NHL 23 Preview - Variety Is the Spice of Life

[ChaseB]

When it comes to my relationship with EA's NHL series, I feel like I've been in...

Written By: Chase Becotte

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[milwsteve]

No PC version so I will not be getting this game this year only way I will play this game is when it is available to play on the PC on the X Box Pass later this year

[casbruce]

Any idea if the new franchise features and gameplay tuning is going to be strictly for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S or if they are coming to all versions of the game?

[VeNOM3099]

I'm with Chase; we need hands-on time with the game to truly know where they're are going with the series. Every year we get the same spiel about AI improvements, goalie improvements, etc. And every year we're either outright disappointed (no real changes) or they change things for the better only to revert them in short order because of outcry from the TWITCH/YOUTUBE gamers (I'm looking at you NHL 17-18).

They use the excuse that a 1:1 recreation of the sport is impossible, but that's not what the fans want. We want a HOCKEY game that plays (for the most part) like HOCKEY, not FORTNITE on ICE.

All in all they said the RIGHT things about what's supposedly coming with NHL 23. Now we just have to wait and try it out to see HOW much it's actually better (or worse).

[kinsmen7]

A few quick thoughts:
-Love the idea of franchise customization...will be great to potentially use some classic rosters on a more "realistic" stage.
-New PP/PK schemes will hopefully help. I've always disliked the lack of net-front presence though. Pretty rare to get a good screen on the PP, when in reality NHL teams literally always have someone trying to screen the goalie.
-Off balance shots are a nice addition...I worry about them being overpowered though. Seems like this type of thing always ends up being successful way too often.
-When they say they've added animations to make the goalies better it makes me happy...unfortunately they've said this for a handful of years now, so I'm not holding my breath. Would love if the game could get to the point where you're consistently getting closer to accurate save percentages.

[tyler289]

While I'm not their target demo (which is HUT players and streamers), a lot to like in the previews:

- New PP and PK strategies, formations and "roles" for the powerplay which is huge and a welcome change
- AI passing a major focus in gameplay this year
- Custom settings for franchise mode open up entire new worlds for the game (up to 48 teams is crazy) and has been a requested feature from his site for years
- Crowds and atmosphere a major effort and improvement, and new celebrations for overtime winners and big goals
- Chase's read is that the team is trying to shake things up and get realistic hockey as the base for the game.

As someone who really enjoyed NHL22 and thinks the gameplay (with sliders found here) is solid overall, I am really excited for the game. My biggest complaints have been special teams and atmosphere, and giving us the tools to actually devise a good powerplay is really important and much-needed. Creating new animations for big goals and big moments is so critical to immersion. I am not one to be super picky about games and sim anymore, as it's just not realistic unfortunately to get a lot of what his community wants. But the last two years, thanks to sliders, I've found the game really fun to play and as close to sim as we've gotten. And I expect the same this year.

While I want more franchise mode things like a deeper coaching system, I actually look at this series and see an interesting comparison to MLB the Show. The Show has elite gameplay, but has basically given up on franchise mode completely.

SDS has done literally nothing to franchise mode for years, save for some new menus and graphics, while NHL has the best scouting system compared to Madden and MLB, and the coaching system is actually pretty impactful and good, even though it needs more. Expansion mode is well-done, there's good sim stats, the trade deadline is awesome, and stat tracking/records are very good and easy to follow.

So, in my eyes, this is a pretty good list of new things they're adding that show a focus on the hardcore community. Sure, most of the stuff is in there for HUT and EASHL. But there's plenty in here to be bullish on the direction the series IMO and I think 23 looks pretty exciting.

[Dagan]

I'll be stoked and hurting, both, as I haven't played NHL since 2018. Making the next gen switch just now, I will be experiencing all extremes, I'm sure.

Visually, it looks stunning, as it should. I'm definitely going to lean on the lot of you, though, for sliders and ensuring my games stay in the 3 to 4 goal per game average.

[LegendKillerOne]

For me it is all about the offense and how the AI plays it. If they cured the everyone go to the net to try and score I will be all over this game.