I hate to beat the same point into the ground, but just in case you haven’t read some of my previous writings concerning EA’s NHL series, let me say, with no reservation, that NHL 09 changed my life. Though you may be quick to cry “hyperbole,” I make no exaggeration with my previous statement. Merely 12 months ago, not only did I know nothing about hockey, I had absolutely no interest in the sport, if not downright disdain for it. These days, however, things are quite different. I’ve been known to become near-suicidal at the risk of missing a game on TV. Furthermore, when I’m not enjoying watching the game be played, there is a very good chance I am at the local ice rink improving my own skills.
Saying that I have been awaiting the release of NHL 10 is an understatement somewhere near the level of “the ocean is big and wet,” but I was not without my reservations. I thought NHL 09 was near perfect, which left me worried that NHL 10 would either be too similar to the effort of the year previous or, even worse, that it would strive to be too different from the game I so thoroughly enjoyed. Obviously, this puts EA in a rather tough position, though after much time with the game, it is clear that the team has risen to the challenge.
From first glance, there is very little changed from NHL 09. 10 appears to be using the same engine as its predecessor, resulting in a very similar look and presentation. Inspect further and the little differences begin to show themselves. The faces of each skater, especially the well known stars of the team, are much more detailed, looking far superior to the simple designs of last year. There are also a great number of new animations for both skaters and goalies. Skaters will stop pucks with their skates, reach for poorly aimed passes, stumble when tripped, and literally jump in the air to glove a flying puck.
Meanwhile, goalies have seen vast improvement. From aggressively diving for loose pucks in front of the crease to wildly swatting pucks from the air, you will find scoring on and, more importantly exploiting, the goalie to be much more difficult. Unfortunately, there are still a few bugs to be worked out, specifically involving pucks being dumped in and bouncing off the boards. I’ve seen goalies leave the net to try to play these pucks, to just turn around and walk back without knocking the puck away. This creates unfair scoring opportunities that dampen an otherwise accurate representation of real hockey. These moments aren’t too frequent, but every time they occur you will be immediately pulled from the experience.
One of the most notable changes this year is actually the puck itself. Apparently, EA worked hard to create a realistic physics engine to govern the puck’s behavior, and it’s very much apparent from the moment you start playing. The puck, much like in real hockey, is somewhat unpredictable, taking weird hops and bounces when slammed against the boards or passed across the ice. This helps replicate the more chaotic moments of the sport, where players are amassed at the boards, all whacking at the puck trying to pry it loose or even just get a handle on it. It can be frustrating when a pass hops over your stick, but the extra push towards realism is much appreciated.
The biggest addition to NHL 10’s gameplay has to be the fighting. While fighting was just a fun little distraction in 09, 10 practically encourages you to drop the gloves. After the whistle is blown and the play is stopped, the game will allow you to skate around for a few seconds before the puck is dropped again. During this time, you can actually cause all kinds of havoc. You can downright fight, or you can push players around and try to instigate a brawl. Played correctly, you can actually cause star offensive players to be bogged down with penalty minutes, effectively removing them from the game for a time. Even better, your lines will gain energy after a scrap, and it even seems like they perform a little better than normal after a fight is won. Learning the strategy behind fighting and physical play is an integral part to succeeding in NHL 10.
Tweaks to the gameplay aside, NHL 10 returns this year with a few new modes of play; my favorite of the bunch being the “Battle for the Cup” mode, in which you can enter a three, five, or seven game series for the illustrious trophy. In this mode, the fans are much more active, waving towels and chanting “we want the cup!” throughout the game. During play, players will actually get injured, forcing you to decide whether to play them, risking further injury or to bench them for a game or two until they are fully healed. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself biting your lip when being forced to decide whether or not to play your favorite forward in Game Seven of the series with a sprained wrist. This mode is best played with a bunch of your friends over, where the trash talking will become near mountainous.
In terms of the “Be a Pro” mode or the Online Leagues, the progression of your created skater has seen a huge overhaul. In NHL 09, your skater was rewarded stat boosts after you played so many games, allowing you to spend points to increase specific areas of performance, from shot power to skating speed. This year, you actually unlock new gear for your player by meeting certain requirements, such as scoring a certain number of goals in a game, winning the Stanley Cup, etc. Once you unlock new gear, you can insert stat boosters into an item’s slots. It’s reminiscent of an RPG, where you can insert gems into slotted gear in order to enhance your fighting or magic. This is all great, and encourages you to play the game in many different ways to try and unlock everything . Unfortunately, EA committed the ultimate sin by also allowing these items to be purchased with real money. This move is in complete contradiction to what the unlocking system was meant for, namely ensuring everyone tried all the different modes available.
In the end, I believe the NHL series, especially NHL 10, prospers for two reasons. The first is its ability to teach a mostly unknown game to newcomers quite easily. As you play, you begin to appreciate and understand the rules of the game, such as offsides and icing, while learning distinct strategies to work within this framework. Secondly, and most importantly, the game excels because of hockey’s nail biting, down-to-the-last-minute sort of play, where a single point can mean the difference between victory and defeat. You will celebrate each goal scored, you will clench your teeth during each penalty kill, and most importantly, you will fall in love with the most underappreciated sport in America. Get this game, invite a few friends over, and prepare to become a hockey fan.
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Things We Liked: Much more representative of the sport than NHL 09. Improved animations and design. “Battle for the Cup” mode. Fighting.
Things We Disliked: Goalies still behave oddly sometimes. Menus, particularly for online play, are hard to navigate. Nickleback is on the soundtrack.
Target Audience: All hockey fans. Anyone willing or wanting to learn and appreciate the sport.
(NHL 10 – Developer: EA Canada. Publisher: EA Sports. Available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 – Xbox 360 version reviewed. Buy it Now at Amazon.com
