NHL 11 News Post

NHL 11 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (360, PS3)

06:32 AM - August 17, 2010 by Lubey

EA Sports NHL 11 demo is now available on Xbox LIVE and the PLAYSTATION Network. Powered by a revolutionary real-time physics engine, the franchise that has won 22 sports game of the year awards over the past three years will showcase two game modes in the demo: Battle for the Cup and the all-new Hockey Ultimate Team.

Battle for the Cup:

In Battle for the Cup, players will experience all the emotion and drama of the third period of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup� Championship between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks. The mode features an all new faceoff system, new quick dekes and the ability to score amazing goals even while lying on the ice.

Hockey Ultimate Team:

The all-new Hockey Ultimate Team brings Online Dynasty play to the EA SPORTS NHL franchise for the first time ever. In the demo, players will be able to pick up a starter pack of cards to build their Ultimate Hockey Team. Take your new team to the ice and play against either the Canadian Hockey League�s Windsor Spitfires, or the NHL�s Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers. Play and win games in the demo with your Ultimate Team and earn up to two additional packs in the full version of NHL 11, when it is released on September 7, 2010.

The demo will also feature an interactive tutorial that will allow those new to the franchise to learn the controls, and allow long-time fans to practice some of the new controls in the game, including Faceoffs.

Game: NHL 11Reader Score: 7.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 36 - View All

NHL 11 Videos

Member Comments

# 41 CS10029 @ 08/17/10 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fierce Robot


	Oh my goodness! The cpu just carried it into my end and dumped it in for a line change! This I have not seen before on past NHL's.

I seen the CPU bring it into my zone, then make a deke towards the net for a shot. I was like woah! Hahaha, not used to seeing the CPU try.

# 42 Poro24 @ 08/17/10 10:00 AM

No improvements in the presentation since NHL 07. The intermission reports, cut scenes etc are still the same. And in 2010, we still don't have the correct amount of playes in the bench.

I know that these are small things, but they should improve this old game engine. They must have enough time to update the presentation, arenas, correct amount of referees etc.

I love the gameplay, but the same old presentation with the same old cut scenes year after year is just plain boring.

# 43 Money99 @ 08/17/10 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealmK


	Yeah the CPU is majorly improved big time. Loving this muchly so far. The game just feels so much better this year in terms of grit and the hitting and puck physics are definately a major improvement.

Darn you people! I slept in and didn't get a chance to play this yet.

So the physics are a noticeable improvement in the gameplay? Sweet!

I also think I read someone say that the you can notice more player separation in regards to skill. Is this true on the CPU's end too?

# 44 TIm @ 08/17/10 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poro24


	No improvements in the presentation since NHL 07. The intermission reports, cut scenes etc are still the same. And in 2010, we still don't have the correct amount of playes in the bench. I know that these are small things, but they should improve this old game engine. They must have enough time to update the presentation, arenas, correct amount of referees etc. I love the gameplay, but the same old presentation with the same old cut scenes year after year is just plain boring.

Well, I will say this. I'm not sure how different the presentation is going to be in retail version. But from what I played so far as far as gameplay feels so much better then last year.. Can't put my finger on why... Someone above said you feel it through the controller and I guess that's the best way to sum it all up... The puck physics just bounce of everything and looks pretty good. The CPU going for shots when they would just pass before is great, Passes at least in my book aren't tape to tape... I have missed many passes. The AI reacts to a slow pass... If all this stays like I think it will in retail version I see no reason why they can't up the ante in terms of full blown presentation next year because gameplay is GOOD.... It's a shame I have to work because I would like to play more... Anyways, Hope you all enjoy the demo. Peace

# 45 bonannogiovanni @ 08/17/10 10:11 AM

What about Player's momentum? Do players seem to have weight, or float on the ice like in past years? I'd like your hands-on impressions thanks.

# 46 MiNiDiTkA @ 08/17/10 10:23 AM

I'll have some gameplay video up in about 20 minutes. Just wanted to add in my second game I got into a fight right after the initial face-off

# 47 RoyalBoyle78 @ 08/17/10 10:29 AM

can't wait to play later.

# 48 Qb @ 08/17/10 10:30 AM

I was able to get one CHI/PHI game in before leaving for work today. It felt very similar to what we played at the community event, minus some of the goofier stuff we saw due to the early build we had. I'll see if I can get J to give an estimate on how close this is to retail. Remember, even if this is the final code or close to it (highly unlikely), they can make tuner adjustments based on demo feedback, so please keep it coming...

I'm glad you guys are able to see things like the CPU AI and subtle tweaks to the skating, as well as the obvious big ticket items like physics, faceoffs, and broken sticks. I played my only period on All-Star hardcore and the CPU was all over me. Not much time to carry the puck and I had to make quick decisions... which is a good thing, of course! I scored the only goal, a slapper by Hjmarlssonsolsjson (

) over the shoulder of Leighton through a two-man screen.

