NHL 14 News Post

NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here

02:07 PM - September 6, 2013 by RaychelSnr

The NHL 14 early release for season ticket subscribers is available now. Be sure to share your impressions of the full retail version of the game below!

Impressions only! Q&A here.

Our review for NHL 14 is coming up next week!

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

NHL 14 Videos

Member Comments

# 41 Suntan Superman @ 09/07/13 05:49 AM

I've been toying around with fighting, and they do give instigating penalties, but only during on-ice action. I agree with everyone that the "he hit my guy so fight time!" crap needs to be toned down, and the instigator penalty needs to be enforced during that sequence. Don't get me wrong, when I knock Sidney Crosby on his behind, I fully expect, and deserve a fight, but it should either be from Crosby, or from someone nearby, or there is an instigator penalty.

The last NHL I played more than a few days/games was NHL 11, it's much, much improved from there, I still wish I was able to do more than just play in the CHL to go with my "Live the Life" and there could still be so much more added to "Live the Life" but the interviews and the "likeability" is definitely an addition I like(even if it's not all it could be) Ultimately I'll end up getting this, simply for "Live the Life" and updated rosters.

There are some major improvements still to be made, but it's still a huge step up from what we used to have. I enjoy that playing as a big lug on skates feels like playing a big lug on skates. I'm also really happy with passing. Before it was so hard to get incomplete/wrong/bad passes, now I've had so many errors passing it's actually frustrating me(I admit I'm a skill level below a lot of people as well, so this may not hold true for the hardcore gamers)

Overall, I'd give the game a solid 7/10 so far, cartoonish hitting is fun for awhile but it does get tiresome, though if I turn all the sliders down it gets more bearable, and like many have stated, fighting is a lot of fun, but there shouldn't be one fight a game, every game.

# 42 Dolphins88 @ 09/07/13 08:13 AM

It sounds as though it has regressed in terms of realistic gameplay which sux. Madden is getting returned and canceling NHL preorder. Dammit my 2 fav sports.. Guess ill have to get to like nba more.

# 43 bad_philanthropy @ 09/07/13 09:42 AM

I generally like the gameplay on SS, hardcore simulation once slowed down a bit. It's not a revolution in sports gaming, but it is enough of an improvement for someone like me who had a lot of fun with '13. Teammate AI is definitely still lacking, but I'll give it a pass for this gen, and bring out the heavy criticism if it's not much better next gen.

I think the default shot power is set too high. Some of the laser beam wrist shots and snap shot have enough mustard on them to exit Earth's orbit if nothing stops them.

Only simmed one Be a Gm season so far. Scoring seemed a little low. Stamkos led the league in points with 94, but was the only one in the 90's, and there were only about three or four others in the 80 point range. The top goal scorer was Patrick Hornqvist with 37. But it was a small sample size, and I noticed some stars like Ovechkin and Cosby missed a good chunk of games and were trending over a point per game pace. Not a big deal.

The new little changed to line management are great, and the twitter feed in the news is a welcome small detail.

Interesting detail that only interests me is it seems in Be a Gm they have a grandfather clause for visors on rookies. Many of the CHL prospects, when you go in to edit them, have a reebok helmet, and no visor. However, play them on your AHL or NHL team and they'll be wearing a visor despite not having one assigned in their equipment options.

# 44 Fiddy @ 09/07/13 09:47 AM

I just played EASHL games yesterday/last night.

I sent my 5year old son to a football game with his Pap and Nana. Lol.

Quick impressions from my phone.

Skating is 100% better. If you don't think so then I don't know what to tell ya. Skating as a d man backing out of the zone is smooth now. Not herky jerky like last year.

CPU AI IMO is a bit smarter in D zone but not much better than NHL 13. They are much better at passing the puck and not having to call for it. They are really solid on PP positionally.

Per usual, same goals, same shots, etc. IMO 100x easier to score. Why? Bc with the ones I just mentioned the one timers are back and they back big time.

Goalie animations seem improved but more of the same there IMO.

Fighting etc while neat at first, needs toned down. Every hit don't need to result in a fight.

Also. Again like last year the EASHL played great first 5 to 10 games. After that it seemed that the more we leveled up our player, the worst the fan felt. I dunno. Weird.

Face off spam online. Same as last year. Terrible.

# 45 CarryTheWeight @ 09/07/13 09:57 AM

I only played one offline game last night so don't take my impressions as gospel (since most of the games I play in the NHL series turn out different each time).

I'm not that impressed. I like it, just not as much as I should be. Maybe the minor tweaks are a bit too minor...even for this longtime, hardcore hockey fan. It's very similar to last year's game, which, in many respects is a good thing. It's just lacking a lot of polish and diversity.

