NHL 13 News Post

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

07:14 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

# 1 fizzo @ 08/21/12 08:24 AM

Just downloaded it in Europe, so it's here already. The new skating engine is absolutely awesome, makes a world of difference. It finally feels like your player has weight to him, cant turn on a dime with anyone really, speedy players blow by slow players. It's absolutely awesome.

AI seems solid, it's tougher to gain zone and get shots on net. On hardcore mode the puck seemed pretty loose, if you just skate towards players with the puck at your stick, it's super easy to lose it. Passing seems sloppy enough on user's end, i'm sure when we get the sliders unlocked, we can tweak it to near perfection. Tried charging a pass up (holding A), and the reciever failed to recieve a good amount of the time. BTW, for those of you that haven't already, set puck size and shadow to authentic, it doesn't actually change the way it behaves, but it sure does look a lot looser that way.

CPU still seems to pass a little too much tape to tape, but it's less so than previous years, it failed quite a few one-timers, so let's just hope that it's fixable with sliders. I really liked how aggressive and relatively unpredictable the CPU was on the offensive end, but it's tough to tell whether thats the default CPU playstype or a strategy it was using because of the whole 3d period, 5 minute, random score gameplay.

The broadcast camera looks awesome, but it's tough to play on it, for one, because of the controls, no matter if they're set on always up or cam relative, it just doesn't feel right. Obviously that's something that you can get used to, but the other thing is that you can't really see the ice very well, it's kinda tunnel visioned, so you're definitely going to do better playing on the up/down camera, broadcast is just eye-candy. Presentation overall looks better as well, but we've all seen that already.

Overall I'm really excited for this. I'm probably not gonna play the demo anymore, but overall this seems very promising.

# 2 Steve_OS @ 08/21/12 08:46 AM

So glad you can go against the goalie in Free Skate, 1 on 1. Would be cool if it had 2 on 1 breaks w/ a teammate vs. AI.

# 3 Cletus @ 08/21/12 08:54 AM

Seems pretty solid, the AI is tougher. I wonder if they worked on it more than the last 3 years combined? I still have my winger bumping into me on rushes though. I'm also not liking the goalies play on the short side. Even when there's no one in the slot, he doesn't hug the post or even play the post. I got scored on because my goalie went into butterfly and left short side wide open.

# 4 SeaNNyT @ 08/21/12 09:01 AM

Things I like
-The better lighting looks more authentic, combined with the True broadcast camera angle, looks sweet.
.The player models seem way more appropriately scaled and real.
-The skating feels way more real and can lead to some interesting 3 on 2 breaks or other breakaway moments.

Things I don't like
-Your AI defenders still might be a few feet from the puck and make no attempt to go for it, so you have to click on them, but by then the opposing AI probably has picked up the loose puck.
-Even on Hardcore the opposing AI can tape to tape pass way up ice.
-The hitting still seems unrealistic
-The stick and puck physics need a overhaul (probably won't happen until next gen)
-The goalie on fast breaks seems to win most of the time. An unreal level of winning.

# 5 SinisterAlex @ 08/21/12 09:03 AM

Just finished playing 10 games on All Star - Normal. I'm loving the demo so far. Skating took only a game or two to get used to. Really loving how you feel your players momentum and weight in each stride and while turning. You definitely can't turn on a dime anymore.

As for passing, there was A LOT of missed passes and a lot of passes that were intercepted. So we should have no fear of laser passes. At least, that's what I noticed when I was playing.

I recorded some gameplay, so I may post some of it a bit later today. I've only done the Play Now stuff, haven't gone into HUT or NHL Moments yet.

# 6 tsp120 @ 08/21/12 09:11 AM

I'm not a gold member so I'm going to have a wait a week to get my hands on the demo. But I'm curious, can you try out coach mode in the demo? That mode has me intrigued.

