NHL 14 News Post

NHL 14 Demo Available Now For 360, Later Today For PS3 - Post Your Impressions Here

06:46 AM - August 20, 2013 by CupCrazyManiac

The NHL 14 demo is available now for 360 users (queue it up here at 1.46 GB) and later today for PS3 users. We will update this post when it arrives. The NHL 14 demo details can be found here. Please post your impressions here and post your feedback to the developers here.

Game: NHL 14Reader Score: 7/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / Xbox 360Votes for game: 6 - View All

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Member Comments

# 41 JsMcbain @ 08/20/13 04:15 PM

I looked at least 8 times since noon and it is not on psn yet

# 42 LilLefty34 @ 08/20/13 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CallCenterZombie


	I'd like to know as well. Can someone post if they see it on PSN? Thanks.

madden came out at around 3:45 supposed to be at 3 but its always around 45 minutes late

# 43 sweetjones @ 08/20/13 04:20 PM

Did they fix the "True" Broadcast camera? Last year it was zoomed in too much.

# 44 Fiddy @ 08/20/13 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetjones


	Did they fix the "True" Broadcast camera? Last year it was zoomed in too much.

i tried it out, it seems the same.

# 45 sweetjones @ 08/20/13 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiddy


	i tried it out, it seems the same.

smfh! Ridiculous!

# 46 Fiddy @ 08/20/13 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetjones


	smfh! Ridiculous!

Yeah it would be nice if we could use this as a custom camera and zoom it out a bit.

# 47 bad_philanthropy @ 08/20/13 05:01 PM

From someone who has played the NHL series this gen more than any other title (and probably every gen):

So far I like how the goalies are tuned. I was pretty good at the game last year, but the goalies abilities to go post to post and stop some impossible shots just felt like poor gameplay tuning.

Puck chop is also really good this year.

Skating is a good improvement. I just hope they don't nerf it between demo and retail like last year.

A lot of subtle things, but they sum to a good effort.

It's the end of the generation, and I think this has been one of the better series, but like we all expected, 14 is not a huge upgrade.

As for player differentiation. I actually thought on higher difficulties it was pretty good last year. Not great. I think it's decent this year too. I certainly couldn't pull off the same moves with Shaw that I could with Kane in the time I played. I was also able to blow by Johnny Boychuk with Hossa for a breakaway goal.

I seem to be in the minority, but I liked and played '13 a lot last year for all its flaws, and so I like what I've seen in the demo. I may hold off a while to get this, but I expect I will at some point once the season rolls around and I get the itch.

# 48 ch46647 @ 08/20/13 05:04 PM

A developer came to the EA forums and said online is set to Hardcore Sim setting.

I am pretty excited about that!

# 49 bad_philanthropy @ 08/20/13 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ch46647


	A developer came to the EA forums and said online is set to Hardcore Sim setting. I am pretty excited about that!

Wow!

I think the default hardcore is decent this year.

It's interesting how they've tuned manual passing. It feels more like I think people were expecting it to feel when they implemented it back in NHL 10 (I think), and people criticized it for being too slow and not responsive enough—though the pass assist is pretty high and I can't change that, and I've played with it at zero the past few years.

I just jumped into free skate and was impressed with the variety of goals, goalie animations, and puck behavior. No, the goalies are not NHL 2k, but they are improved.

It also seems like they've tuned the way the puck reacts when it hits the post now. It's hard to describe but it feels like it's heavier and the deflections are better implemented. I know that doesn't seem to communicate much, but if you've been to a live game and see someone snipe one off the post it looks like that, and not what it has looked like in the game since '07.

# 50 Fiddy @ 08/20/13 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ch46647


	A developer came to the EA forums and said online is set to Hardcore Sim setting. I am pretty excited about that!

That's good news. Where did they mentioned that at?

Also, I still hate the pass assist at 4 on hardcore simulation. At 0 it's a mess, 3 is too easy, they should set it at 2! They won't. Lol. But it seems perfect there.

