NHL 16 Available Today For Xbox One & PlayStation 4, Post Your Impressions

[bad_philanthropy]

Since we can't alter game speed without the frame rate glitching out, I lowered acceleration progressively in one on one practice. I timed laps with the puck with Morgan Rielly (since the camera won't track you without the puck), and with accel at 0 the lap times were about 20-18 seconds. Conisdering this is with the puck I think it's probably pretty accurate.

I jumped into a game with the acceleration set to 0 for human and cpu and I really liked what I saw. The pace seemed more to my tastes, and the cpu AI seemed less frantic. Everything felt less twitchy and slide-y. Maybe I'm crazy, but I'd like to get some other guys' feedback on playing with acceleration tuned all the way down.

Seems like I'm down on the game, but I'm not. I think it's prudent to highlight this AI stuff because I think it's the game's biggest shortcoming.

Here's a praiseworthy clip from a game with acceleration tuned down (which I think may allow some of the dev's animation work shine brighter). Look at the quality of the seamless puck pickup animation by Boychuk here. Really nice stuff by EA.

[tjung0831]

Quote: Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy

Since we can't alter game speed without the frame rate glitching out, I lowered acceleration progressively in one on one practice. I timed laps with the puck with Morgan Rielly (since the camera won't track you without the puck), and with accel at 0 the lap times were about 20-18 seconds. Conisdering this is with the puck I think it's probably pretty accurate. I jumped into a game with the acceleration set to 0 for human and cpu and I really liked what I saw. The pace seemed more to my tastes, and the cpu AI seemed less frantic. Everything felt less twitchy and slide-y. Maybe I'm crazy, but I'd like to get some other guys' feedback on playing with acceleration tuned all the way down. Seems like I'm down on the game, but I'm not. I think it's prudent to highlight this AI stuff because I think it's the game's biggest shortcoming. Here's a praiseworthy clip from a game with acceleration tuned down (which I think may allow some of the dev's animation work shine brighter). Look at the quality of the seamless puck pickup animation by Boychuk here. Really nice stuff by EA.

I've seen that with acceleration at the default level since that's what I play at.

[Steven547]

Quote: Originally Posted by brandon27

That's painful to see. Sadly it happens all too often, as you mentioned though. It's unfortunate, because as I've said before, it's the stuff like this that really ruins the game experience, especially when stuff like it leads right to a goal for the CPU. It doesn't end up in a fun hockey battle, it ends up with you feeling like you got scored on, or lost because you were cheated by something that shouldn't be possible. The more I play, the more this really becomes my only legit gripe. Lack of penalties still bothers me, but this stuff really takes the cake.

Exactly this. As I mentioned earlier, the pinpoint cross crease passing leads to goals for the CPU about 95% of the time from my experience. It also leads to some extremely frustrating last minute (and I mean under 10 secs in the game) heroics by the CPU to win. My experiences have seen numerous lasr second game winning goals by the CPU.

Play defense you say? I have. The puck miraculously going through my stick to rest on the CPUs stick for a goal is horrible. I'm only about 20 games into this and I'm starting to regret the digital puchase. Really makes me appreciate the 2 text based sim hockey games out there more!

I'll keep trying to work with this with hopes EA is listening to all our comments, and provides help in form of a patch, etc.

But hey, at least we got mascots this year.

[gopher_guy]

Nice work b_p. I will try tonight with acceleration lowered all the way.

I am really liking what I'm seeing so far when it comes to shot totals and penalties.

I started a BAP as an offensive defenseman, playing in the CHL. It's BAP so 20 minute periods, simming between shifts.



4 penalties a side, and good shot totals. Played another game after this one and penalties were 3/2

[Ruffy]

Quote: Originally Posted by bad_philanthropy

A couple videos, and I'll preface this by saying I like a lot of the mechanics and what EA has done with the game. Take a look at passes one and three in this sequence and the way the puck changes directions off the stick. Since the AI is able to make so many impossible passes it negates the need for the AI to provide support in the d and offensive zone. Here is Shawn Thornton looking dominant one on one and successfully doing a little dangle. This should probably never happen. Player differentiation needs to be better. Shawn Thornton again showing off some amazing hands gathering a rebound, getting it to his forehand before rifling a perfect pass. Second part of the vid, how does the Panthers player get so much power and accuracy on the pass from that position.

Some decent points but any game....especially NHL will drive you insane if you slow mo replay every action.

Breaking down the gameplay frame by frame is difficult for any video game but especially sports games....at some point the AI makes the puck warp to the stick etc. People who play the show cry of the suction into the gloves on grounders etc.

I can't imagine the type of programming code it would take or type of physics engine refinement for the pucks and sticks to react exactly like they should. If they could I would agree some of your points are quite valid.

The Thornton "dangle" is not much of a dangle...the toe drag just created him a little space. I have been playing with a bronze team in HUT vs the CPU and the harder dekes that I attempt in that mode are not pulled off by everyone.

I plan to try this out more at the NHL player level to see if it is the same.

What i am enjoying is the player separation...even in the opening game I felt a huge difference when Stamkos had the puck opposed to Killorn or Filpulla. Bigger players felt slower but sturdier....agile players felt speedy and nifty to me.

So far this is the best NHL to date.....sure it has some issues.....which for some will be game breakers....but this is a damn fun iteration of the game.

I'm 40 and have played and officiated hockey since I was 7. Played every version of hockey from Coleco Vision, Atari, Activision, NES, Genesis, PS1, PS2, PS3 and now PS4. Sports games and gaming in general has come a million miles in my lifetime.

I wouldn't give it a 9 or 10 out of 10 but its a hard 8 at worst.

[onlybygrace]

Everyone should remember when discussing this that penalties were at a near record low last season, which is one contributing factor to the low numbers among the top scoring leaders.

[dansaint]

not the biggest fan. Don't get me wrong...it's better than last years but I guess I'm just not a fan of video game hockey.

Doesn't really play realistically enough for me.

Played about 8 games and it seems I can't get it to play even.

When i play too high a level (All Star or Star) I get blown out...even when I adjust sliders

When i play Rookie or Pro (with adjusted sliders) I blow teams out (but games are like 8-4 almost every time)...so that's where I have issues with the realism.

[Vmascarello]

If you enjoy the game, dont give up for that reason. Id try to go All Star with someones sliders that knows what theyre doing and then go from there. Maybe you just gotta get a little better on All Star. pro and Rookie are always too easy on any game if you play it somewhat regularly.