# 7 Money99 @ 08/21/12 09:51 AM

Stupid download took over 40 minutes so I could only get in half a period before racing to work.
The skating is definitely a big change and one that can take some time getting used to. But it's for the better as you can certainly feel the differences between good, bad and fast & slow skaters.

I want to get more time with it tonight because I really want to see if the new skating physics causes the CPU to experience the same limitations that the user does.

# 8 Jonesey @ 08/21/12 09:59 AM

I am broadcasting live at http://ustre.am/NuYd nhl 13 demo

# 9 ejams @ 08/21/12 10:05 AM

Here's my post off the EA boards:

Quote:


	Platform Xbox Pros - You can dump and chase now - Hitting is the best I've seen it - The skating physics are good - Opponent AI is much better - Stick collisions blocking shots - Goalies are better Cons - Your teammate's AI is garbage. They are often out of position out taking a cruise or something, and often skating in the wrong direction. This means when you take control you are having to do wild turns and get scored on anyways. - Player models as always are way off.. Was better in NHL 06 to be brutally honest. Stoll looks like a 15 year old goof. - Drew Doughty gets beat to the puck by every single forward on the devils, even when I spam LS 3 times. TERRIBLE. - Many terrible penalties taken by team AI. - Pressing A unless in the absolute perfect position = penalty - Opposition AI gets away with interference/tripping/crosschecking in front of the net so far 100% of the time. I've played probably 20 periods. Overall Comments I really want to like this game, I haven't bought it since NHL 10(which was a mistake as well.) But having players like Stamkos/Doughty/Tavares/Malkin stripped and out raced to the puck by AHL and CHL players shows a terrible stat team or it means that stats don't do anything. Sure Colin Fraser misses the puck 70% of the time he takes a slapshot, but I wasn't aware that he could out-skate anyone on the Devils backend. Teammate AI and the useless stats make this game and instant no buy for me. Sad because I really miss playing this game.

I'm not buying this one.
The engine is definitely amazing but the terrible team AI and the fact that star player Drew Doughty is slower than every Devil when racing back for dump-ins.
Incredibly disappointed I've been starved of a good NHL game for too many years..

# 10 blinkfan77 @ 08/21/12 10:08 AM

Incredibly lame that they stop you from going to OT.

# 11 Splitter77 @ 08/21/12 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ejams


	Here's my post off the EA boards: I'm not buying this one. The engine is definitely amazing but the terrible team AI and the fact that star player Drew Doughty is slower than every Devil when racing back for dump-ins. Incredibly disappointed I've been starved of a good NHL game for too many years..

not good.
typical ea.
also- From the short clips ive seen, the famous scripted 100mph rebound off the pads and directed into the corner is still there. been there since 1996
also. seems like the whistle still doesnt blow quick after a goalie cover up or save.
ive never seen a goalie push a puick forward with his glove to a defenseman that many times. lame.

# 12 geisterhome @ 08/21/12 10:28 AM

downloading

# 13 Panicshade @ 08/21/12 10:29 AM

I played the demo for a bit (Free Skate, HUT, and Moments Live). I knew there would be a steep learning curve for me since I'm nowhere near even decent at this series. I had my hands full with the very first HUT match. It took my a few tries to win that one game. I'm sure others can probably smoke that team 20-0 but not me.

Embarassing...lol

But I did enjoy the challenge this game has for me (agitated but enjoyed)

# 14 Cletus @ 08/21/12 10:35 AM

HUT games always seem random to me in demos. Your team's AI needs some work but the AI is more balanced than I've seen it in past years on default levels. I've been playing a little bit more and it seems more like a "cash and carry" game than a passing game. I've scored more just skating in and shooting than I have setting up one timers and quick passing. Dekeing doesn't seem effective at all against a goalie, as well.

# 15 Rhouston @ 08/21/12 10:37 AM

I played the Play Now, NHL Moments and Free Skate before heading off to work this morning. I can safely say that I'm extremely pleased I put down a pre-order for this bad boy, because I think this is going to be a great game.

