NHL 13 News Post

NHL 13 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions Here (360, PS3)

06:14 AM - August 21, 2012 by Steve_OS

This video is also available on the OS Youtube channel, please subscribe while you're there.

The above video showcases everything that is in the demo. Sliders, cameras, options, etc.

The NHL 13 demo is available now for the 360, later this afternoon for PS3. (We'll update this post when it is available.)

Queue it up right here, if you're not near a console. The NHL 13 demo weighs in at 1.33 GB.

The NHL 13 demo features four different modes. Play Now, NHL Moments Live, Hockey Ultimate Team and Free Skate.

In Play Now, you will control either the Los Angeles Kings or the New Jersey Devils in the 3rd period with a random score each time you play.

To learn more about the NHL 13 demo, click here and check out the latest blog.

Post your impressions here!

Game: NHL 13Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 23 - View All

NHL 13 Videos

Member Comments

# 141 milin @ 08/21/12 11:56 PM

I'm loving this game at the moment. I'm been using the true broadcast camera and it feels great!

I only have one grief that can be fixed easily. When using the true broadcast cam, the controls set to always up, aiming the shot with the left stick is still camera relative and it feels weird that way. You can try this in free skate and setting the control and camera to what I said.

# 142 peter21 @ 08/22/12 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milin


	I'm loving this game at the moment. I'm been using the true broadcast camera and it feels great! I only have one grief that can be fixed easily. When using the true broadcast cam, the controls set to always up, aiming the shot with the left stick is still camera relative and it feels weird that way. You can try this in free skate and setting the control and camera to what I said.

Yeah, I was struggling with broadcast mode a lot with shooting, faceoffs, etc. I'm just so used to overhead, this might be a tough transition for me. As another poster said, I may just use broadcast mode for coaching in one of the GM leagues.

# 143 Qb @ 08/22/12 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Majingir


	Not sure, but from a preview I read on another site, I think it's just things like how each line will play and things like that. Each of the 30 teams is set up differently.

If you click the right stick on the pregame edit lines screen, it will bring up your strategies. You can play with all the new settings, including the bias settings for individual lines. It reminds me of the setup in old 2k games, which is exactly what I used as an example when discussing the topic with them when I was there.

Unfortunately we can't save them in the demo, even from one HUT game to the next. But that won't be an issue with the full game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Majingir


	Basically what I'm trying to say, is that the sliders have been adjusted to really display the changes made to the game. So once we get the full game, we can adjust sliders and make them how we're used to playing at, and game will be great.

If you change the game style the sliders will change. It sounds like you were looking at default; normal puts almost every slider in the middle, while hardcore moves a few by a click or two and puts pass assist to zero (by far the biggest difference).

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter21


	Yeah, I was struggling with broadcast mode a lot with shooting, faceoffs, etc. I'm just so used to overhead, this might be a tough transition for me. As another poster said, I may just use broadcast mode for coaching in one of the GM leagues.

I've been playing on side-scrolling cameras with relative controls for years and I'm still having trouble with it on true broadcast. It also has some "blindspots" when moving the puck up ice, just as a real broadcast does. But it looks so damn good I want to stick with it.

# 144 MizzouRah @ 08/22/12 12:44 AM

Wow.. this is sports game of the year territory.:P

Ok.. a bit premature.

But.. the new skating engine is all of that and then some. The game really feels like a hockey game. Put it on AS and I've seen a little bit of everything, loose pucks, dump and chase, penalties, scrums, offsides, teams being pinned in without being able to give up the puck, breakaways, etc..

What an excellent job they have done this year - especially where it matters most, gameplay and AI. My teammates finally have a hockey sense! Can't wait to see the full product!

Added: Player differential is much improved as well as the lighting!

# 145 Stormyhog @ 08/22/12 01:01 AM

Like some others have said I have noticed as well the PS3 version is somewhat blurry. When I first booted it up I noticed it right away like a hazy effect. The game for me has been smooth no choppiness at all in all the games I have played. Really impressed with the demo love the skating.