I saw the CPU cycle from the halfboards to the corner & behind the net, not constant wing to D passes. The CPU also seems more focused on getting to "the house", which is something Redshirt & I talked about at the event after Jim Playfair's coaching session. Looks promising thus far...

Did anyone talk a few minutes to check out the sliders? Did anyone notice a few of the new ones? How about the one for pass reception ability? Or CPU strategy adjustment?

PS - I feel like a free man! Now if I could only talk about GM mode...

# 49 JezFranco @ 08/17/10 10:33 AM

Watched some vids and this looks tasty!!! I need to get hoooooooome!!!

(Youtube, "NHL 11 demo", sort by date added)

# 50 GameSeven @ 08/17/10 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lubey


	First person to post the new faceoff controls gets a hug.

Right stick controls your stick and the left stick controls your body.

Before the drop, you can select a forehand or backhand grip on your stick by holding the RS left or right, depending upon who is taking the draw. Then you flick the RS back to try to win with your selected grip or forward to try to stick lift/tie up your opponent. Your wingers will jump in to assist. The LS can be used to jockey for position in conjunction with the above...

To shoot off the draw, you flick RS up with no grip (i.e. RS neutral).

When selecting your grip, the earlier you select it/hold it, the stronger your influence over the draw.

# 51 crobert0247 @ 08/17/10 10:38 AM

I absolutely love the demo. There are a lot of things in there that will make the wait for the game a little easier. A few things that really stand out so far:

- Breaking sticks off slap shots. It feels awesome and the sound of sticks shattering is excellent.
- The new physics engine is fantastic and makes hitting more authentic and more fun. Long gone are the days of the canned hit animations!

- Your momentum and skating direction really impact your hits just like in real life.
-The face off system works great, although I have yet to master it.
- After the whistle play has been paced down a tad and is not as chaotic as NHL 10. Players skate casually and turn slowly like in a real NHL break in play.
- The user celebrations are better than I was expecting. Very fun to pull off.
- 5 player goal celebrations is such a relief. It goes a long way.

- The ice looks so much better than in NHL 10.

The only con so far has been that the goalies have let some routine shots from 25-30 feet handcuff them and trickle in awkwardly.

# 52 Money99 @ 08/17/10 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealmK


	I did notice the slider for CPU strat adjustment, good to see more sliders to tweak the gameplay. BTW QB the cat is out of the bag, the demo mentions online BAGM, so if thats the info you were holding back, no need to anymore. Love the CPU AI though, they move the puck so much better compared to 10, I don't know what happened in that department last year but its so much better now. Combine that with the physics and just the overall feel and I have a feeling people won't have much to complain about this year gameplay wise.

Great news Realm! Thanks for the impressions.
And if there's an online BaGM then my only issue is what version to buy?
Most of my friends who play this game own a PS3. But I like the 360 controller and XBL better.
What to do, what to do!

# 53 crobert0247 @ 08/17/10 10:41 AM

Oh, the pressure sensitive passing is excellent too. Love it.

# 54 BigDisk @ 08/17/10 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poro24


	No improvements in the presentation since NHL 07. The intermission reports, cut scenes etc are still the same. And in 2010, we still don't have the correct amount of playes in the bench. I know that these are small things, but they should improve this old game engine. They must have enough time to update the presentation, arenas, correct amount of referees etc. I love the gameplay, but the same old presentation with the same old cut scenes year after year is just plain boring.

I'm glad they focus on core gameplay and leave those presentation issues at rest. Just my opinion though!!

But yeah, I guess putting 1 or 2 resources on presentation wouldn't really prevent them from improving the general gameplay.

Can't wait to try the demo!

And I really hope they improved the UI and matchmaking. EA needs to take a few notes from Blizzard and how awesome Battle.net is.

# 55 ddhex27 @ 08/17/10 10:57 AM

+Skating feels a lot less floaty, players actually seem to have weight.
+Checking feels awesome
+More rebounds and puck scrums in front of the net
+CPU AI MUCH improved and balanced on the offensive end

-Stale presentation
-Not much work done to the goalies (animations/masks etc)

# 56 StormJH1 @ 08/17/10 11:04 AM

I got to play it for about 10-15 minutes before work. To me, it looks pretty similar to NHL 10, but it was still fun. I gave up on NHL 10 much earlier than I did with 08 and 09 because I got frustrated with the new dynasty mode and some of the tic-tac-toe passing in the gameplay. I felt like the A.I. was one of the worst things about NHL 10, so I'll be curious to see if that's better.

