Best Hockey Game for Beginner

[icvu42]

Hey Everyone,

I have never been a big hockey fan, but this year I've been watching it more and more. The only time I've really played videogame hockey was NHL '94 in college with my roommates. Then a few years ago I was given a copy of NHL 15 or 16 on the PS4.

What's the best game on PS5. Since I still don't really know all the players, accurate rosters isn't a must.

Thanks you.

Rick

[stlgamer09]

Re: Best Hockey Game for Beginner

Hey Everyone,

I have never been a big hockey fan, but this year I've been watching it more and more. The only time I've really played videogame hockey was NHL '94 in college with my roommates. Then a few years ago I was given a copy of NHL 15 or 16 on the PS4.

What's the best game on PS5. Since I still don't really know all the players, accurate rosters isn't a must.

Thanks you.

Rick

Honestly we are late into the year I would wait under next year unless you can get NHL23 or NHL24 for $10 or less.

[The EVHL]

Re: Best Hockey Game for Beginner

Hey Everyone,

I have never been a big hockey fan, but this year I've been watching it more and more. The only time I've really played videogame hockey was NHL '94 in college with my roommates. Then a few years ago I was given a copy of NHL 15 or 16 on the PS4.

What's the best game on PS5. Since I still don't really know all the players, accurate rosters isn't a must.

Thanks you.

Rick

Does the PS have access to EA Play yet? I’d get that and download NHL 20. If you want to experience actual aggression from the AI and hints of real hockey in transition and goaltending, NHL 20 is the way to go.

I do not recommend NHL 21-24 as the AI were completely dumbed down in 21 and have never recovered which really diluted the offline experience imo.

As a goalie, 23-24 are the two worst years I’ve seen for goaltending the entire series maybe. Just nothing realistic about them in any sense. The most robotic, lifeless, uninspiring display of goaltending I’ve ever seen. Makes you forced to almost “cheese the game” to score which doesn’t teach you what a real hockey game and real scoring chance should look and feel like.

If graphics won’t put you off, if updates rosters won’t put you off, NHL 20 is the best EA game in the entire series imo. Between the uniform customization, graphics, gameplay, it’s the best overall package delivered by EA imo. If there’s a way for you to scoop that up for PS5 digitally somehow (it’s a PS4 release) then that’s my suggestion.

[icvu42]

Re: Best Hockey Game for Beginner

Does the PS have access to EA Play yet? I’d get that and download NHL 20. If you want to experience actual aggression from the AI and hints of real hockey in transition and goaltending, NHL 20 is the way to go.

I do not recommend NHL 21-24 as the AI were completely dumbed down in 21 and have never recovered which really diluted the offline experience imo.

As a goalie, 23-24 are the two worst years I’ve seen for goaltending the entire series maybe. Just nothing realistic about them in any sense. The most robotic, lifeless, uninspiring display of goaltending I’ve ever seen. Makes you forced to almost “cheese the game” to score which doesn’t teach you what a real hockey game and real scoring chance should look and feel like.

If graphics won’t put you off, if updates rosters won’t put you off, NHL 20 is the best EA game in the entire series imo. Between the uniform customization, graphics, gameplay, it’s the best overall package delivered by EA imo. If there’s a way for you to scoop that up for PS5 digitally somehow (it’s a PS4 release) then that’s my suggestion.

Thanks. I will see if I can get a copy.

[SBaker]

Re: Best Hockey Game for Beginner

is it still possible to buy NHL20 somewhere?

[tinpanalley]

Re: Best Hockey Game for Beginner

Hey Everyone,

I have never been a big hockey fan, but this year I've been watching it more and more. The only time I've really played videogame hockey was NHL '94 in college with my roommates. Then a few years ago I was given a copy of NHL 15 or 16 on the PS4.

What's the best game on PS5. Since I still don't really know all the players, accurate rosters isn't a must.

Thanks you.

Rick

Having spent time with all the NHL games that have been released on the PS5 I can tell you, my personal opinion, that the best hockey game out there is not one that is on that console.
If your desire is to learn the game, and accurate rosters don't matter, I don't think there is a video game that is going to be a good representation of the game to ease someone into it. Hockey video games have a long history of developing and morphing and nobody really ever getting it right. Graphics that look like TV but don't act human are useless. Those of us that have been playing hockey video games for 30 years know that all our favourite games have problems that we choose to overlook. If you had to go with three games that were the "best" on the ice, I'd say you wouldn't go wrong with NHL Legacy on PS3 or 360, NHL 2K7 on PS3 or 360, or NHL 09 on PC. All will need help from sliders because they're all relatively useless out of the box.

[Freakywwe]

Re: Best Hockey Game for Beginner

is it still possible to buy NHL20 somewhere?

Amazon has physical copies for 17 bucks. Digital was de-listed awhile ago so it's either physical or nothing, might be able to still get it from the EA Play vault too

[The EVHL]

Re: Best Hockey Game for Beginner

Having spent time with all the NHL games that have been released on the PS5 I can tell you, my personal opinion, that the best hockey game out there is not one that is on that console.
If your desire is to learn the game, and accurate rosters don't matter, I don't think there is a video game that is going to be a good representation of the game to ease someone into it. Hockey video games have a long history of developing and morphing and nobody really ever getting it right. Graphics that look like TV but don't act human are useless. Those of us that have been playing hockey video games for 30 years know that all our favourite games have problems that we choose to overlook. If you had to go with three games that were the "best" on the ice, I'd say you wouldn't go wrong with NHL Legacy on PS3 or 360, NHL 2K7 on PS3 or 360, or NHL 09 on PC. All will need help from sliders because they're all relatively useless out of the box.

You’re spot on, plus I like the 2k7 nod! Still one of the best intro/arena entrance sequence in history of hockey games!

2k7, 2k8, and 2k10 were all heavily played by me back in the day! All very good entries!

[MTLExpos4Ever]

Re: Best Hockey Game for Beginner

Amazon has physical copies for 17 bucks. Digital was de-listed awhile ago so it's either physical or nothing, might be able to still get it from the EA Play vault too

Neither Game Pass nor EA Play (or the plus versions of each) have any hockey offerings (and yet you can play The Show with GP Ultimate and Madden games --- go figure.)

[piffbernd]

Re: Best Hockey Game for Beginner

Cheapest version what u can get from NHL 19 to NHL 24. Sport games are roster update. Changes are minimal. U can get EA play for an month and try NHL from the last 3 years