NHL 12 News Post

NHL 12 Reviewer: Gameplay Impressions

02:45 PM - September 8, 2011 by ChaseB

As I mentioned in yesterday’s initial impressions, the theme of the improvements in NHL 12 seems to be, literally, in the details. And, to be honest, the same could be said of last year’s version. In fact, I think I actually did say that a number of times in last year’s reviews.

But when you look at the whole NHL package, this is not really a bad thing. The NHL series has been a superb game for the past three-plus years. As some users have pointed out, there’s a tendency for companies to fix things that don’t need fixing, likely as a way to advertise bullet points on a box.

I don’t feel that’s the case with NHL 12. The changes are, again, small but meaningful. And nowhere in the game will they be more appreciated by the die-hard hockey fans than in the gameplay.

Read More - NHL 12 Reviewer: Gameplay Impressions

Game: NHL 12Reader Score: 7.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 26 - View All

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Member Comments

# 1 savoie2006 @ 09/08/11 03:09 PM

The reviews here are always so fair and honest. Great write up Caley.

# 2 Simple Mathematics @ 09/08/11 03:24 PM

"(It does not appear you can edit these traits.)"

Why??? I don't get it.

# 3 ChaseB @ 09/08/11 03:34 PM

Caley wrote it, not me.

# 4 DJ @ 09/08/11 03:43 PM

Give the credit to Caley, guys.

Thanks for the impressions.

# 5 Vikes1 @ 09/08/11 03:57 PM

Nice review.

Very well written. Seems fair and to the point.

Always like reading good impressions of the gameplay.

# 6 Scarbro73 @ 09/08/11 05:25 PM

Very nice write up!

Have some of the demo issues been addressed in the final product? For example the double-audio glitch on shots,etc. or how about the bug where all your teammates abandon the face-off circle if you tie up the opposing centreman?

Anybody know?

# 7 13whitebread @ 09/08/11 07:46 PM

Makes me want it right now. 13-8 is 5 whole days arghhhhhhhhh!

# 8 knighthawksfan @ 09/08/11 10:42 PM

go flyers baby!!!!!!

# 9 nancek00 @ 09/09/11 12:50 PM

Getting it tonight! plus 20% off my EASHL player upgrades, and 3 day full game trials of madden, fifa, fifa street, tiger, ncaa. But even without that it would be worth the $$, I love this game!

# 10 LiberNull @ 09/10/11 10:40 PM

I hope for you US players that EA has learned from it's mistakes so you can playing online from day 1.

And great game btw... offline is actually fun this year with the improved AI (if you play ALl-Star or Super Star, Pro is still too easy imo).... unlike the ******** AI in NHL 11.

# 11 dxdude2004 @ 09/11/11 08:23 AM

I can't wait to get this game on Tuesday.

# 12 knighthawksfan @ 09/11/11 06:39 PM

go flyers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

# 13 MizzouRah @ 09/12/11 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dxdude2004


	I can't wait to get this game on Tuesday.

Me either!

If gameplay is good.. I'm going to need more vacation time to play alongside Madden and NCAA.

# 14 Vikes1 @ 09/12/11 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dxdude2004


	I can't wait to get this game on Tuesday.

Add me to the list!

Can't wait to give the updated gameplay a try.

# 15 Revan30 @ 09/12/11 06:23 PM

I don't understand why people loved NHL 11 so much. NHL 11 to me was one of the worst EA releases since the game was made for the 360--right up there with NHL 10. The AI was downright terrible and frustrating in 11. The CPU offense would always run what felt like the same exact 3 or 4 plays once in the offensive zone and would always shoot and score from the same areas. In the real NHL, no two goals are scored the same way. In NHL 11, I felt that it was all too easy for myself and for the AI to score goals from specific areas with specific plays. I'm going to get hammered for this, but despite some of it's major flaws, that was what made NHL 2k10 and NHL 2k8 and the modded NHL 04 some of the best hockey games of the 21st century--the unpredictability factor. No two goals were scored the same way. EA seems to fail to remember that the game is not played around taking the body--instead, the game should be played around the puck.

NHL 10 was the worst because all the CPU would do is one time the puck, your goalie would go down in that God awful eagle split and allow an easy goal. You could do this right back to the CPU time and time again. In NHL 11, the stale and unevolving AI led to rather dull gameplay. The hitting was completely out of control and it was far too easy to make a pass from behind your goal line to a man who was, of course, completely wide open deep in the neutral zone.

That's another thing that EA's NHL series has lacked. For the past 3 or 4 years or so EA has poured all of their resources into creating a game that looks cool and flashy, with cool scoreboards, flashy and so-called realistic looking hits, and with little completely unnecessary aesthetic additions such as custom goal celebrations and just slapped on a label that claims the game is realistic, when, in fact, it is far from being that. And somehow, God knows why, pretty much all of the world just blindly believed EA, simply because they advertised the game as a realistic hockey game.

I've played the NHL 12 demo quite a lot and have to say I am pretty impressed so far. The new skating animation makes the game feel so much more fluid. The way both your AI and the CPU AI transition from offensive to defensive play is a BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION for EA. Gameplay should ALWAYS come first. Anyone who actually plays hockey can tell you that the transition game is quite possibly the most important part of winning the game. That's why every single hockey teams spends a lot of time in practice working on the break out. If this game is meant to simulate the NHL, you should NEVER EVER be able to produce any offense whatsoever if you don't have a good break out, or, at the very least, if you don't play dump and chase. I've noticed this year how much importance EA has placed on the transition game, and I'm glad to hear that in this review the reviewer noticed a difference, too.

Shattering glass, bone crushing hits, and goalie fights can get tossed out the window for all I care. I've been a fan of this series since my very first video game, NHL 97, and the series has most definitely come a long ways from those days. NHL 10 and NHL 11 were huge disappointments for me in terms of gameplay and realism. NHL 12, from what I've experienced, seen, and heard so far, will be a phenomenal way to spend my 15 year anniversary with the series. Thank you EA, for finally pulling your head out of the clouds and making what seems so far to be a spectacular hockey product.

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NHL 12 Reviewer: Gameplay Impressions