# 51 LilLefty34 @ 08/20/13 05:21 PM

cant believe its not avaibable for ps3 yet....cmon psn

# 52 ch46647 @ 08/20/13 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fiddy


	That's good news. Where did they mentioned that at? Also, I still hate the pass assist at 4 on hardcore simulation. At 0 it's a mess, 3 is too easy, they should set it at 2! They won't. Lol. But it seems perfect there.

It is in the stickied demo impressions thread on the EA Forums. EA_HLT came in there and made the announcement.

# 53 CallCenterZombie @ 08/20/13 05:33 PM

Sony fails!

# 54 hort22 @ 08/20/13 05:36 PM

demo is up

1.6GB

https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwo...L14DEMO0000000

# 55 CallCenterZombie @ 08/20/13 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hort22


	demo is up 1.6GB https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwo...L14DEMO0000000

Thanks buddy!

# 56 Moose24x @ 08/20/13 06:02 PM

My download is about 58% right now. I'm actually fairly optimistic after reading peoples' reactions at various sites. Of course, you have to be able to read between the lines, wade through the people who complain without explanation and avoid the strictly online/EASHLers who hate everything EA does before you can actually infer anything about the actual game, but I have a feeling I'm going to be more pleased than I expected. With the core gameplay, that is.

It's sounding like, to me, the skating feels a bit more fluid and responsive, the strafing and pivots have improved, the AI is a bit better, and the hitting and enforcer engine feel good. I'm sure none of it's perfect, but while I was previously not too excited about these small tweaks, the impression I'm getting, from between the lines of peoples' posts, is that the overall game actually feels a bit better and more responsive/fluid. If BaGM sim times are improved, I think I'll be mostly content with this installation as a stop-gap between now and next-gen, but I'll reserve actual judgement until my first play in about 15 minutes. Cautiously excited.

# 57 Mongo14 @ 08/20/13 06:37 PM

I just crushed Hossa with Chara and Bickell skated across the ice to fight me. Both get 5 for fighting. Now wouldn't Bickell get the 2 for instigating as well? He seems to have left his position to start a fight? Also I guess after I hit a guy I have to fight. That'll just slow the game down big time. Let me turn the challenge down to either continue the game, not get destroyed, or draw a penalty on the aggressor.

# 58 takki @ 08/20/13 06:43 PM

Absolutely am loving the demo. They fixed almost everything I hated about NHL 13.

You can actually body check people in this game. Holding "turbo" up the sides of the ice doesn't work well anymore, the CPU actually defends it properly now. You can't be knock off the puck from behind by a defender who has no momentum anymore. The gameplay is extremely slowed down and tactical now. I can't just rush up the ice anymore, I actually have to play hockey to produce chances, it's way different from any previous NHL game.

The new fighting engine is amazing (I wish the camera zoomed in a little closer during fights). The after whistle scrums are wonderful. The game actually punishes you for not following the rules. The CPU will fight you if you shoot after the whistle or lay a dirty hit during a game. The refs actually call charging/boarding/give out double minors now.

The fact that you can do deke with one button is wonderful. One timers actually work again somewhat. The "automatic" same side wrist shot goals are now gone. NHL 94 mode is meh (I was expecting old school graphics and arcade style gameplay) but I can see how it'd be very accessible for newbies to the series.

EA is blowing my mind this year. Madden 25 is actually good finally and NHL 14, while not really a large upgrade graphics or gameplay wise, completely fixes every issue I had with NHL 13.

The only thing that bothers me is that injuries still seem to almost never happen but I can't tell if they fixed it until I get some playtime. Also when the CPU fights with me, I have no choice to refuse. The refs also does not punish the CPU for instigating, although I need more time with the game to prove that.

All and all, I'm impressed.

# 59 geisterhome @ 08/20/13 06:58 PM

how abt the player faces? some additions?

# 60 Garism @ 08/20/13 06:59 PM

I know that you can know hit with the Left sick if you line them up properly. So what is the use of the right stick now considering it is still labeled as "Body Check" on the menu screen but you can crush people if you do it properly with the left stick?

Loving the demo so far.

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