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

[Money99]

Ridgeberg, RealmK, thanks for answering some of my questions.
I'm dying to play this game myself. Only 4 more days.

So after a few more hours with this badboy are you still stoked?
It sounds like the game is far more organic.
And I love hearing how the CPU can't do the same things with lesser players as it can with it's stars.
I hated watching Sean O'Donnell turn into Bobby Orr.

[bad_philanthropy]

Small observation, the other prospects in the prospect game are rated much higher than the typical top prospects from dynasty mode draft in year's past.

I'm not sure if this is indicative of the talent levels we'll see in the first round of the draft in BaGM, but if it is, I like it. Lots of low 70's and a couple 77 guys.

[RealmK]

Quote: Originally Posted by Money99

Ridgeberg, RealmK, thanks for answering some of my questions. I'm dying to play this game myself. Only 4 more days. So after a few more hours with this badboy are you still stoked? It sounds like the game is far more organic. And I love hearing how the CPU can't do the same things with lesser players as it can with it's stars. I hated watching Sean O'Donnell turn into Bobby Orr.

For sure Hank. I'm even more stoked knowing theres a player attribute strech slider that will make guys play even more to their abilities in the full version (I did see Gonchar pull off a crazy deke on me but he was wide open to do it) The game is absolutely organic and that forechecking and dumping or even at times chiping the puck out of your own zone is so crucial this year, which is how it should be, thats hockey.

[kerosene31]

My demo impressions:

The performance on 360 is ABYSMAL. Hopefully this is a demo only issue. With the overhead camera, the game is really choppy. I get terrible pauses. Am I the only one getting this? Again, hopefully just a demo issue.

I played hardcore mode on all-star difficulty.

-Hardcore passing:

Overall it feels way too slow. Am I the only one? I like what they are trying to do, but making fast and quick passes takes far too long. You need to move the puck in a hurry in this game and you don't have time to hold down the button that long. The CPU seems to not have this problem as much, as they can zip fast passes around more quickly. I do like how you can make bounce and lead passes, but holding down the trigger that long to pass is not good. I don't want laser passes from 09, but the skilled players in the game should be able to move the puck quickly. Lidstrom doesn't need to sit and think about his pass. The puck is off his stick and where he wants it in the blink of an eye.

-Puck physics:

Overall, a huge improvement from 09. I never liked the puck physics in 09, but now I realize just how badly they were needed. Honestly, there's still a lot of room for improvement, but still I like what they've done. I finally feel like shooting the puck on goal may reward me with a good bounce. We finally get those "oh *bleep*" moments when the puck hits something and almost goes in the net (or does go in). That's the exciting thing in hockey that was too infrequent last year. Every shot on goal from far away is potentially a scoring chance.

For example I had the puck along the wall by the faceoff circle with Holmstrom. I had a lane for a low percentage shot so I fire a slapper. The puck had little chance of going in, but it hits Fleury and bounces along the crease. One of my guys was in front fighting for it, but a Pens D-man got control first. That kind of thing was rare in 09. A scoring chance generated from a poor angle shot. Great stuff.

Now, firing the puck into a crowd is an unpredictable event, just like in real life. We are going to win and lose games based on lucky(unlucky) bounces, just like real life. You want to block those point shots so they don't get close to goal and into a situation where a bounce can kill you.

-Game pace (hardcore):

I like it. It doesn't play like pinball, but NHL hockey.

-Board pinning:

This is ok, but a little disappointing. I wish it happened naturally, rather than forcing the player to hold a button. Still, a nice addition to the game. It would be nice if the teammate AI was a little more willing to get in there and help you when you are pinned. Sometimes, they just stay in the slot and don't move.

-Overall gameplay (hardcore only):

Other than the passing speed, the pace and flow of the game is much more realistic. Not up and down tic tac toe passing and rushing up and down the ice. The game doesn't set up every play in the zone like a powerplay. You still move the puck around the zone, but you do't get those rediculous 4 minute stretches of one team moving the puck around.

Goal scoring variety is going to be much better this year. You're not going to skate around looking for the perfect pass all day like in 09. I think we're going to want to generate scoring chances in more realistic ways, especially when top skilled lines aren't out there. The puck physics make this a much, much better game.

My biggest problem so far is that while the CPU seems to do a great job taking away your passing options when breaking through the neutral zone and inside the zone, they seem to be far too soft on the puck carrier. I find myself "hot-dogging" the puck rather than passing it, and getting rewarded for it, not punished. 09 had too much passing, 10 so far has to little. I'm only on all-star difficulty, but that's what I played on 09.

I love the after the whistle scrums. I took a shot on goal after the whistle, and someone came up behind me and started trying to smash my leg! Then he fasewashed me and I didn't retaliate and drew a penalty (hopefully this isn't too exploitable).

I really wish the sliders were available in the demo. The options seem great, but I noticed that shot blocking seemed to be missing (unless I missed it). I wish that players on both sides blocked more shots.

-The dilemma:

Hardcore mode is a nice option, but I don't know if I can go back to "normal" mode and play in the EASHL. Going back and forth is going to be weird to say the least. I'm not faulting EA for giving us more options, but I really hope we can look into a hardcore EASHL next year. I can see myself only playing this game offline, which isn't really a bad thing, but I don't want to skip the EASHL either.

[Scottdau]

So I played be a pro mode again and this time I was drafted by the Ducks what the ****! The Ducks. First the Kings now the Ducks. I give up. I like it though. I am terrible at position, but I can score. My goal is to try to get the #1 pick in this demo.

[Habsolute]

My only real disappointment to the demo is they didn't include the use of goalies in the BAP mode.

Overall I think it's a nice step up from NHL09 and look forward to getting the actual game.

[Donovan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Redshirt_EA

The size of the presentation and gameplay "teams" is still a resource allocation decision. We can't have our cake and eat it too. There were presentation improvements (e.g. crowds, to mention an obvious one), they are just in proportion to the investment we made there.

Fair enough. I know I'd rather go with gameplay over presentation anyday. Only time I like more presentation is playoffs, and thats been addressed. Works for me.

[budsticky]

So how do they determine who drafts you? Is it random or based on how you do in the game? In other words, if I play really well will I go early and get "rewarded" by getting drafted by a bad team? Likewise, if I stink it up will I get "penalized" by getting picked in later rounds by the better teams?