Other than that, there were a few new cutscenes and presentation elements, but also tons of things that looked the same as NHL 08-10. I love the work the NHL team does on this game, but for a game that I probably put 100-125 hours into for '08 and 75-100 for '09, nobody is going to be motivated to play NHL 11 for that long because of broken sticks.

Even though NHL 10 added board pinning, I still felt like there was a bigger jump from NHL 08 to 09 in A.I. and getting a rid of a lot of the cheeser A.I. plays. I'll need more time with the demo to see if anything significant has changed, but I'm probably a first day buyer.

# 57 18 eighty 5 @ 08/17/10 11:07 AM

A couple more things.

The pre game inside arena shots look sensational and there is a new cutscene of the team skating on the ice which is zoomed out so you can see the opposition at their end skating.

Boardplay is much smoother and improved. You can actually say that the game has a more organic feel with scrappy turnovers making their way into the board battles as players fight to gain control of the puck. I just had a scrap session where the puck was turned over about 4 times within a small zone just inside my attacking blue line near the left hand side boards. Felt smooth and look great. And no irritating tripping penalties from poke checks and stick lifts to break it up. Really adds to the feeling of intensity and toughness out on the ice.

I would have to say that the demo is still not massively scrappy but its the best it has been. I think though that upping the speed may make up for this and playing with difficulty and slider settings will probably help too.

The skating is smoother, its nothing major but is obviously a refined job over previous years. It feels tighter and the players seem heavier on their skates. That silly animation from last year when the play stopped and you could make your player skate off from a standing position and his legs would kick about madly like it was his first time on ice trying to get his balance has gone.

Defending seems smoother and players are not sucked out of position from what I have seen.

Interesting point to note: I just used Hossa to stick lift an oponent and it broke the opponents stick. One troubling thing though was that it happened in my offensive zone and when the stick broke the cpu forgot about the puck and skated off to get a new stick. However, the puck was loose and Hossa did not have possession. Was cool to see the player heading for the bench but strange to seem him stop defending.

Have noticed variety in goals, no two have been the same in any of my games so far and none of them really resemble the same old shots from last year.

For anyone wondering, the broadcast camera is similar to last year, not like 2k's broadcast but it does seem better than last years. The view remains nice and wide and players don't shrink in size at the far ends of the angle. Unless my eyes are lying I don't think this is the same camera angle but it is not a huge change. Plus, I heard that we can customise camera angles so that will be great if it is so.

Lastly, hitting is excellent. The best in a hockey game. Feels natural, looks great and really adds to the experience. I don't think video can do it justice. You really have to play the game to notice the changes. I for one was not really that excited by the new physics engine showing off how hits are improved. From those clips it is just too hard to get an appreciation for the changes. It just looked like another set of canned animations. But to pay the game in person and see the hits and feel them through the controller, it is a world of difference from hockey iterations past.

# 58 StormJH1 @ 08/17/10 11:13 AM

One thing I wish they would have looked at is the skating speed and the "auto-turbo" effect that you're starting to see in Madden and NCAA Football. While I'm aware that NHL was the first series to get arid of turbo (with the exception of the "push the puck farther ahead" left trigger button), I still feel like players don't have any sense of urgency or speed rush when they turn or corner or are in the open ice.

Guys pretty much skate one of two speeds: "on" or "off". I don't want an artificial turbo button, but I do want guys to move more quickly when they get a clear lane. And I want the more skilled skaters to get to their top speed more easily when they're in traffic than the less skilled skaters.

I think that simple change could do a lot to solve the unquestioned #1 problem with this franchise, which is the complaint that all the players feel roughly the same. If they paid more attention under the hood to how star players performed versus scrub players when you tell them to skate or shoot, they could be more realistic (and more diversified) in their ratings, rather than having to lie and say that someone like Darren Helm (of the Red Wings) has speed in the mid-80's, when he's probably one of the two or three fastest skaters in the NHL. You can't make 4th line player a 99 speed in this game, or he'd score 40 goals every year.

# 59 MizzouRah @ 08/17/10 11:14 AM

Wow.. when do I get my retail copy?

It just feels like a real NHL game now, the players alone have weight to them and player skill separation is definitely there. The physics engine is great.. add broken sticks, hits that knock sticks out of hands, some new goalie animations, new faceoff engine, goal reveiws, etc.. etc..

When Chicago scored against me, they played their goal horn (which was not in 10) and had the spotlight on the goal scorer and chanted the owww waoooo song - was that in 10?

I'm VERY excited yet again this year and can't wait to skate with my Blues!

# 60 crobert0247 @ 08/17/10 11:15 AM

Anyone notice that the protect puck button(A) has been given some treatment? There is actual skating with this feature and not just the curl and hold arm out from previous years.

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