NHL 10 Demo Available, Post Impressions Here (360 & PS3)

[onlybygrace]

Quote: Originally Posted by RealmK

I meant more along the lines that you don't have to wind them up so to speak. Personally I'm fine with the passing, I figure with a few tweaks once we get the full version it'll be close to perfect. Honestly I have only one real complaint and thats with the cpu passing being still too tape to tape but again, thats something sliders will help to alleviate at the very least. The game feels like hockey, the board play implimentation is spot on, the puck physics are vastly improved and the AI does a fantastic job at bottling you up in your own end by playing good positional hockey through the neutral zone. Its no longer an end to end game by any stretch. I also love that its difficult to score, that I need to get a tender moving and out of position, or beat him on a rebound, deflection etc. But on the other end of the spectrum I still score clean goals be it slappers from the point, or a hard snap shot from the top of the circle that the tender misjudged etc. I also love all the little neuances, hats being thrown on the ice for hat tricks. Guys swatting at pucks in the air or gloving them down. A player taking a solid hard hit, getting shaken up and slowly making his way back to the bench. Tenders being able to branch into animations to swat a puck away thats gotten behind them. That stars feel like alot more like star players and 3rd and 4th liners are able to do their jobs and grind it out or be a physical presence when appropiate. Varried penalties and having more animations for them, hooking calls for example don't always consist of a guy getting hauled down, sometimes its barely even a tug and it gets called, double minors, majors, coincidental calls etc. The fighting is growing on me as well. For those guys that are complaining "oh its just like 09 I'm not impressed hurr hurr hurr" well what did you expect? The're continuing to build on what was already a solid foundation. The game isn't going to completely change every year just for the sake of looking different. The boardplay alone makes the game play so much more authentic, add that with all the other additions like precision passing, new tender AI and animations etc etc, and like someone mentioned earlier in the thread, yes NHL10 is the MLB The Show of hockey games as far as I'm concerned.

I agree with everything you said...especially if you play realistic hockey, the game just blossoms like a rose.

this game is like crack. SO MANY things done right its not even funny.

I mean for real.

My biggest concern (goal variety) is not an issue. The difference between the players is huge (Malkin Is A BEAST!!!).

And the physics and little nuances...I could go on and on and on...

EA...focus on presentation next year and then it'll be alllllllll goooood.

However, I'm lucky because I didn't play too much 09, so I'm one of the few who isn't burned out on the presentatiion.

[Scottdau]

Quote: Originally Posted by onlybygrace

I agree with everything you said...especially if you play realistic hockey, the game just blossoms like a rose. this game is like crack. SO MANY things done right its not even funny. I mean for real. My biggest concern (goal variety) is not an issue. The difference between the players is huge (Malkin Is A BEAST!!!). And the physics and little nuances...I could go on and on and on... EA...focus on presentation next year and then it'll be alllllllll goooood. However, I'm lucky because I didn't play too much 09, so I'm one of the few who isn't burned out on the presentatiion.

I second that!

[onlybygrace]

Quote: Originally Posted by bukktown

I cant complete a cross ice pass on hardcore. I love it! I've played about 5 games and I have scored one goal on a rebound. Has anyone beaten the goalie clean?

Several times...

get him going side to side...take point shots...take shots he doesn't expect.

Play real hockey...really.

Goal variety is great...

[onlybygrace]

Quote: Originally Posted by MizzouRah

I'll disagree.. I think it's taken great steps FORWARD. The game play is so much better than 09 imho. CPU teammates do EVERYTHING they can in situations that never have me scratching my head.. on pro defaults I'm having so much fun.. I've already played this demo more than Madden 10 and NCAA 10..

Mkharsh

I returned NHL 09 after about a month...I can not for the life of me get over how good NHL 10 is...WITHOUT tweaks...

Don't be misled...there are a lot of blind guides around here.

[Spanky]

Just downloaded the demo using a newly created gamertag from a different hotmail account, getting a free 30-day gold membership and not having to wait seven days for the silver account release.
I love sticking it to the man.
Anyway, one the great things is the huge amount of sliders and the separation of human and CPU sliders.

[onlybygrace]

Quote: Originally Posted by gbx34

I thought look almost the same. Am i the only one who hate "sliders" to death. I mean if you have to mess with those then game is just not good. I just don't like dealing with them.

Thats too bad...

You are probably in a 97 percent to 3 percent minority.

[bcgudely]

If you just blast a slapshot from the point, sometimes it'll just go in clean. I've had two or three point shots hit top shelf and beat him glove side when not screened. If you shoot when the goalie's screened, you can score pretty well too. That didn't really matter much in 09, but it does in 10.

Like onlybygrace said... move the puck around though. Get a cycle going, move the puck, get good opportunities.

[bad_philanthropy]

It may look kind of goofy, but in BAP, going up to someone after the whistle and giving them a face wash and then watching everyone start whacking at each other is oddly satisfying. It's a joy to know that I incited it and it gets me giggling like a moron.