NHL 13: Grading the Realism

[Vikes1]

Good write up.

First off, I judge the game just on off-line play vs the AI.

I found myself agreeing with most everything except the goalies. Personally now...I know their far from prefect, but I really don't have much of a problem with the cpu goalies. But the human team goalies...seem terrible.

Even with NHL '13' weakness, I'm going to have a great year with this game. As long as I can solve my goal tender problems.

[savoie2006]

Quote: Originally Posted by plaidchuck

So the consensus is skating= good everything else= the same? Kind of what I figured after playing the demo.

I wouldn't say the same, as there are some improvements throughout, but not near as groundbreaking as the Skating. The new Customize AI feature helps the lackluster AI a bit, but should be an enhancement, not a saving grace. The checking and boardplay is somehow worse in my opinion . The new GM Brain is cool as far as what it options it gives you and it acutally shows you what players teams are willing to part with. Plus you can edit what you are looking for from type of player to ratings in certain attributes, really COOL.

[pc21]

The early reviews on OS was that the game was awesome and much improved from NHL 12. I fork out 59.99 plus tax and all I get is a game with an improved staking engine. EA is so sub-par. There is no real fluidity to the game as there is in say MLB 12. Line changes look like cheap cartoon movements of an era gone by; players have the same mirror image movements on the bench and the game actually struggles to load from screen to screen. I thought I was purchasing a Ferrari but ended up with a lemon. I guess Sony is so far ahead in its MLB platform that it has ruined by ability to appreciate anything less.

[savoie2006]

Quote: Originally Posted by pc21

The early reviews on OS was that the game was awesome and much improved from NHL 12. I fork out 59.99 plus tax and all I get is a game with an improved staking engine. EA is so sub-par. There is no real fluidity to the game as there is in say MLB 12. Line changes look like cheap cartoon movements of an era gone by; players have the same mirror image movements on the bench and the game actually struggles to load from screen to screen. I thought I was purchasing a Ferrari but ended up with a lemon. I guess Sony is so far ahead in its MLB platform that it has ruined by ability to appreciate anything less.

In NHL's defense, it much easier to replicate the sport of baseball than it is hockey, which is probably the most difficult.

[Flyermania]

For me, the game has improved in a lot of area. Goaltending still needs a LOT of work. But with penalties lacking for yet another year, the best I can rate this game is a "C". Penalties are such a huge part of hockey, and this game just doesn't have enough of them. Plain and simple.

[xx19kilosoldier]

The penalty issue which has appeared for the third straight year in the NHL series rate this game a D in realism for me.

Power plays and penalty kills are an INTEGRAL part of hockey, so much so that having this aspect broken again is unacceptable. Its akin to having strikouts or base on balls not working properly in a baseball game.

So realism for NHL 13: D

[SA1NT401]

C+....penalty issues killing it for me again this year.

[CujoMatty]

I really like the game but the goaltending is hurting the experience for me. Lately I've been messing with sliders in order to make the game more challenging and its become very apparent that EA relys heavily on goaltending to make the game harder instead of making the AI play better. I want to lose some games but I just can't stand losing 6-2 when I've outshot the computer 42-15 and my goalie is rated 90. I understand it happens but not every other game. I find it very hard to feel like I've really earned a loss which is such an important aspect of sports gaming. If I lose at madden or MLB or basically any other sports game I generally feel like it was deserved, not always but most of the time. In NHL however alot of the time it feels like im getting jipped