NHL 12 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (360, PS3)

[Gagnon39]

I've played NHL since 08 on superstar and I have to say that this might be the year that I bump it down to all star. The CPU is WAY too hyped up. Intercepting every pass, on my like flies on... well.

Anyway, here's my overall breakdown.

The Good...

The game feels great. Skating just simply seems more fluid and more natural. The net battles are a nice addtion. One of my favorite things is how they tweaked blocked shots. If you hit both bumpers in NHL 11 you automatically slid on the ice and it often was out of place. In the demo it is contextual and very appropriate. If you hit both bumpers while you're lined up for a block and not sliding into position for the block, you lower to one knee and make yourself big. Very, very nice. The passing seems fluid but definitely needs to be a little sloppier, something I'm sure sliders can fix.

The Bad...

The hitting "physics" if you can call it that are a joke. I wish I could upload a video to demonstrate but I'll just try and explain instead. I lined up Daniel Sedin with Zdeno Chara (I was the Bruins) for a hit along the boards. Chara dropped to his knees when contact was made and the hit just looked akward. Also, I can't count the number of times that Chara was taken out. I probably played 10 games and he got dropped to the ice at least 3 times each game. When's the last time that has happened in real life?

It honestly feels a bit like playing NHL Hitz. Bodies flying everywhere. Glancing blows are no where to be seen. Everything is a huge, crushing hit. Again, something that can hopefully be fixed with sliders. As of right now I feel like the game is border-line unplayable until we can tweak sliders. If this was the game that we had to play and sliders were not available, I'd pass.

The ugly...

All CPU players are little Gretzky's, passing with pinpoint accuracy and intercepting every pass that comes within their stick length. Even when you use a saucer pass you cannot pass it through the opposition and connect for a long, breakaway chance.

The goalies seem robotic. I went to a shootout once and it was hilarious how perfect Luongo was on every single deke. He literally mimicked my stick as I went from side to side until he made a perfect save every time. My only goals came during regulation play from one-timers in the slot.

Final thoughts.

First and foremost, I hope sliders fix this game. Right now it was the worst game of hockey I've seen from EA in a long time. The game feels like an arcade game and the defenders fly around like they're on speed. Given I was playing on superstar. The one thing that would give me some peace about it was if I knew (some of you might know) if the game has the slider, CPU difficulty, at 3, which was default in NHL 11.

This made the CPU skate faster, shoot harder, etc. Its the only explanation for some of the things I saw in the demo.

Bottom line. Not impressed. Hopefully sliders make this game what I expect it to be.

[gopher_guy]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

First time I've played a hockey game in years. My first thought? Too many things to control. I have to get used to this definitely. Is there a turbo button or something like that? Also couldn't figure out what to do on faceoffs. This is the PS3 version. Had some fun though, especially with the computer generated scenarios going into the third period. Game is a little slow. I like hockey games to be a bit faster. As mentioned earlier, maybe if there's a turbo button or something I don't know about, that'd be great. Had a couple nice dekes and some passes. I feel like this game will be crazy fun once I get used to it.

Not necessarily a "turbo" button, but I think they call it the "hustle button"

While you're skating with the left stick, you push it in (as if it were a button), to make your player "hustle". He skates slightly faster with the left stick held in.

Another thing you can do, is hit left trigger (or whatever the PS3 concurrent button is, L2 I think). What that does is pushes the puck out in front of your player, and he will skate faster to catch up to it. This one is a little more dangerous because you actually lose possession of the puck, but it's a great way to get position on a defender that is right next to you.

[Vikes1]

Kinda neat that most of us are enjoying what we're seeing with the demo.

I'm going to get a bit more practicing in, before my son and I go on a..."Demo playing till our eyes blur"...gaming night!

Like some others have said, and I agree...that it's the collection of the "little things", that seem to be making a very nice difference so far with the demo. Really looking forward to the retail version!

[jyoung]

Which players are you guys using to check people through the glass?

I was playing all day but haven't seen it happen yet.

[Gagnon39]

Quote: Originally Posted by wEEman33

Which players are you guys using to check people through the glass? I was playing all day but haven't seen it happen yet.

Hopefully this never happens but if the demo is any indication, you can use just about anyone. In the games I've played Zdeno Chara is getting leveled by the Sedin twins. This game needs some serious slider work.

[HHHBigFan]

I haven't read through this whole thread

but is anybody else having ALOT of goals scored on slap shots?

I've had 3 in 10 mins of gametime

[MiNiDiTkA]

Quote: Originally Posted by wEEman33

Which players are you guys using to check people through the glass? I was playing all day but haven't seen it happen yet.

Same here. I've used both teams and have hit everyone in sight and still nothing

[Redskins_Hokies]

Quote: Originally Posted by wEEman33

Which players are you guys using to check people through the glass? I was playing all day but haven't seen it happen yet.

As I said earlier I was some LW on the Bruins (don't remember who) and barely pushed the guy as he was coming off the glass and was a few "inches" away from the glass and he did not move but his body leaned forward a bit and the glass shattered. It looked so unrealistic