NHL 13: Grading the Realism

[RaychelSnr]

True Performance Skating has revolutionized hockey gaming, but how does the rest of EA Sports' NHL 13 fare when compared to real hockey?

Read More - NHL 13: Grading the Realism

[onac22]

Very solid write up. I agree with all that was said.

A couple of honorable mentions: The crazy rubber rebounds that fly from goalie to corner, to point, back to goalie, back to corner, to opposite point back to goalie and so on until a goal is scored.

My last improvement is a change to fighting. I'm not a big fan of running around fighting everyone in sight but the engine is old and unsatisfying to watch even on EASHL. I would rather watch the third person and see the scrap.

[tvman]

QB mentioned that tripping penalties had been increased after the latest 1.02 tuner to help deal with all the poke checking. Was this review done before or after that tuner?

[addybojangles]

Really good write-up!

I'm super glad you address the POINTLESS left-trigger to skate backwards - as someone who held LT maybe 80% of the time in NHL 12, I keep doing this. I just want to be facing the puck!!! Not skating backwards...

And really good points on how they addressed skating but totally left pretty much everything else out. The goalies are totally masking the mindless AI defense and the jostling in front of the net is awful. I really want to like NHL 13, and true performance skating is a huge gamechanger, but you can't neglect everything else and expect an outstanding product.

[drewst18]

Not often I say this about the front page articles, but very well put from start to finish. Seems like you know your hockey and aren't some random writing about a sport you know nothing about...

[FBeaule04]

This article is showing what most people are discovering when playing more and more games.

True Skating is great, while not perfect, it's great, but took so much effort that EA neglect almost everything else in the game.

Last year (NHL 12), we had a Ferrari frame with a Lada motor, but a brand new cupholder (Goalie Fights) and glovebox (Breaking glasses). This year (NHL 13), we have the same Ferrari frame with a Lada motor, but we got new tires for a gift.

Next year, only hope they find a Ferrari motor to put in that damn frame, and not coming on with brandnew sunshades and carpet!

[RUFFNREADY]

Spot on in your write up, my good man! One thing i would like to mention is the tangible puck and the "USER"; dont you find if you are skating towards the puck to get it, and find that your player skates right by it for no reason? But if the cpu AI happens to do this, they never skate over or pass a puck?
cheers

[plaidchuck]

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