHASHED, RECYCLED GAME WITH UPDATED ROSTERS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT. It's the same with Madden and honestly its a damn shame. As a gamer and sports fan I don't have enough discipline to NOT buy these games, for my personal entertainment. And minus a mass revolt from all of us, we will never see a change.

/end rant

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

[savoie2006]

Re: NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions He

Ive been reading all your impressions the last couple days gentlemen. Just got back from a camping trip with the fam, playing my 1st game as I type this.

Number 1- the big hits are....well, as often as you want to pull them off. Kind of taken back by this it seemed like you all said it was toned down. However whenever I want it feels like I can wind up and uncork a monster at any time. Disappointing.

2- outside of a (slightly at best?) Polished skating engine, and more deflections, '14 feels nearly identical to '13. Again, disappointing.

I had been dead set on NOT buying this. Then about 2 weeks ago I was reading and watching vids and knew that it would be nearly impossible to pass on a hockey game and decided to pay it off at gamestop. After literally 5 min playing the demo I'm pretty disappointed an considering canceling that pre order.

I'll give it a little more time before I decide for sure. However there's one fact that remains true and will for the foreseeable future.

If EA continues to be the only product available, with no competition from other developers, WE WILL CONTINUE TO GET THE SAME REHASHED, RECYCLED GAME WITH UPDATED ROSTERS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT. It's the same with Madden and honestly its a damn shame. As a gamer and sports fan I don't have enough discipline to NOT buy these games, for my personal entertainment. And minus a mass revolt from all of us, we will never see a change.

/end rant

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

And mass revolts equal the end of series (NHL 2K). There isn't enough popularity in hockey gaming for more than one. Out of curiosity, did you change the skill level or anything before you started playing?

[havoc00]

Re: NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions He

I really love what they did for the fighting. So far the only time i've been forced to fight is when I've gone out of my way to take a run at a start player.

So to avoid getting into these fights I have to pull back on the hitting and only hit when necessary or not go full speed into people. It's kind of the whole point of having an enforcer engine like this.

In real hockey if there were no enforcers then some of the hitters would just start running everybody with no one to keep them in check. It's the same in the game now. If you think you can freely run people then you're going to get pulled into a fight and have to sit. Makes a lot of sense

[liberaluser]

Re: NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions He

I effing hate it when this forum logs you off after writing a long post and eats it. WTF is that about?

So I'll summarize: this series doesn't seem to have any higher ambition than being smooth arcade hockey. That's fine I guess, but it could be so much more next gen if the developers wanted it to be.

Imagine if every interaction wasn't so clean, if rough shots and dirty plays became a part of the game. If physics actually mattered in anything other than flashy hitting that is so stupid you have to hold yourself back to prevent it from getting out of hand. Good luck online with such a gentlemanly agreement.

The game will continue to feel lifeless until they make the minute to minute action more robust and interesting to watch.

[Gerg04]

And mass revolts equal the end of series (NHL 2K). There isn't enough popularity in hockey gaming for more than one. Out of curiosity, did you change the skill level or anything before you started playing?

You're probably right. It's just sad really. No competition equals laziness and we, the end user, loyalists to EA, are the ones who pay for it.

I did. It was more fun on hardcore sim. It just feels like more of the same. I'll likely still buy it, as I'm a hockey fan above all else. Just sucks that we have to pay for this every year while EA laughs their way to the bank.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

[canucksss]

Re: NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions He

You're probably right. It's just sad really. No competition equals laziness and we, the end user, loyalists to EA, are the ones who pay for it.

I did. It was more fun on hardcore sim. It just feels like more of the same. I'll likely still buy it, as I'm a hockey fan above all else. Just sucks that we have to pay for this every year while EA laughs their way to the bank.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

i totally agree in your other post, but our difference is that I will abstain from buying this 14, since fighting is the only big difference from 13. In the other post, some observed that fighting is now happening even to the players not known for fighting...this is what my issue prior to the release of the DEMO...true enough its there

I dont believe that EA will stop producing the game if there's a big dent in the sales. They have cornered the market, why will anybody pull out their product if its the only one in the market?

As good businessman, improve your product, satisfy the cravings of the people (in this case do not abandon the SIM style players and the people who love to play offline BAGM) to earn MORE money.

[Gerg04]

Anyone else feel like shot aim is completely random/broken/doesn't work even a little?

I clearly and emphatically hold down on the LS to keep a shot along the ice, only end up with a high shot. Anyone notice this? Am I doing something wrong? If I hold LT (vision control) I just do a spin-o-rama...

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[Dispatch]

Re: NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions He

Anyone else feel like shot aim is completely random/broken/doesn't work even a little?

I clearly and emphatically hold down on the LS to keep a shot along the ice, only end up with a high shot. Anyone notice this? Am I doing something wrong? If I hold LT (vision control) I just do a spin-o-rama...

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

I haven't had a problem. In order to aim better I feel like you need to control your speed. If you're at more of a coasting speed I think you'll see better results. Another thing to factor into all of this is the curve on the stick. Some players might have a curve on their stick that makes it hard for them to keep it low. I definitely don't think the aiming is broke though. I've picked plenty of corners in the demo.

[bigwill33]

Re: NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions He

Anyone else feel like shot aim is completely random/broken/doesn't work even a little?

I clearly and emphatically hold down on the LS to keep a shot along the ice, only end up with a high shot. Anyone notice this? Am I doing something wrong? If I hold LT (vision control) I just do a spin-o-rama...

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

Vision control hasn't been in the game since '12. LT is the skate backwards button and when tapped while carrying the puck it does a spin move.

As Dispatch stated, be sure to not be skating at a high speed (moving your feet) when you shoot as that will cause your shots to stray from where you are aiming.

Why they took out vision control is beyond me. They could have mapped skating backwards to a different button or something, but whatever. But it was a pain in the arse trying to face the puck or open up for a pass in front of the net when you are stationary and planted or trying to glide. Or you even still get the random interference call from hitting up on the shoot stick and accidently checking someone because the pass hasn't quite gotten to your stick blade yet for the one-timer. 3 years from now vision control will return as a *NEW FEATURE*!

[Majingir]

Re: NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions He

I'm not playing the demo, so can anyone else tell me what the penalties are like in the game? Has EA Sports fixed the 2+ year long penalty problem, or do we rarely see penalties at all(and if we do,are they at least realistic? Instead of NHL13 where you'd get a penalty for skating like 5 feet from the opposing player)

[BlueNGold]

Re: NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions He

I'm not playing the demo, so can anyone else tell me what the penalties are like in the game? Has EA Sports fixed the 2+ year long penalty problem, or do we rarely see penalties at all(and if we do,are they at least realistic? Instead of NHL13 where you'd get a penalty for skating like 5 feet from the opposing player)

Kind of hard to judge in one 5 minute period and no slider adjustments.