Impressions a week later since this game has been out?

[timpfla]

I was wondering what your thoughts are in regards to this game? Did you rent it,buy it, or not buy it and why. Or are you waiting to buy it used?

[ChampIsHere42]

I’ve been playing a couple hours on EA Access and to me it seems exactly the same as last year with new presentation.

[VeNOM3099]

Finished my EA Access trial last night. I had no intention of buying this game, but after playing it for 10 hours, I'm 100% certain that I will not.

Yes, there are some things that changed, but not all of them for the better. To me, the one thing that I wanted to see improve was the human goaltending and that's taken several major steps backwards. Same for the AI Goaltending which is just ludicrously bad; when you can score 8+ goals against the AI at the Superstar difficulty there's something terribly wrong.

That said, there is some fun to be had when you play this game as a fun "hockey-lite" alternative. Ones is stupid fun, with the one thing marring the experience being the wrap-around glitch goal which (hopefully) will be patched out. If not, well there's always Squad Battles, but the aforementioned difficulty discrepancy means you can just rack up points galore and get a ton of free packs for a little bit of grinding, which I would rather do than have to face the throngs of online try-hards LT'ing and flicking-up their way to victory without even using one once of hockey skill or knowledge.

EA's NHL is what it is: it's a video game that tries to look like hockey. Somethings it gets right. Many things it gets wrong. To me? It LOOKS like hockey but FEELS nothing like it...

But that might not necessarily be YOUR experience with it or someone else's.

[Honome]

I couldn't even finish my 10 hour trial and uninstalled it with only 5 hours of gameplay. What can i say... For me the gameplay is horrible, too end-to-end fast paced brainless gameplay with zero emphasis on any kind of real hockey strategy. It's useless to dump the puck because the AI always, as soon as it touches the puck, makes a lightspeed perfect backhand pass (between the legs and facing the boards) to the center of the ice to start a break. It's a damn joke when the AI makes about 20 between the legs passes per game, what the hell is that!!! Everyone can count by themselves, i guarantee that the AI will have at least 20 ****ing between the legs passes per game!

There's, like all the previous years, no difference enough from players, they are all like clones. The first line should be feared by the other team, but it makes no difference if we're facing the first or forth line, they all seems the same. And (again!!!) no roster sharing, something that could at least make it less worse.

The commentary is annoying with the guy screaming for everything that happens, the presentation is also bad and is there only to make the game even more arcady.

I went back to play NHL 19 that at least plays a little like hockey, the new version doesn't. If they fix the damn between the legs passing i will play the game when it's out on EA Access vault next year.

[Drakar]

Depending on which game mode you play, you will experience difference variance of frustration with the AI when playing offline. I got the most frustration out of Be a pro as I see my defense skating backward way too much and I can't do F all about their level of aggressiveness. they just keep going backward and let the opposite team AI do whatever they want. No pressure. But when I got into offensive zone, I get pressure real hard. This has been that way since forever and it's getting old.

When you have control over all the players mode (franchise, HUT) , you can always change the strategy and manged. The game is not as bad. The AI still cheat and have godly puck possession. You can poke or lift stick but 95% of the time, they will still keep the puck. It's really difficult to play hockey like real hockey since you know you are in a disadvantage from the start. I don't think I ever win a 1 on 1 battle on the board ever. Board play is really a pointless battle. Also player pivot like they have been on the ice capades before playing hockey

That being said, it's not as horrible as some as portrait. It's better than last year. Pass interception is easier and I've been successful in playing better defense this year. It is not where it needs to be but it's not trash.

This is the improvement I would like to see :

General AI behavior

1. AI puck possession needs to be tone done by a **** load

2. Pivot and 360 needs to have a much great stamina cost. If you are going to abuse LT, You need to be severely taxed. That way player won't abuse it all the time. (maybe like Dark Souls, Stamina bar depletes)

3. More aggressive AI on your Be a pro mode team.

4. Tone done AI when they are in PK.

5. I would like to see each NHL team to play a different style (neutral zone trap, dump puck, etc...)

6. Dynamic difficulty and momentum needs to be tone down. The "ice-tilt" is real when your opponent AI start pressuring hard but the AI on your team doesn't know how to deal with it and just keep causing turnover.

Be a Pro mode

1. Instead of selecting an menu option for training why am I not practicing play like in Madden Career ? Earn points based on how you did in training. Teach player how to play hockey instead of just individual acrobats.

2. I would like to see more in-depth interaction between players and coaches Based on how you did in practice, you might be downgrade to different line

3. Coaches might put you on different line when you are in a cold streak. Try to build chemistry with another player. Right now, As long as you score, you will remain on line 1 forever

4. Current rating system is based on your player style. If you pick a power forward, you are expecting to hit every that moves in order to get a higher team rating. There is no way to succeed as a Power Forward sniper like or Sniper / Dangler. Not enough separation and nuances between player style.

I haven't played Franchise yet this year so I won't comment on that but I feel a lot of the suggestion I've enumerated are not that hard to implement an would make a world of difference.

[scagwi]

How is NHL 20 for a strictly offline single player mode user?

[KoryDub]

Quote: Originally Posted by VeNOM3099

the throngs of online try-hards LT'ing and flicking-up their way to victory without even using one once of hockey skill or knowledge.

There's a lot of guys who use those tactics for sure, but they're easily defendable.

Plus it's funny that you project on to them zero knowledge of hockey after they decidedly school you - clearly they understand enough about hockey to know how to overcome your defending.

[KoryDub]

Quote: Originally Posted by scagwi

How is NHL 20 for a strictly offline single player mode user?

Gameplay wise it's a step forward from NHL 19 - how big a step that is, is ultimately up to you as it's quite subjective.


A.I. is still briandead - so same old there.

Franchise mode has had some quality of life improvements from what I hear - whether or not that justifies a purchase is again - up to you.

But I think for the most part, offline modes outside of Franchise mode weren't touched at all.