NHL 09 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here

[copecowboy]

ESHL will be a bust because it will be to hard to get that many dedicated people in a game at once, with work, school lives, ect. Its hard enough getting an online dynasty together in madden or ncaa which has 1000 times the purchaces.

[kerosene31]

Tried the demo - my impressions are mixed. As someone who did not like 08 (or any of the EASports games last year) I'm not sold. After hearing all the PS3 people rave, I'm disappointed. Remember, 08 last year for PS3 only ran at 30 fps. The jump to 60 fps is huge. On 360, we already made that jump, so we're not seeing that improvement.

Positives:

1) Defensive controls... FINALLY. Sorry, it is a joke that it took 3 years for these to get in. If anything, they seem too powerful now.

2) Goalies seem a little more human, less super-goalie factor

3) Passing is somewhat improved. If you are really dumb with the puck you will turn it over. They went in the right direction, but still improvements are needed.

4) Be a pro is fun.

5) The one-timer fest from 08 is gone. Finally.

6) You can finally play some defensive hockey.

Cons:

- Skating is way too floaty and off. What did they do to it? Skating was one of the few things I thought 08 did right. Even the better skaters feel weird. NHL skaters should be smooth, at least the great ones.

1) All the EA Sports annoying cheats and problems are still there:

The controls feel totally clunky. I don't feel in control of the players, but rather I'm just stepping from one animation to the other. Try a poke check? Prepare for the slowest animation ever. Come on, Lidstrom isn't one of the best in the league on D because he has to telegraph his poke check.

2) After #1, the CPU does not have the same problem. Their animations are nice, smooth and fast. The CPU cheats are still there (yes, the AI does cheat, and badly). While they can't skate any faster than you at top speed, they can accelerate, turn and do everything else a little faster. While the CPU players are already going the other way, you're still making this big circle on the ice. I mean, you can learn to play differently and win, but it feels wrong.

3) Puck magnet - on all-star, the puck "randomly" finds the CPU way more than it will find you. You poke the puck and somehow it sits at the CPU player's skates for a second then he carries on.

4) Puck physics still seem really weird. Puck floats around when you are near it, yet somehow the CPU doesn't have this problem. The puck goes in the corner and you always seem to skate right past it. If there is no puck shadow, it is on the ice, right?

5) Skating backwards is still broken. Ok, NHL d-men do not turn backwards at the redline every time. I'm sick of getting beaten to the outside because my d-man decided to turn around at the wrong moment. PUT THIS BACK IN THE PLAYER'S CONTROL. 2k hockey always got this right. Skate normal until you get to about the hash marks (or maybe a touch higher, then spin).

6) I have a big question about the teammate AI. It feels like your AI controlled teammates let you down again. I'm controlling Lidstrom and pushing the skater far to the outside, only to have him throw a pass in the slot and Rafalski is nowhere to be seen. The passing is still fast enough that you can't switch players and get a poke or stick lift off. The player is never in the right position. YOU have to play the guy near the puck at every moment (which is impossible) or you get burned.

7) The defensive AI is still not aggressive enough. Even on all-star, you just skate in, circle back towards the boards, and either make a pass or split the D. Instead of looking for the one-timer, you are better off hot-dogging it for the net.

8) The control layout and buttons seem strange. Why is there a separate poke check and pass block button? Shouldn't those be the same controls? You're trying to get your stick on the puck either way. Hopefully in the final version you can remap them better.

9) Passing, while better, is still too fast and too accurate. You can still pull off these amazing backhand passes at times. They are going the right way, but things need to slow down more.

Overall: sorry to be so negative. It is better than 08, but a great hockey game? I'm not sure. I'm in the minority of those who were frustrated with all EA 08 sports games. Fifa, NHL, and Madden all had similar problems. The CPU feels cheap and the controls are clunky.

Honestly, I can see myself doing the same as last year: playing 20 games and not enjoying the game and putting it away. Now, before people tell me that I suck at the game, it isn't about getting better. You can easily avoid all the CPU cheats on D and learn to shut them down on offense. Still, I don't feel like I'm getting a good game against the CPU.

The be a pro online part is the one thing that will probably get me to buy the game. Even then, I'm not sure how this is going to work, but at least online you avoid the CPU cheats.

[jplune]

Does anybody else notice the lack of penalties?

[BrianFifaFan]

Okay guys, I had a couple of periods with the demo. Got my head kicked in. Now I have a question. Are there multiple cameras available in the full version? I'd like something a bit closer to the ice. But I'm really feeling the controls, just have to get Fifa and Madden off the brain and stop trying to Turbo with the passing trigger! But I'm looking forward to next week! Brian

[akula89]

kerosene31, I tend to agree with your assessment of the CPU AI cheating, however I am buying NHL 09 for two main reasons 1) local multiplayer and 2) X-Box Live multiplayer

this is where the game will shine! CPU AI will always be a problem, it is the most complex aspect of the game in regards to programming the logic. still, I don't think it's quite as bad as you have stated.

[kerosene31]

Quote: Originally Posted by akula89

kerosene31, I tend to agree with your assessment of the CPU AI cheating, however I am buying NHL 09 for two main reasons 1) local multiplayer and 2) X-Box Live multiplayer this is where the game will shine! CPU AI will always be a problem, it is the most complex aspect of the game in regards to programming the logic. still, I don't think it's quite as bad as you have stated.

Yeah, NHL isn't nearly as problematic in this area as other EA games.

Still, lots of us don't want to play online 1 on 1. The be a pro mode looks like it might be fun, but all sports games online end up with cheezers. I mean, there is no avoiding it for any game.

Also, the teammate AI problems will still show, except on 6 v 6.

I've got to give it more time though for sure. A few games isn't enough. Just overall I was let down after hearing all the high praise, but then again most loved 08 and I wasn't a fan of either game last year.

[Qb]

Just a brief thought -- I played a few more games of the demo tonight and then a few custom online games of 08 on the 'slow' game speed setting. I think I'll be toning down the appropriate sliders yet again with 09, as it's still too fast for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, there is a definite improvement, but I think certain aspects are off.

One might be acceleration (I had it at zero in 08) and this might be contributing to my feeling that the skating isn't quite right. I don't know if 'twitchy' is the right word, but in the demo, I feel like my guys are moving around too quickly and that I lack a sense of subtle control.

That being said, I'm looking forward to getting the retail version and being able to fiddle with the settings. I don't think that EA changed anything for the worse in terms of gameplay. But, I'm just not typically a default-setting person, so I can't pass any judgments until I tailor the game to my liking...

[ddhex27]

I'm finding that the 360 version controls are much less responsive in attempting the defensive stick sweeping. Almost as if it were set to auto sweep, where as the PS3 version seems much easier to wave the stick around in passing lanes.