To echo what others have said thus far, the true broadcast cam is spot on but does take some time to master. As does skating -- you can really feel your momentum affecting how tight you can turn and how long it takes you to stop, as well as how accurate your shots are (including the puck getting away from you if you hold back on a slap shot too long). I definitely think this will eliminate a lot of cheesers who just constantly hold up and skate as fast as they can all of the time (which sounds like it could be ejams's problem and why Doughty and Stamkos are getting stripped and beat to the puck, because in real hockey, the puck isn't glued to your stick and you don't have unlimited stamina).

The player models are more proportionate -- they aren't quite as stocky this year, but they're definitely not string beans either.

All in all, for a DEMO (yes people, this is NOT the finished product, there is still time to fix things!), I'm very pleased. If only I didn't have work today/rugby practice tonight, I could spend a good couple of hours on this bad boy.

The moral -- stop complaining about the little things (i.e. not being able to play overtime ... ridiculous about what people will whine about) and enjoy the demo for what it is -- a definite big step up over NHL 09-12.

# 16 jb12780 @ 08/21/12 10:41 AM

You can change difficulty level, but not sliders FYI.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

# 17 brandon27 @ 08/21/12 10:44 AM

Got two quick games in before work this morning. Skating system is going to take a bit to get used to. Seems really... slow. Players definitely feel like they have weight now though, can't make the tight high speed unrealistic turns that you could before. Nice improvement, but probably going to frustrate some for a while as they get used to it.

Visually, game looks the same to me as always, maybe a touch nicer/cleaner. I didn't notice much of the new lighting effects, but I wasn't paying much attention either. Just rushing to get some time in.

Goalies are much tougher now.

Commentary is still awful. Probably because I just hate those guys though.

Biggest drawback to me... your teamates AI is pretty awful, offensively, and defensively. Maybe messing the the ingame strategies etc will help, have to play some more to find out. Also seems to me that the AI players "cheat" a bit at times. I passed up the wing once to Carter who was a clear 3-4 steps past the D man who magically became the fastest player on the ice, while skating backwards to get in front of me and poke the puck away. Not sure what happened there, but it had me shaking my head.

I'll have to spend more time with it and look most closely at things, and get used to the new skating, but all in all i can say I was impressed for the most part.

# 18 reth316 @ 08/21/12 10:44 AM

really impressed. new camera angles much better. skater movement feels more realistic now, takes time to slow and change direction now. one timers feel better and seen some lovely hits. so far so good. player faces have a more real look to them this year also...not massive change but noticeable.

# 19 Weapon X @ 08/21/12 10:48 AM

Played roughly 20 "games" since I downloaded it, initial impressions:

