IGN gameplay video July 15th

[shakeable]

Apparently this is an exclusive IGN insider only video. (I should have checked that before posting the video. I am sorry for getting you all worked up)

http://insider.ign.com/articles/100/1004074p1.html

One period gameplay video from IGN featuring the Stanley cup teams. Complete with Crosby crashing into the boards on his own and is forced to go to the locker room.

[Jamin23]

It's for insiders only!! I'm not an insider.

[Scottdau]

Me either. That was just too much money for only using it once in awhile.

[DudleyDoWright]

I wanna see, this sucks

[bill2451]

someone should download it and put it on youtube damn it lol

[lockjaw333]

A few impressions from the video:

Passing looks much, much better. Also the thing that really stood out to me were the pass receptions. Players actually tilt their stick and position their hands to receive passes according to the angle the come in from now, instead of just auto-receiving it in the same animation.

Also, players adjust their stick to make passes now, again not just the same one passing animation. Makes it look much more realistic, and also makes passing a little slower since they need to position their hands correctly for the pass now. Passing looks much less accurate as well. Every centering pass looked more like a "hope for something good to happen" pass than a connect-the-dots laser. Thats realistic. All good stuff.

Board pinning looks totally natural and within the flow of the play. It didn't happen a lot, and when it did it was in the appropriate areas (i.e. the corners). The CPU actually uses the board puck protect behind its own net on one sequence to keep it form the forechecking human player- awesome. Also the CPU took the human player to the boards a few times when they tried to skate behind the net. That should eliminate some of the lame wrap-around glitch goals and cross-crease one-timers.

You can totally see the play styles. Detroit is a puck possesion team and doesn't really dump the puck a lot. You could totally see it in the way the CPU was playing, passing the puck around in the neutral zone and refusing to dump it in, especially on the PP. Sweet.

The game looks a tad slower this year, looks much more realistic. Also looks like the skating isn't as "warpy", players are changing direction more naturally, and less in that hovercraft back and forth style.

CPU AI worked the puck beautifully in the zone. Also, defensive AI looks MUCH better, following the puck and stepping up where appropriate rather than just staying to the same positioning scripts.

Goalies look largely the same, maybe slightly less ********. Shots look slower and more realistic speed (thank god). Looks like they tuned the magic power fueling their magic carpets down a bit.

Post whistle scrums look pretty awesome. I was worried that the game would linger after the whistles too long to allow for it, but it seems like it will only linger if someone initiates some ruff stuff. The camera then zooms and allows the players to go at it for a bit. Face washes looks pretty sick.

At around 6:25 the human player takes a shot at the goal after an offsides whistle. The CPU defenseman (Stuart) then comes after him and slashes him...haha awesome!

CPU goal at ~5:00 is pretty sick. Nice passing.

The Crosby injury is hilarious. Looks like the human player attempts a check and misses and goes flying into the boards causing the injury. Thats really awesome, would be funny to see in EASHL (can't get injured but it would be funny!)

Looks pretty good overall. I'm a 2K hockey diehard, but I'm pretty impressed. I Like the direction they are going in.

[Flyermania]

Thanks for the mini-review on the video lockjaw333...hopefully it will be available for the rest of us soon.

I was really impressed with the board play when I played it at the Community Event...I feel it really adds a lot to the game in many ways.

[RealmK]

Thanks Lockjaw, I know you're a big 2k guy so to hear that it impressed you at least a little is a good thing to hear. Appriciate the write up man.