# 146 The Visualizer @ 08/22/12 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealmK


	Really like the broadcast feel this year too. Show a replay, talk a little bit about it, show the player on the bench looking up at the screen. Or the camera cuts of guys talking to the coach between periods, then panning to the crowd, the replay angles and the net cam even though there's some pretty bad jaggies goin on there. The game has a pretty good "broadcast feel" to it this year. Shame I can't play on that new camera to save my life.

have you tried switching the controls to "ALLOWS UP"?

made a big difference for me

# 147 Vikes1 @ 08/22/12 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Qb


	If you click the right stick on the pregame edit lines screen, it will bring up your strategies. You can play with all the new settings, including the bias settings for individual lines.

Thanks Qb! I didn't know that.

And I completely forgot about being able to set the "bias" settings for each line. That's very cool.

I saw to me anyway, a very neat thing while playing with the Devils. I setup with the 1-4...and as the Kings headed into center ice...there was a picket fence of Devils waiting for them!

Man...that looked great. And sure as heck, they started dumping the puck in! Pretty neat to feel as though the strategies seemingly work. And the AI seems to adjust to it.

# 148 Vikes1 @ 08/22/12 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RealmK


	Noticed the same thing playing around with the settings. I really love that AI teammates don't just stand around in predetermined positions and will actually actively forecheck rather than making the player do all the work. It's led to some really great scoring chances on turnovers.

Agree 100%, RealmK.

Also, at first I thought the puck was more loose this year. But no...it's a heck of a lot more loose! This, along with what you mentioned RealmK, has in deed created situations that just weren't like this in '12'.

I'm seeing the puck rolling more on it's side now...and some pretty strange bounces, that really make things interesting. And quite a bit more of the puck being blocked and/or hitting the players.

Maybe the coolest thing of all is...that the majority of us on the board seem very pleased with what they see outta the demo. It'd sure be a bummer if the opposite were true for good reason. Good job so far, EAC!

# 149 SinisterAlex @ 08/22/12 02:27 AM

Just saw something neat happen just now.

I hammered Sykora with Doughty and injured him. What was cool was seeing him literally holding his knee and moving in pain on the ice. His facial expression was spot on.

Just something I thought I'd share.

# 150 franch1se @ 08/22/12 03:04 AM

i really SUCK at this game. Just opened up my HUT and got some good players.

Forwards

Malkin
Perry
Zetterberg
St. Louis
Nugent-Hopkins

Defense

Weber
Seabrook

Raask as goalie

# 151 Shortyman96 @ 08/22/12 03:12 AM

Has anyone else noticed what seems to be the removal of Goalie contact? They seem to have gained their shield from NHL 11 once again. I think it's there somewhat, just alot harder to even make contact.

# 152 SinisterAlex @ 08/22/12 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shortyman96


	Has anyone else noticed what seems to be the removal of Goalie contact? They seem to have gained their shield from NHL 11 once again. I think it's there somewhat, just alot harder to even make contact.

I've noticed that as well. You can still hit them, but they don't leave the goalie stance animation that they're usually in. Hopefully it's just a demo thing.

# 153 LionelHutz @ 08/22/12 03:29 AM

Flame me if you will, but I really don't like this demo. I kept trying to like it, I beat the HUT and played it for about six hours today, but it just doesn't feel right.

I know one-timers were an issue for a long time with these games, but now it seems just impossible to score on one. I have played probably 50 periods and haven't scored a single one. What seems to work for me is to just get in the opposing end, deke a bit and take a weak shot. That or slap it from just over the blue line. It reminds me of playing games like NHL Breakaway 98 in that way.

In the shootout what works is a wind up for the slap shot then quick left or right deke and wrist shot. It seems to work too well.

What is up with not being able to hit the goalie anymore? It was a big deal for NHL 12 and it's pretty much gone. In fact it's really hard to finish any check after the whistle, and pretty damn near impossible to start a fight at any time other than on the faceoff. It was always fun to get a couple of cheap shots in, and if the other team did that at least you could stand up for yourself in a fight.

The sound is glitchy. If the away team scores on you at home, the crowd is very quiet. Then once the puck is dropped all of a sudden they're super loud. With no transition whatsoever. Before any replay it plays the WHOOSH should like when the EA Sports logo transition occurred last year but there is no logo transition. There is still that kid in the crowd yelling "LOOK THERE HE IS" every 30 seconds or so. It's been grating on my nerves since 08. The announcing is the same recycled garbage since god knows when.

When there is a PowerPlay (oh wait I mean the HONDA POWER PLAY) the score for the team on the PP stays yellow and is hard to see.