The True Performance Skating feels just as good as it looks, although it does feel a tad sluggish at times. I think that's due to the many years of being used to instantaneous reaction by the skaters. The new skate dekes are awesome, especially the subtle ones. I hit an outlet pass to Jeff Carter who pulled one off on the breakaway and sent the Kings to the Cup Finals in the NHL Moment. Seeing that while I was using the True Broadcast Camera with the HDR lighting upgrades, it seriously looked like something I would've seen in reality.
Speaking of the True Broadcast Camera, it is extremely well done and seriously addictive. After trying it out in the NHL Moment, I'm having a hard time going back to my faithful old Action cam. The devs were right, putting the RS control scheme to "Always Up" really makes the transition to the TBC really easy.
The AI seems spotty. One one hand, the Devils will pressure the ever-loving **** out of you on the forecheck, but at the same time against the Coyote's there were times where it was extremely easy to walk into the zone (although this usually happened early in the game, and didn't the devs say that the new AI adjusts after they've been beaten by something?) I don't know, it plays well sometimes, and not so well others. I think that a full 3-period game would be needed for me to really assess the new AI system if what the devs say holds true.
The goalies are phenomenal. Watching the Independent Limb Movement and dynamic AI is a thing of beauty, and makes them look far less robotic. Quick especially really shines with this system. The smaller tweaks to existing animations (the goalie will actually have his head up when he goes to cover the puck) and entirely new ones really let the tenders shine.
- (I also played a handful of games locked as the goalie [Superstar -- Hardcore] as I do every year. The main things that stuck out to me are as follows)
- Despite a lot of people thinking that goalies weren't effected by the TPS engine at all, they were wrong. The goalies feel much heavier when moving around the crease than they did before, even with someone like J. Quick.
- I personally am digging the Anticipation System far more so than the old RS system. I strongly recommend that everyone who was knocking it give it a fair shot. As a test, I attempted to play the usual "ping pong paddle" style that had been so effective from previous years. Quick simply stood there and didn't do anything a good number of times (as opposed to previous years where every time the CPU would auto-save) and when he did attempt a save, it looked extremely half-assed. However, when I used the RS he always made a full-out attempt to make the save. I also like how it seems to work just as well on on quick flicks as it does when holding the RS in a direction. There was a play where I was anticipating cross-crease, and when I moved over to cover it the shooter had to settle the puck. Given that my anticipation was that of a one-timer, I found myself overcommited by this slight delay. Yet, when I quickly flicked the RS and changed my anticipation, Quick made a sparking glove save to that side. The only thing is that I'm playing with a elite goaltender, will these results carry over to my BAP who's attributes will start off in the toilet?
- I'm also extremely happy that they finally added a casual stance for goalies for when the puck is down the ice, complete with a randomized idle animation cycle that includes the 'tender quickly swiping the crease, crouching down to watch the play, and adjusting his pads. The only thing is that I hate the "snap into position" from this stance rather than an animation that has the goalie go into the ready crouch.
- There's also an option to turn off both the Auto Cover and Auto Sweep in the Control Settings, which I recall people asking for before (Although what's kinda scaring me is the lack of a way to turn off that stupid positioning indicator, but it is a demo without full features, so we'll see).
The "loose-puck chop" doesn't always seem to work when you want it to. I spent one game trying to do it on every loose puck I saw, and it only seemed to to the chop and not the poke check maybe 35% of the time. Though I suppose I could chalk it up to a lack of practice... =/
On All-Star -- Hardcore, I'm seeing a lot more "loose-ness" in the way the game is played. In-accurate passes, bobbles, pucks being lost, etc. all by both myself and the AI. Seeing these far more so than I can recall from any previous iteration, and this is without true slider adjustment. Puck seems much less "magnetized" to the stick this year on Hardcore, for those "sticklers for sloppiness" out there, in fact I just lost the puck while attempting a shot after circling out in front of the net with Simon Gagne.

Really liking what I see from this so far, but now the wait until Sept. 11th is only going to get that much worse. Bleh.

WX

# 20 Al_Tito13 @ 08/21/12 10:54 AM

This is what i posted on EA forums few minutes ago:

Platform
XBox 360

Level
All-Star / Hardcore

Pros
- Great new skating engine
- Complete strategies
- Better AI in general
- Lower puck control
- Lower pass reception ease
- More deflections on interceptions instead of glued pucks on sticks
- Effective poke checks
- Improved goalies
- Less accurate shots
- Presentation overhaul

Cons
- Back skating with the puck is too fast and too effective, and transition from normal to back skating or the opposite should at least make you loss more momentum. We should definitely not be able to skate backward with the puck at full speed all the way up the ice, no doubt it will probably become a big exploit.

Overall Comments
I have to say that I simply loved what I saw from NHL 13 so far, this is the best hockey game ever made, and by a big margin. The biggest addition is definitely the true performance skating, wow! The game feels and plays great, looking similar to real hockey. In fact, except for the back skating with the puck, I find this game near perfect for my personal taste. Great job EA! And please, don't overtune the game this year like you did last year.

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