NHL 11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (360, PS3)

[Lubey]

It's pretty much the only game I know I'll be buying each year. I could lock myself in my closet, know nothing about the new version, and still feel comfortable spending the money.

[puckhead73]

I scored a pretty sick goal in battle for the cup mode earlier. Hawks took an icing, so I was taking the faceoof in their end on niemi's blocker side. won the faceoff by pushing the puck between the hawks' center's legs, and deking around him, my winger (can't remember his name) went straight to the goal off the draw, was the only cross crease pass i've completed since turning off '10'

Also, another thing i noticed, i was playing another battle for the cup game on allstar, and i love the new ai, the last game i played, the ai was up by a goal with a little over a minute left, well as i was trying to attack more and was pushing my forecheck a little harder, the ai started playing more of a "more focused on wasting time and not making any mistakes than on scoring" style of game. They would get posession, and then gain my blue line, and just dump the puck in. at first i thought it was just for a line change, which in and of itself made me excited, but then they did it again right after i gained the neutral zone, so i figured that they were playing dump and chase, except then i realized that no one was chasing and that it looked like they were just playing it safe. anyone else notice this, or am i just to high off if this demo that i'm reading into it?

[Segagendude]

Can someone explain to me please, what exactly is offsides as it pertains to hockey? Seems several times I'd try and get across the line for a possible one-on-one only to have the offside warning come up and play stopped.

Is it the same as in football, where one of my guys went across the line before the ball is snapped, i.e the puck in this case?

Should I hold onto the puck and skate sideways till my guys are over the line?

Thanks.....

[RealmK]

Quote: Originally Posted by Segagendude

Can someone explain to me please, what exactly is offsides as it pertains to hockey? Seems several times I'd try and get across the line for a possible one-on-one only to have the offside warning come up and play stopped. Is it the same as in football, where one of my guys went across the line before the ball is snapped, i.e the puck in this case? Should I hold onto the puck and skate sideways till my guys are over the line? Thanks.....

The puck needs to cross the blueline into the attacking zone before a player on the offensive team enters said zone.

[JezFranco]

Ok, I've had more time with the demo, and found my one and only gripe so far...
On the PS3 version I noticed (once again!) loss of frame rate/graphic slowdown... Especially noticed it a few times were the CPU bench their goalie and you got 11 players + a goalie battling off a faceoff oin your zone.

God, this shouldn't need to happen... New physics engine, sure. But this game shouldn't have to lose framerate, it's not that comlex really.

[JezFranco]

Quote: Originally Posted by Qb

As someone who used manual passing exclusively playing offline in NHL10, believe me, there is a learning curve. But once you "get it", there's no going back. Much more freedom -- try passing ahead of a streaking forward along the boards and skating onto the puck -- and much more rewarding when you connect on the perfect pass for a goal or even when you put it behind your target on a prime scoring opportunity.

Agree!
I first thought manual passing was kinda a cool, but slow and clunky... but after a few games on last years game, as you said, there was absolute no going back.
And this year it seems to me it has changed for the better. I get the feeling that you actually get a harder pass if you quickly press the button all the way down, rather than just tapping it... It's not as much waiting time for the hard pass to "charge".
I think I'm gonna speed it up a bit with the sliders, but this feels like a great little change.
And also, noticed that it's easier to do a direct pass now. This was impossible on manual passin gearlier. Don't know if it's a change in the passing mechanic or the fact that the game switches player after your first pass much faster now...

Luvin it.

[RealmK]

Quote: Originally Posted by JezFranco

Ok, I've had more time with the demo, and found my one and only gripe so far... On the PS3 version I noticed (once again!) loss of frame rate/graphic slowdown... Especially noticed it a few times were the CPU bench their goalie and you got 11 players + a goalie battling off a faceoff oin your zone. God, this shouldn't need to happen... New physics engine, sure. But this game shouldn't have to lose framerate, it's not that comlex really.

Yeah its still there, its not as bad as it was last year imo but its still occasionally noticeable. Blame the less than stellar dev tools from Sony in comparison to DirectX.

[18 eighty 5]

Hahaha I am laughing at what just happened.

Playing 3rd period as the Flyers. The B'Hawks turn it over in my defensive zone. I make a nice pass to the center moving foward up the middle. He makes a forward pass to my left winger (Asham) who has to stretch to reach the puck, gathers it and takes off.

It's 2 on 2. Asham has the puck and I try to boost but he doesn't have much going for him. He enters the Hawks off. zone on a 45 degree angle to the goalie with a defender skating backwards trying to block the shooting lane. On the opposite side of the ice Hartnell is motoring keeping up with the play. He too has a defender covering him but not too closely.

I wind up a slapshot with Asham and the stick breaks as it hits the ice. The puck goes sliding out perfectly infront of Hartnell who moves over it. The goalie in the meantime who was guarding Ashams side of the net scrambles and over compensates for the unpredictable change in the pucks direction by moving too far over to cover Hartnell's side of the net.

Hartnell in a flash one times it and puts it back over the goalies right shoulder to the gaping left hand side of the net for the score. The defense was bombed silly, nothing they could do.

I laughed I was that pleased with what I saw.

Easily the best goal I have scored in the demo and probably the best goal I have scored for the last few years playing EA's game.

Was brilliant!