When the ref is skating around to announce a penalty or something other players bounce off him and it looks very weird. NBA 2K11 had this with all on-court people but it was fixed for 12. It's very distracting.

What's up with the empty arenas in HUT?

The icing glitch still exists where a missed pass will cause an ice even if the pass was barely missed, and on the other hand if the icing is on the other team you can just stand around and wait for it to cross the line and touch it for the ice. These really should be waved off and it's been an issue for a long time.

I have seen a few times where after checking someone, they hit the ice, bounce in the air and hit the ice again. It also is ridiculously easy to hit someone at centre ice into the boards head first. And the glass still shatters arbitrarily for no real reason. The glass breaking hits never looked good since they were introduced.

The goalies move way to quickly, it made me laugh out loud a few times with the desperation saves and glove high saves. Nobody moves like that.

Sticks still go through the boards all the time and the goalies still go through the posts constantly. The goalies still will get a penalty for grabbing the puck then rotating their stick outside the trapazoid.

I wasn't expecting too much from this year's game to be honest but there is such a lack of polish and so many nagging issues from the past that I just can't justify spending another $60 on the game. If one of my friends picks up the retail copy I'll re-evaluate then, and really want to know what everyone else thinks. From the past posts it is almost unanimous praise so maybe it is just me...

# 154 Shortyman96 @ 08/22/12 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SinisterAlex


	I've noticed that as well. You can still hit them, but they don't leave the goalie stance animation that they're usually in. Hopefully it's just a demo thing.

Yeah, I keep telling myself that too, but I can't remember the last time they've added/removed something that big from their demos. It seems the last couple years what you see in the demo is pretty much what you get when it goes live. Of course I'm jaded, like many, with last years goal celebrations. I don't think I could have hope more than I did that it was just a "demo thing".

Oh well, we'll see I guess.

# 155 admt726 @ 08/22/12 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopher_guy


	edit: LOL, in my second HUT team game, there's like literally 8 people in the stands. Looks like an 8th grade girls hockey game crowd, except some of the parents forgot to show up.

I had this too, thought it was hilarious!

Can't wait for the full game.

# 156 shaunjuan2000 @ 08/22/12 06:13 AM

I've never been someone who makes a purchase decision solely based on a demo. I love the changes they made to the game, especially the team and line strategies. I may have to do 2 Be A Gms, one as a player, and as a coach. That'll allow me to get a better idea on how each strategy works. Seen plenty of hockey games in my life, and now I may need to watch the strategies my teams employ, so my team in NHL 13, plays like my team does in real life. The true demo for me comes out September 7th, when I can download the full retail game using the EA Sports Season Pass.

# 157 iaxy @ 08/22/12 07:10 AM

My observations thus far.
Platform PS3
I played 10 games in Play Now, 10 games in Moments and about 20 min in free skate.

I genuinely believe that this year EA has made the most significant step forward since the introduction of the skill stick.
The new skating engine, when combined with the True Broadcast Camera, deliverers a truly fantastic experience and brings the game that much closer to watching the real thing.
The skating engine finally addresses the choppiness and jittering associated to past EA NHL titles and it brings a sense of fluidity and wholeness completely new to the series (and not just EA, but any hockey game developed thus far). It is also very intuitive and logical. If you chase a puck heading for the boards, your player will bump into the boards and lose momentum. However, if you change your angle and gather the puck from an angle, the player will maintain momentum and will fly by the boards instead of slowing down � just like real life. To accelerate and then glide preparing for the pass or shot feels incredibly realistic and is actually part of the set-up game. I was able to score some truly stunning goals using this transition. Momentum plays a big role in this game and so it should. Finally EA have recognized the need to implement momentum � they could have easily messed it up, but they�ve really nailed IMHO. Also, thanks to the new skating, defense is now much more strategic and positional. You now really have to play smart positional defense, otherwise you get burnt and buried.
For me it is truly revolutionary and I would even say it is more significant than the skill stick introduction a few years back.

The True Broadcast camera is the other significant introduction. Without it, the game would have been already a winner, but changing the view to TBC gives a new, fresh, unpredictable experience that is very welcome (if a tad overdue). The camera angle allows for the game to be played like a real game of hockey. It just feels natural to move, make passes and shoot, just like you would expect to see it in a real hockey game. It�s hard to describe, but even without having mastered the controls, I was able to make plays which were completely reminiscent of a real game scenario. It just feels organic, intuitive and ultimately very rewarding (but equally punishing if you don�t get it right).
Little things like having to get the angle right on a dump and chase (either on offence or defence) or the defenseman standing up straightening his body up when behind his own net � it just feels great. I tried to go back to Classic and Ice cameras, but the game just felt like an NHL 12.5 patch, whereas with the TBC it feels like an NHL 13.5 game.

