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

[adayinthelife]

I could be crazy but the PS3 demo seems a bit different than the 360 one in terms of gameplay tuning. I'm not seeing nearly as many penalties called in post-whistle scrums but maybe I'm just getting lucky..

I'm glad the BAP mode AI is improved all around this year. I probably won't spend a lot of time with it but it feels better than 09 already - I'm not scoring on every shot I take and the rest of the team seems to play a game that more resembles hockey.

Other than that I'm definitely preferring the PS controller's sticks for skating and shooting. Also charging up those passes in hardcore mode is a bit easier since the R2 button doesn't seem as cumbersome as the trigger on 360. Those are all personal preference though of course .

[kai123]

I like the game but i can't stand the glue board pinning. I was clearly past a defender and he suddenly board pins me and i get stuck. Otherwise the game is solid.

Fighting takes no skill.

[goh]

I can't even win a face-off on rookie...and I thought the fighting was bad!
Ah well at least there's options with hockey.

[kai123]

LOl, demo froze on me while i was up 3-0 Prospects game..

[DJ]

Quote: Originally Posted by kai123

Hold R1 to dump

I'm guessing that'd be RB for 360?

[infinityBCRT]

Quote: Originally Posted by sroz39

Great first post. Though I don't agree with everything you said, you presented it well. However, I did bold the part that I completely disagree with. I'm not picking on you in any way, as I've heard this on occasion from other people too. I flat out don't get it. If you've ever been on skates, you know that to make turns with speed, it's going to be more of a "loopier" turn, where you cross your feet over. I think that this game nails the "on-skates" feel. The starting and stopping, the radius of turns at different speeds - all stellar. If anything, I've found 2k's skating to be very arcadey for a long time, especially when you do any "special moves". It's average at best and can get downright awful. Though we like to think these guys skate a certain speed and with certain amount of agility, make no mistake about it...these guys are lightning quick on their skates. If you've ever watched a game live, two things stand out: the amazing passing ability and the speed of these guys on skates. I love NHL's skating engine and hope they NEVER change it, at least until we move to new consoles where they can take it even a step further.

youtube.com/watch?v=wyZReq80TJQ

See how the player is moving in physically impossible directions (especially noticeable from 0:20-0:25)? Thats the flaw in the skating engine I'm talking about. Its very noticeable with the leg kick but even without it you can see players moving in awkward directions which are either impossible in real life or don't match up with the animation. Players who are still start sliding across the ice before they even take a stride sometimes.

[Mad 69]

I don't like the Hockey Shop at all, this along with NCAA and Madden accelerators should be thrown in the trash. We pay enough for the game and shouldn't be charged for such things as a +9 ratings for created players - what a waste of money.

[baa7]

Quote: Originally Posted by infinityBCRT

See how the player is moving in physically impossible directions (especially noticeable from 0:20-0:25)? Thats the flaw in the skating engine I'm talking about. Players who are still start sliding across the ice before they even take a stride sometimes.

It's a result of the total lack of player momentum, something a number of us have been pointing out for some time. It's why players appear to be skittering along on top of the ice like waterbugs. There's no weight to the players or any sense they're digging their skates into the ice surface. They're practically teleporting.

The most telling animation IMO was the backwards "slide" that #10 took in front of his own goal, just before he started up-ice. That move defies physics and simply shouldn't be possible to pull off, yet it's commonplace for all players.