NHL 13 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (360, PS3)

[Splitter77]

Quote: Originally Posted by ejams

Here's my post off the EA boards: I'm not buying this one. The engine is definitely amazing but the terrible team AI and the fact that star player Drew Doughty is slower than every Devil when racing back for dump-ins. Incredibly disappointed I've been starved of a good NHL game for too many years..

not good.
typical ea.
also- From the short clips ive seen, the famous scripted 100mph rebound off the pads and directed into the corner is still there. been there since 1996
also. seems like the whistle still doesnt blow quick after a goalie cover up or save.
ive never seen a goalie push a puick forward with his glove to a defenseman that many times. lame.

[geisterhome]

downloading

[Panicshade]

I played the demo for a bit (Free Skate, HUT, and Moments Live). I knew there would be a steep learning curve for me since I'm nowhere near even decent at this series. I had my hands full with the very first HUT match. It took my a few tries to win that one game. I'm sure others can probably smoke that team 20-0 but not me.

Embarassing...lol

But I did enjoy the challenge this game has for me (agitated but enjoyed)

[Cletus]

HUT games always seem random to me in demos. Your team's AI needs some work but the AI is more balanced than I've seen it in past years on default levels. I've been playing a little bit more and it seems more like a "cash and carry" game than a passing game. I've scored more just skating in and shooting than I have setting up one timers and quick passing. Dekeing doesn't seem effective at all against a goalie, as well.

[Rhouston]

I played the Play Now, NHL Moments and Free Skate before heading off to work this morning. I can safely say that I'm extremely pleased I put down a pre-order for this bad boy, because I think this is going to be a great game.

To echo what others have said thus far, the true broadcast cam is spot on but does take some time to master. As does skating -- you can really feel your momentum affecting how tight you can turn and how long it takes you to stop, as well as how accurate your shots are (including the puck getting away from you if you hold back on a slap shot too long). I definitely think this will eliminate a lot of cheesers who just constantly hold up and skate as fast as they can all of the time (which sounds like it could be ejams's problem and why Doughty and Stamkos are getting stripped and beat to the puck, because in real hockey, the puck isn't glued to your stick and you don't have unlimited stamina).

The player models are more proportionate -- they aren't quite as stocky this year, but they're definitely not string beans either.

All in all, for a DEMO (yes people, this is NOT the finished product, there is still time to fix things!), I'm very pleased. If only I didn't have work today/rugby practice tonight, I could spend a good couple of hours on this bad boy.

The moral -- stop complaining about the little things (i.e. not being able to play overtime ... ridiculous about what people will whine about) and enjoy the demo for what it is -- a definite big step up over NHL 09-12.

[jb12780]

You can change difficulty level, but not sliders FYI.

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[brandon27]

Got two quick games in before work this morning. Skating system is going to take a bit to get used to. Seems really... slow. Players definitely feel like they have weight now though, can't make the tight high speed unrealistic turns that you could before. Nice improvement, but probably going to frustrate some for a while as they get used to it.

Visually, game looks the same to me as always, maybe a touch nicer/cleaner. I didn't notice much of the new lighting effects, but I wasn't paying much attention either. Just rushing to get some time in.

Goalies are much tougher now.

Commentary is still awful. Probably because I just hate those guys though.

Biggest drawback to me... your teamates AI is pretty awful, offensively, and defensively. Maybe messing the the ingame strategies etc will help, have to play some more to find out. Also seems to me that the AI players "cheat" a bit at times. I passed up the wing once to Carter who was a clear 3-4 steps past the D man who magically became the fastest player on the ice, while skating backwards to get in front of me and poke the puck away. Not sure what happened there, but it had me shaking my head.

I'll have to spend more time with it and look most closely at things, and get used to the new skating, but all in all i can say I was impressed for the most part.

[reth316]

really impressed. new camera angles much better. skater movement feels more realistic now, takes time to slow and change direction now. one timers feel better and seen some lovely hits. so far so good. player faces have a more real look to them this year also...not massive change but noticeable.