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

[BlueNGold]

If this demo is any indication, I'm worried for my left thumb.

This is just such an insane jump from one year to the next. The amount of upgrades and improvements you see from the moment you jump into the demo is amazing. The graphics, the lighting, the player faces, the skating, the goalies, the presentation, the AI, etc, etc.

The full game can't get here soon enough. That EA Sports Season Ticket purchase is looking pretty good on my end now. I'm jonesing to play with the Jets on this game.

[TerryP]

I love the new skating and I've actually been able to score a couple times on good opportunities. Where in the past versions, the goalie would always seem to make an impossible save.

[ComaFaction]

A few more impressions:

I 95% sure I skated into a opposing defenseman who had the puck with Malkin (without using the right stick to check him) and the two players did collide. Seems like they are getting closer to true physics-based contact if that's the case.

Goals and goaltending definitely feel less scripted. I've scored some soft-wristers, snuck a couple through the wickets from in close and saw a variety of action off the posts (usually with a great replay at the next stoppage).

I really dislike that the players don't convene in a group hug after you score. In fact, they often just float around, bouncing off each other.

Getting better at using the RB to swat at/chip loose pucks and it is definitely useful along the boards, particularly in the defensive and neutral zones.

Still think the AI shoots WAY too much from the point. On the PP, I'd like to see more working the puck around. Maybe it's my defense, but they never pass up a point shot, regardless of the path to the net.

Does not appear that you can knock over goalies anymore. Odd decision by the devs.

Tried out the 1-4 trap and it works really well, however the dump and chase can be effective vs. it. I love that both myself and the computer can both generate lots of scoring off our forecheck and forcing turnovers. That's wonderful to see.

[Gagnon39]

After a few more games I honestly like the way the game plays better on the All-Star setting. I have played every NHL game since NHL 08 on Superstar and I may eventually do the same thing on NHL 13. But I just feel like the game is a little slower, in a good way, on All-Star. On Superstar there's just too much happening all the time.

However, on any level I find that it is simply too easy to get the puck on net. The game should make you have to work hard at getting shots on goal. There are times where the CPU easily registers 5-7 shots in a matter of 15 seconds. That very, very rarely happens in the NHL.

I've already said it a thousand times, but hopefully slider adjustments will make it so that shots don't come so easy.

[ComaFaction]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gagnon39

However, on any level I find that it is simply too easy to get the puck on net. The game should make you have to work hard at getting shots on goal. There are times where the CPU easily registers 5-7 shots in a matter of 15 seconds. That very, very rarely happens in the NHL. I've already said it a thousand times, but hopefully slider adjustments will make it so that shots don't come so easy.

I agree with you. However, one thing I have noticed is that you can block a LOT more shots now. Simply standing in the path of a point shot will often block it (even without resorting to a "block shot" command).

Similarly, it is AWESOME to see more active sticks on defense. I love playing the passing lane against my oppositions breakout and having my player get his stick in the way and altering the path of the puck (and yet, not magically receiving it!)

[Cletus]

I really like the chop and the fact that forehand backhand dekeing is slowed a little. I haven't gone forehand,backhand, shoot in one motion like i did in 12. I still get off a decent shot and it throws the goalie off a bit but it's not a 90 mph wrister like in years past. Anyone else noticed it or have my stick skills gotten a lot worse?

[Joborule]

Here's my initial impression playing around for a bit last night on the All-Star default settings.

Pros:

- Fan of the skating. Actually looks like skaters out there and they are in fact, skating on ice. Love the momentum is a factor now. It really does make a big change in the feel of the game.
- I like the player faces in this game. Graphics in general looks better and sharper. Good step forward this year.
- I'm a fan that one timers aren't such a breeze to pull of now. Replicates that timing and positioning is actually important when attempting to do it in real life.
- Loving the broadcast element feel to the presentation this year, especially with the real time off play actions. This is how it should be done. Glad the foundation is there, now just need to build on it for the future.
- The puck seems looser, which is good. Very good.
- Haven't been able to make a true initial impression yet, but I like what I saw in regards to goaltender animations. Been advocating for limb separation for a while, so really glad it's finally here.
- Soundtrack. I like the tunes we've been able to hear thus far. Really fits the hockey atmosphere. If the full soundtrack keeps up in the demo's quality this could be the best one in the entire NHL series. I personally was a big fan of 2004 soundtrack.

Cons:

- For how much the A.I. was hyped up this season, I'm disappointed that it still appears fairly weak when it comes to playing defense. I can still skate into the slot or take on a defender 1-on-1 on the rush and not feel much harassment. This shouldn't be the case on a moderate skill level like All-Star. I can only imagine it'll be fairly the same on Superstar. That's a big issue since I don't have to really work to get quality shots and thus allows the game to favour the offensive side too much. The defense needs to have a lot more aggressiveness and panic when I try to skate into the slot or are taking them 1-on-1 up centre ice. It seems the problem is the defense thinks too much with their body and not enough with their sticks. Use the poke check guys!
- Open ice hitting. Quite frankly, it looks fairly ridiculous. It's as if there's not much weight to the hitting engine since players react very violently to hits that didn't seem to have much force. Plus many of the open ice hits I saw look 'off' since the checker and the player checked seemed fairly disconnected. Meaning the player who made the check doesn't really physically blend with the player that's getting checked. I think the engine could use improvement in that regard for open ice hits, because the collisions around the boards look much, much better.

Really like the new skating engine, but kinda bummed how the defensive A.I. is far to passive defensively still though.

[Flamesfan102]

Quote: Originally Posted by Qb

If you click the right stick on the pregame edit lines screen, it will bring up your strategies. You can play with all the new settings, including the bias settings for individual lines. It reminds me of the setup in old 2k games, which is exactly what I used as an example when discussing the topic with them when I was there. Unfortunately we can't save them in the demo, even from one HUT game to the next. But that won't be an issue with the full game. If you change the game style the sliders will change. It sounds like you were looking at default; normal puts almost every slider in the middle, while hardcore moves a few by a click or two and puts pass assist to zero (by far the biggest difference). I've been playing on side-scrolling cameras with relative controls for years and I'm still having trouble with it on true broadcast. It also has some "blindspots" when moving the puck up ice, just as a real broadcast does. But it looks so damn good I want to stick with it.

The best controller layout setting to use when playing True Broadcast Camera is 'Always Up'. It's the most effective, didn't know if you heard that from the livestream or not.