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

[slickdtc]

Just played one game. It was laggy and choppy, felt like I was playing on a bad connection or something even though it was offline. I think my PS3 needs a reformat... I don't think it had anything to do particularly with the demo. Unless that's a widespread problem.. Don't really know, haven't kept up with the discussions here.

Anyway, love the new physics. It really will make this a completely different game. And from a guy who is still playing NHL 11 -- I could immediately tell the difference. This game has a different look to it, as well. Looks more... Real. Cut scenes are real time too, which I always loved about the 2K series.

I think this one is gonna be a real winner. Put this series back on the map.

[CupCrazyManiac]

Quote: Originally Posted by slickdtc

Just played one game. It was laggy and choppy, felt like I was playing on a bad connection or something even though it was offline. I think my PS3 needs a reformat... I don't think it had anything to do particularly with the demo. Unless that's a widespread problem.. Don't really know, haven't kept up with the discussions here. Anyway, love the new physics. It really will make this a completely different game. And from a guy who is still playing NHL 11 -- I could immediately tell the difference. This game has a different look to it, as well. Looks more... Real. Cut scenes are real time too, which I always loved about the 2K series. I think this one is gonna be a real winner. Put this series back on the map.

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ics-issue.html

and

http://www.operationsports.com/forum...-lag-demo.html

[Vikes1]

Quote: Originally Posted by slickdtc

Anyway, love the new physics. It really will make this a completely different game. And from a guy who is still playing NHL 11 -- I could immediately tell the difference. This game has a different look to it, as well. Looks more... Real. Cut scenes are real time too, which I always loved about the 2K series. I think this one is gonna be a real winner. Put this series back on the map.

This is about spot on how I feel, too.

I've been really enjoying NHL for the last several years...but the game did imo, need a kick in the pants. Another year of seeing rather small upgrades that you kinda forget about just a few weeks after buying the game, would have been pretty tough to swallow. Something kinda big needed to happen for '13'. And imo, it did.

[Hotstreak]

Does anyone else find that goalies fall down too much? I don't mean just go down to the ice to make the save, I mean that it seems like every other save animation is of the goalie stretching to make the save, then losing their balance and falling on their ***.

[bad_philanthropy]

I still don't like the feel of the goalies. Others have pointed to how they play in the 2k series, and I agree with that as the gold standard.

That said, the skating is fantastic. I'm still learning the ins and outs of how and when to glide, and starting to unleash the power of gliding and lateral movement. Great mechanic overall.

Superstar/Hardcore is going to need a few slider tweaks, but overall I'm impressed with the baseline here. Going to play the hell out of NHL this year lockout or not.

[Mister Triton]

I've found the demo to the best hockey I've played in a video game ever.

I've spent a lot of time in the past nailing down sliders to be as sim as possible. But I'm thinking of actually playing way more arcade this year.

I'm not saying I'm going to increase the speed and hits and make it silly easy to score. But I'm not going to worry so much authentic AI so much as fun to play AI. This game just feels super fun.

And while hardcore delivers a really solid game, normal was actually more fun. If the CPU i going to rock a high pass %, so am I. In fact, more forgiving passing is just way more fun.

Of course, I may fall right back into trying to get the game to be as sim as possible. But there is something sublime about playing on All-Pro/Normal. Scoring was still fairly normal. But the game just felt so much more juicier and fun.

We'll see.

[18 eighty 5]

Have spent some time with this demo and I love the obvious changes to the skating engine. It looks and feels so much more authentic. The true broadcast camera is also a huge addition. These two additions make the whole EA experience fresh.

A strange thing has happened to my demo download. I played only a few minutes of the Play Now game between the Kings and Devils and since then I cannot play it anymore. When I go to try the fixture is always San Jose vs LA and the game hangs when I try to play.

This has meant that my time with the demo has been split between free skate and the NHL Moments game between LA and Phoenix. It is enough though to make me really look forward to picking up my retail copy. However, the coyotes game draws attention to some of the same old CPU things that have been in EA's game all this generation. The CPU still retains the puck even after getting crunched by two of my guys along the boards and can skate off to advantage. That feeling of boosting is present and I understand this is a do or die playoff game for Phoenix but it feels a little less organic because the CPU can swarm like crazy like every other year and i doesnt feel nor look true to the sport. The goalies still warp too.

Funnily enough, on the old camera angles I don't find the need to learn to be as creative with the new skating engine anywhere near as much as on the true broadcast cam. Probably my play style but it has sold me on committing to playing NHL 13 on the true broadcast view as I feel I get the freshest and most exciting hockey experience we have had in a video game for some time.

Despite any short comings I have, I love what we have with this demo. It is only a demo but I find myself loading it up and enjoying myself with it rather than playing other games and whe I am playing other games I am thinking about playing this demo.

Well done EA on producing something tangibly fresh and very fun. You have captured the authenticity of hockey better than you ever have before.

[MizzouRah]

Ok, I've played the demo to death. Time to delete it and prepare for the retail version.