Is this game worth buying? (PS4)

[blackceasar]

Just wondering. I took a year off. I'm not really into the be a GM thing but I do like to make my own player and run him through a career. Will I get enjoyment out of that mode in this year's title?

Just wondering.

TY

[tpblue]

To be honest save your money. It is the worst game they have put out since Sega genesis. A.I is worse than ever, passing is decided by a dice roll, the non-existent ice tilt is worse than ever, you have next to no control over your player as everything is now a canned animation who ever made the game has absolutely no idea how the game is played A.I has absolutely no idea where to go without the puck and changing team and line strategies has no effect.

All that being said it may be the last NHL they put out for quite a while as their sales have deservedly been awful so just wait for a price drop before you buy it.

[jyoung]

Quote: Originally Posted by blackceasar

I do like to make my own player and run him through a career. Will I get enjoyment out of that mode in this year's title?

Be a Pro mode is pretty much unplayable due to the terrible AI and the inability to sim ahead to your next shift. It's also missing the minor leagues entirely. You start playing in the NHL immediately and can never be sent down.

In short, spend your money elsewhere.

[WDaniel]

Do you enjoy the sport of ice hockey? If so, it's a no-brainer. Put the game on All-Star with Arcade gameplay, and you will NOT regret the decision to purchase. Really, really enjoyable game.

[bukktown]

How about 1v1 online?

I played 200-500 games every year of 1v1 online on ps3 and 360 for nhl 08-14.
I've read some horrible things on here about the 1v1 gameplay and haven't bought the game yet.

[jyoung]

Quote: Originally Posted by bukktown

How about 1v1 online?

The sliders EA uses for online gameplay have the puck control so high that stick checking is practically useless. You can poke the puck or lift a guy's stick three or four times consecutively and he won't lose control or break stride. "Superglue sticks" are still the norm on offense.

The collision detection for hitting is so bad that most body checks will whiff completely if they aren't coming from a 90 degree or 180 degree angle.

Your players will frequently fan on one-timer shots and mishandle slow-moving pucks for no good reason.

Blocked shots never seem to cause any injuries, which makes the "collapsing," "protect net" defensive styles overpowered.

Goalies can still pass the puck out of a covered-up position with incredible speed and accuracy to avoid taking a defensive zone face-off. There still seems to be some intentional "force field" that prevents the offensive players' sticks from picking off these idiotic goalie pass outs.

The automated pass assist can't be disabled online and will often cause passes to go in the opposite direction that you were aiming.

On defense, the AI frequently leaves the other team's forwards wide open in front of the net instead of marking them tightly and taking them out of the play.

Online Versus Play also doesn't save your favorite team, preferred line combinations, or team strategy settings. So you have to change that stuff every single game.

I don't recommend getting this game for 1 vs. 1 versus mode, either.

[Millennium]

Quote: Originally Posted by jyoung

The sliders EA uses for online gameplay have the puck control so high that stick checking is practically useless. You can poke the puck or lift a guy's stick three or four times consecutively and he won't lose control or break stride. "Superglue sticks" are still the norm on offense. The collision detection for hitting is so bad that most body checks will whiff completely if they aren't coming from a 90 degree or 180 degree angle. Your players will frequently fan on one-timer shots and mishandle slow-moving pucks for no good reason. Blocked shots never seem to cause any injuries, which makes the "collapsing," "protect net" defensive styles overpowered. Goalies can still pass the puck out of a covered-up position with incredible speed and accuracy to avoid taking a defensive zone face-off. There still seems to be some intentional "force field" that prevents the offensive players' sticks from picking off these idiotic goalie pass outs. The automated pass assist can't be disabled online and will often cause passes to go in the opposite direction that you were aiming. On defense, the AI frequently leaves the other team's forwards wide open in front of the net instead of marking them tightly and taking them out of the play. Online Versus Play also doesn't save your favorite team, preferred line combinations, or team strategy settings. So you have to change that stuff every single game. I don't recommend getting this game for 1 vs. 1 versus mode, either.

I can't disagree more with the bolded parts.

You are supposed to set up hits. People skating at guys in direct lines expecting them to just skate into you for checks are kidding themselves. You need to play positional defense, something I haven't seen up to Division 4 of HUT (where I currently am). The 2 times I have had it happen have been very competitive games for me.

The stick checking is perfect, in my opinion. Again, you have to be spaced correctly. The real NHL isn't about poking the puck once unless you are spaced correctly. Other than that, it is (again) about defensive positioning and keeping guys to the outside.

Injuries for blocking shots as a penalty against people for using Collapsing? How about cycling and using puck possession to move the defense. It seems like you contradict yourself by saying that Collapsing is overpowered, but then go on to say your defense leaves guys open in the slot, where Collapsing is the strongest.

I treat this game like NBA 2K15 - You have to be willing to re-learn how to play the game. If you are a hockey fan, this game (on ice) will latch on to you like no other. If you are a hockey video game guy (which the NHL series seems to have catered to in the past) then this game will not do you any favors, and you should probably pass.

[jyoung]

Quote: Originally Posted by Millennium

You are supposed to set up hits. It is about defensive positioning and keeping guys to the outside.

That's exactly what I do, and yet situations like this still happen at least 4 or 5 times a game:



Those are three direct hits from a defender with a 91 checking rating that did absolutely nothing to the puck carrier.

And the game's forced passing assistance "feature" is what caused the turnover in this clip to begin with.