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

[Weapon X]

Played roughly 20 "games" since I downloaded it, initial impressions:

• The True Performance Skating feels just as good as it looks, although it does feel a tad sluggish at times. I think that's due to the many years of being used to instantaneous reaction by the skaters. The new skate dekes are awesome, especially the subtle ones. I hit an outlet pass to Jeff Carter who pulled one off on the breakaway and sent the Kings to the Cup Finals in the NHL Moment. Seeing that while I was using the True Broadcast Camera with the HDR lighting upgrades, it seriously looked like something I would've seen in reality.
• Speaking of the True Broadcast Camera, it is extremely well done and seriously addictive. After trying it out in the NHL Moment, I'm having a hard time going back to my faithful old Action cam. The devs were right, putting the RS control scheme to "Always Up" really makes the transition to the TBC really easy.
• The AI seems spotty. One one hand, the Devils will pressure the ever-loving **** out of you on the forecheck, but at the same time against the Coyote's there were times where it was extremely easy to walk into the zone (although this usually happened early in the game, and didn't the devs say that the new AI adjusts after they've been beaten by something?) I don't know, it plays well sometimes, and not so well others. I think that a full 3-period game would be needed for me to really assess the new AI system if what the devs say holds true.
• The goalies are phenomenal. Watching the Independent Limb Movement and dynamic AI is a thing of beauty, and makes them look far less robotic. Quick especially really shines with this system. The smaller tweaks to existing animations (the goalie will actually have his head up when he goes to cover the puck) and entirely new ones really let the tenders shine.
  • (I also played a handful of games locked as the goalie [Superstar -- Hardcore] as I do every year. The main things that stuck out to me are as follows)
  • Despite a lot of people thinking that goalies weren't effected by the TPS engine at all, they were wrong. The goalies feel much heavier when moving around the crease than they did before, even with someone like J. Quick.
  • I personally am digging the Anticipation System far more so than the old RS system. I strongly recommend that everyone who was knocking it give it a fair shot. As a test, I attempted to play the usual "ping pong paddle" style that had been so effective from previous years. Quick simply stood there and didn't do anything a good number of times (as opposed to previous years where every time the CPU would auto-save) and when he did attempt a save, it looked extremely half-assed. However, when I used the RS he always made a full-out attempt to make the save. I also like how it seems to work just as well on on quick flicks as it does when holding the RS in a direction. There was a play where I was anticipating cross-crease, and when I moved over to cover it the shooter had to settle the puck. Given that my anticipation was that of a one-timer, I found myself overcommited by this slight delay. Yet, when I quickly flicked the RS and changed my anticipation, Quick made a sparking glove save to that side. The only thing is that I'm playing with a elite goaltender, will these results carry over to my BAP who's attributes will start off in the toilet?
  • I'm also extremely happy that they finally added a casual stance for goalies for when the puck is down the ice, complete with a randomized idle animation cycle that includes the 'tender quickly swiping the crease, crouching down to watch the play, and adjusting his pads. The only thing is that I hate the "snap into position" from this stance rather than an animation that has the goalie go into the ready crouch.
  • There's also an option to turn off both the Auto Cover and Auto Sweep in the Control Settings, which I recall people asking for before (Although what's kinda scaring me is the lack of a way to turn off that stupid positioning indicator, but it is a demo without full features, so we'll see).
• The "loose-puck chop" doesn't always seem to work when you want it to. I spent one game trying to do it on every loose puck I saw, and it only seemed to to the chop and not the poke check maybe 35% of the time. Though I suppose I could chalk it up to a lack of practice... =/
• On All-Star -- Hardcore, I'm seeing a lot more "loose-ness" in the way the game is played. In-accurate passes, bobbles, pucks being lost, etc. all by both myself and the AI. Seeing these far more so than I can recall from any previous iteration, and this is without true slider adjustment. Puck seems much less "magnetized" to the stick this year on Hardcore, for those "sticklers for sloppiness" out there, in fact I just lost the puck while attempting a shot after circling out in front of the net with Simon Gagne.

Really liking what I see from this so far, but now the wait until Sept. 11th is only going to get that much worse. Bleh.

WX

[Al_Tito13]

This is what i posted on EA forums few minutes ago:

Platform
XBox 360

Level
All-Star / Hardcore

Pros
- Great new skating engine
- Complete strategies
- Better AI in general
- Lower puck control
- Lower pass reception ease
- More deflections on interceptions instead of glued pucks on sticks
- Effective poke checks
- Improved goalies
- Less accurate shots
- Presentation overhaul

Cons
- Back skating with the puck is too fast and too effective, and transition from normal to back skating or the opposite should at least make you loss more momentum. We should definitely not be able to skate backward with the puck at full speed all the way up the ice, no doubt it will probably become a big exploit.

Overall Comments
I have to say that I simply loved what I saw from NHL 13 so far, this is the best hockey game ever made, and by a big margin. The biggest addition is definitely the true performance skating, wow! The game feels and plays great, looking similar to real hockey. In fact, except for the back skating with the puck, I find this game near perfect for my personal taste. Great job EA! And please, don't overtune the game this year like you did last year.

[iaxy]

Is it out on PSN yet?

[jake19ny]

Can someone confirm if the penalty issue is fixed.....are there power plays? Although I still feel they were not broken in the release of NHL12 but were destroyed by the patches....I hope that does not happen again this year. Cannot wait to download after work and give it a try.

[Tomba]

EA I could Kiss you!!!!!!!

The True broadcast cam is in....

....and its glorious!

Finally!!!!!

TOMBA IS HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!

[jb12780]

Quote: Originally Posted by jake19ny

Can someone confirm if the penalty issue is fixed.....are there power plays? Although I still feel they were not broken in the release of NHL12 but were destroyed by the patches....I hope that does not happen again this year. Cannot wait to download after work and give it a try.

In the one game i played i got a power play.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

[Tomba]

Quote: Originally Posted by Steve_OS

So glad you can go against the goalie in Free Skate, 1 on 1. Would be cool if it had 2 on 1 breaks w/ a teammate vs. AI.

Agreed 110% Never had this before alongside the true broadcast cam...

dare I say?

worth the wait

[Panicshade]

Quote: Originally Posted by iaxy

Is it out on PSN yet?

No. The PSN isn't updated until around 4 PM EST or later every week. They have a general window they release in but it is usually a different time from week to week. Sometimes early. Sometimes late.