Be a GM

The always interesting "Be a GM" still remains as NHL 12's franchise mode. If you aren’t familiar with "Be a GM," it differs in numbers of ways from standard dynasty modes in other sports games.

First, in addition to managing your team (and it’s affiliated AHL team), you are slowly building your reputation as a general manager through an RPG-like system. Completing tasks from a list of recommended ones will earn points, which can be assigned to four categories: amateur scouting, pro scouting, medical staff and assistant coach. Complete enough tasks, and you’ll essentially level up.

You’ll also manage team relationships, finances and rosters. You can interact with players from a variety leagues, whether you want to draft them or trade them. The mode includes plenty of minor, yet official NHL rules and policies such as retired jersey numbers. You can also begin the new season prior to the 2011 NHL draft, should you want a redo on how your favorite team actually drafted.

All-in-all, the depth of the mode is great; The GM tasks add an element that makes it pretty addicting. EA Sports also makes it more likely that you’ll pull off trades and sign players just to accomplish a task, as opposed to simulate what a real GM might do. It’s a case of sacrificing realism for entertainment; I’m OKwith it in this sense, though it will really come down to what you want your franchise mode to be about.

Still, if all of this sounds remarkably familiar to last year (and the years before), it’s because it is. In fact, in EA’s own press materials, the only notable refinements to "Be a GM" mentioned surrounded simulation and trade AI. While these shouldn’t be overlooked, there aren’t any upgrades or additions that will grab your attention, especially if you’ve burnt out on this mode in the past.

And despite the upgrades to the sim engine (you can now follow the action and jump in if need be), there still seems to be problems when simming over the long-term. While I’ve only simmed through two seasons, I notice a couple of problems. First, playoff favorites, like Philadelphia, seemed to significantly under-perform and often miss the playoffs. I guess this is not out of the realm of possibility, but the standings seemed a little random as opposed to a logical simulation. 

Second, the ratings of players over the long term skewed slightly toward above average. I didn’t see the free agency problem that many users may recall from last year, but it seemed like there were too many players in the 80-plus category. It’s even odder when these players are waived in the middle of the season (which happened a few too many times).

Finally, my biggest complaint with "Be a GM" mode is the user interface. It hasn’t changed, and I find it cumbersome. While there is a lot that the menus need to give access to, it seems to convolute something that could be much more streamlined.

My overall impression of this mode remains that of being underwhelmed. I love that there is so much to do, and that the general structure of the game is geared toward making it addictive. However, it still feels like the same experience as the past few years. That, coupled with a user interface that feels outdated, makes me feel pretty lukewarm about the mode.

Be a Pro

I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of career modes; it’s not that they are usually bad, I just prefer to spend most of my time looking at the big picture found in franchise modes. NHL 12’s "Be a Pro" mode, however, is a lot of fun and one of the more option-laden career modes out there.

From the start, I like how you can now either pick a real pro, create a new player or choose a legend. I don’t plan on playing through this mode more than once or twice, but I like that there are basic options from the beginning.

From there, you can choose to start in the CHL, play in the Memorial Cup (WHL) to impress NHL scouts or jump right to the NHL team of choice. Those looking for the complete experience will want to start in the CHL; you can extend the life of your CHL player by making him (or her) as young as 15.

The other positive change (and something which as been long overdue) is the fact that you no longer call your own shift. Your coach is now in charge of handing out the ice time, so your 3rd liner won’t seen the largest portion of the game. This certainly adds some realism to the mode, as you won’t be quite as quick to rack up time and experience. 

When on the bench (or in the box), you are now able to watch or sim to your next shift. When simming, you can either “quick sim” or use EA’s Action Tracker to catch textual representations of the plays as they unfold. This is a nice way to experience the whole game, but I usually found myself jumping to my next shift.

Various tasks have also been added to give you some direction when on the ice. These vary from legendary tasks (over the course of a season) to in-game tasks that reflect what is happening in-game. These are a nice touch, but don’t seem quite as dynamic as I would have liked.

Final thoughts

Overall, these two modes make up one of the more robust franchise/career combinations in sports gaming. These are deep modes with plenty of options, and, like the new modes mentioned last week, backed up by solid gameplay.

Yet, like the rest of NHL 12, the changes are relatively minute, especially in "Be a GM" mode. Time will tell if more significant roster problems will creep up. 

"Be a Pro" fairs a bit better, especially if the Legendary stuff interests you. The ice time is more realistic, which itself is worth enough to give the mode a try. 

These are good modes, but they are hampered by not offering enough improvements or upgrades. I think at this point, even a UI overhaul would make both a bit more attractive.