I am genuinely impressed with what EA have done here, especially in a year where they had no competition from any other hockey developer. Kudos for the effort put.

Having said all that, there are certain things that still need to be ironed out and I am hopeful they will be before launch.
Firstly, the collisions / body checks / pin ups don�t feel natural or realistic. There is a lack of sense of weight. They feel light and generally uninspiring. Every now and again you hear the crowd explode after a hit, but you don�t even see or feel the hit as a player. It just feels cumbersome.

I don�t know if it�s just me, but the light / frame rate does not feel quite right on my PS3. It feels as if it�s darker than it should be and the player models look kind of blurred. I think this is more evident in a real game, but Free Skate feels better somehow. Not sure about this one, but it�s very evident � especially on the initial face-off when playing in TB camera.

My other gripe is in connection to the puck contact physics. Often you don�t actually see sticks making contact with the puck, yet the puck changes direction. This is more evident this year than last year.

Summary

Pros:
- Skate engine � a comprehensive winner
- True Broadcast Camera � fantastic new way to play the game
- Ice looks fantastic and degrades more realistically
- SFX sounds a more realistic
- Less shots hit the post / bar
- Larger variety of goals
- More intuitive AI
- More unpredictable gameplay with all sort of interesting developments and scenarios.
- Subtle visual improvements, such as the D man straightening his body when behind his net are just welcome little additions that add a lot to the realistic athmosphere.
- Goalie animations are fantastic to look at.

Cons:
- Collisions between players don�t look or feel realistic (it actually feels like a step back somehow).
- Light, shadows and crispness are not great (PS3 version)
- When winning the puck on defense it still feels disconnected from the actual animation (i.e. you don�t actually see the stick making contact with the puck).
- For some reason, you can�t make contact with the goalie any more
- Commentary is stale and needs an overhaul

Closing comment. The demo is very promising. If EA irons out some of the glitches mentioned above, this could truly be the best sports game developed thus far. Right now, the game feels like a solid 9 � may be even 9.5
If they were to give us the possibility to customize the height and zoom of the TB camera, I would give this game a perfect 10 score.

# 158 Money99 @ 08/22/12 08:32 AM

Got in a few more games. I absolutely LOVE the look of the True Broadcast view.
My only problem is I'm confused with the control layout, haha, so I need to figure that out.

I'm really enjoying NHL13 more than I have with NHL09>NHL12.

For one, on all-star, I actually had a breakaway and scored. My guys are able to beat the defenders into the corners, out hustle for the puck, and beat weak dmen wide with speedy forwards. None of this occurred since NHL07. (for me at least).

My breakaway goal was scored by Petr Sykora and tied the game up with less than 30 seconds to go. He took a beautiful two-line pass to break in alone, behind the d-men.
Sykora actually used some intelligence to cut hard across the blue-line and took a perfect pass from Elias before deking Quick and sliding it past him.

Right now, after a couple of games on All-star, I feel like my stars can actually skate against their stars - something I didn't think was true in previous versions.

# 159 Money99 @ 08/22/12 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopher_guy


	Just did HUT in the demo. I got Stamkos and Byfuglien in my pack, the difference between those two on the ice is very striking. Stamkos can FLY, one or two strides and he is seemingly at full speed. On the other hand, Byfuglien is the exact opposite, he is harder to control. Can't turn as well, and it takes more time to get to his top speed. He's strong on the puck, just not as good of a skater as Stamkos. I love that you can tell the difference between players now. edit: LOL, in my second HUT team game, there's like literally 8 people in the stands. Looks like an 8th grade girls hockey game crowd, except some of the parents forgot to show up.

Add a buffet at the end of the rink and Byfuglien will FLY!

# 160 kerosene31 @ 08/22/12 09:29 AM

I am loving the new puck physics.

Puck battles feel natural now and not scripted. On one play I made a terrible pass from the side of my net to a forward in the neutral zone. There's a player on the other team right there to grab it and come in. My forward turns around and manages to get a stick on the puck and it bounces just over the line.

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