NHL 23 Gameplay Trailer and Developer Blog Highlights Innovations and Updated Features

[Steve_OS]

EA Sports has released a new gameplay trailer for NHL 23 providing a look at the...

Written By: Steve Noah

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[tcnumba10]

Any mention on goal variety on higher difficulties? It was nearly impossible to score without using a one timer on higher difficulties.

[Dsabol715]

I haven't bought an NHL game in a few years...like since on my 360. I will say this looks appealing to me! I played 22 recently since its on EA Play and I was intrigued by the possibility of getting back into them,

[bibibanax]

1:18.... where is the defenceman going after the check? He doesn't follow the only player in the offensive zone, doesn't look at the puck.

[VeNOM3099]

Gotta admit... I'm NOT sold.

Yeah, there was a lot of good talk in the video. Things that seem like they would improve the gameplay. But if you pay careful attention, you'll see that for every "improvement" to gameplay they say they've made, they added some type of "balancing" in order to keep the offense flowing in favor of defense (or goaltending).

As for the AI goaltending having access to "more animations" that were only available to humans... When was that? LOL!

I've been playing human goalie in EASHL since NHL 13-14. We've always had limited save animations than the AI. Heck I can go to my YT channel and pull up an animation I DIDN'T GET when I was 100% in position:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6jF0_CKbPo

There you go. Where's the supposed animation I have access to that the AI goalies didn't?

C'mon EA... LIE TO ME!!!!

[tinpanalley]

Honestly.. my first reaction is that these were the kinds of small but important improvements, often just in animations, that the NHL series used to try to add a few of every year from 98 - 2002. It was never that you expected the entire software to be reworked, you just wanted something other than the spin move, a little loss of balance animation, a fake shot, and all those little things made NHL better every year. Then you played Faceoff or other games to see how they did the same things. Then NHL2K came along and completely upped the game, but that's another topic for another day.
The point is, I'm liking the choice to make the in-game, on-ice elements a bit more fleshed out. I like that I saw an entire trailer that made NO REFERENCE to online features. And while I'm sure the game will still be flooded with online crap I don't play, it feels like they at least care a bit more than in the past about the on ice experience. I've been noticing and mentioning this for a while, but the very highly social network obsessed demographic is slowly starting to age into their mid-30s and spending a little less time playing than 10 years ago. And I think younger kids want the on-ice fun THEIR parents (people in their late 40s-early 50s today) will have shown them on early consoles. I think we're going to always have online features but that we're going to start seeing -- maybe -- a shift slightly away from card collecting, etc.
One can dream...

[SocialAssassin]

Quote: Originally Posted by tcnumba10

Any mention on goal variety on higher difficulties? It was nearly impossible to score without using a one timer on higher difficulties.

There's a cheat goal even on superstar that you can exploit every time. Streak across the net, and hold the puck back and then let it go with a wrister. I'm 22-0 in my latest franchise because it's easy to score, even if it's at the highest level.

As for the video, at 47 seconds, Barabanov with a full powered wrist shot AS HE'S FALLING.

LMAOOOOOOOOOO

[Cardot]

I have been a bit negative on the series since about 1998, but that "Last Chance" mechanic looks like it has potential to really add an organic feel and realism to the game. Of course it could be way over powered as well, but it is intriguing at this point.