I'm going to agree with everyone about presentation. Next-gen is the perfect opportunity for this team to go all-out in that regard. The gameplay's pretty much there, now add some presentational authenticity and drama to non-playoff games. Get TSN, Hockey Night in Canada and/or NBC Sports Network branded games. I wouldn't mind keeping Gary and Bill as long as there could be another commentary team or network to switch things up and keep things fresh from game to game. We're switching to Blu-ray on both next-gen consoles, so why not add tons more content?

Player faces are absolutely awful. No excuse as to why a game that once had every player authentically represented on last-gen is so inaccurate now. I understand the development team prefers to scan players in instead of using photos, but why a game like NBA can get nearly every player in the league, including backups and long-time free agents to look decent and NHL can't is a bit silly. FIFA has this same issue, but it's understood considering there's nearly 10,000 players. NHL doesn't have to be 100% accurate with every league but at least make every NHL regular look 90-95% like their real-life counterparts.

I've found the new fighting engine relies mostly on stick skills and isn't as fresh, strategic or revolutionary as advertised. I was able to win all of my fights simply by repeatedly flicking my right analog stick and using the dodge/block function minimally, and this was on All-Star using the default Hardcore Simulation sliders. Fortunately, I have seen a few instigator penalties, so that's indeed in there. Only in certain situations, though, like if you hit a player and start a fight with him afterward or if you shoot the puck at the goalie after the whistle. Love the details after fights like bruises and such, but I think they're a bit overdone considering we don't see them after every fight in the real league. Once in a while would be all right.

Interesting thing to note is that after a fight with Steve Ott, Joffrey Lupul ended up being injured for the rest of the game and the commentators mentioned this. I haven't looked at the demo impressions thread very much so I'm not sure if it's a common happening, but it's an interesting and unpredictable addition.

I like the minor additions to BAGM including the fact that goaltenders actually rotate and supposedly get injured once in a while. Good news, especially for people who simulate. All I'm hoping is that this mode gets a once-over on next-gen. Maybe a FIFA-like global scouting system could work so that you can acquire players from world and junior leagues...maybe even licensing individual college teams/conferences and making their rosters editable like in the NCAA series could work as well.

I'm tired of the NHL and AHL seasons happening in a bubble during BAGM. Why don't we have real-time stats from junior, European and International competitions? Why can't we play as a GM in the junior or European leagues in addition to the NHL? This is what makes games like EA's own FIFA and NCAA series a lot of fun. We should have the freedom to do all that. But I'll save that for a wishlist thread.

Finally, I'm not sure if I'm awful at the game or if my rebuilding Sabres team is (probably both considering how they were last season) but I'm struggling to score on good scoring chances while the AI seems to bury every awful shot they take. I know, real life often operates the same way but it's often tough to mount a decent attack. I find this happens in certain FIFA games as well, but in others it's ridiculously easy to score. I don't know. As I said before, the game has a level of unpredictability sometimes.

Anyway, I liked 13 but 14 isn't exactly astounding in terms of improvement. Yes, it has improved in certain areas and remained awfully stagnant in others...but it's still pretty solid. Regardless, EA's Season Ticket is one of the best deals in console gaming today. Yes, they're still getting their money but it's saved me even more the past few years.

# 46 Nomah5 @ 09/07/13 12:01 PM

Hey guys what is this so called online face off spam you refer too? I play mostly online but never heard that phrase before. Sorry if this isn't an impression...

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

# 47 Cletus @ 09/07/13 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nomah5


	Hey guys what is this so called online face off spam you refer too? I play mostly online but never heard that phrase before. Sorry if this isn't an impression... Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

It's where you change grips constantly on the faceoff.

# 48 jyoung @ 09/07/13 02:40 PM

So Be a Pro goalie is still ridiculously unfair and unfun.

Your AI defenders play some of the worst defense I've ever seen. They will chase the CPU puck carrier around the entire defensive zone trailing behind him, then let him skate into the slot and shoot from point blank range.

Repeat that scenario about 15 times a game and you just have no chance in net.

On offense, you're lucky if your teammates can manage 10 shots a game. Most possessions, they just skate around the perimeter and pass it around until there's a turnover.

Be A Pro goalie really exposes how awful the AI is in this game.

# 49 canucksss @ 09/07/13 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyoung


	So Be a Pro goalie is still ridiculously unfair and unfun. Your AI defenders play some of the worst defense I've ever seen. They will chase the CPU puck carrier around the entire defensive zone trailing behind him, then let him skate into the slot and shoot from point blank range. Repeat that scenario about 15 times a game and you just have no chance in net. On offense, you're lucky if your teammates can manage 10 shots a game. Most possessions, they just skate around the perimeter and pass it around until there's a turnover. Be A Pro goalie really exposes how awful the AI is in this game.

IF i get this game it is because of this mode, since BaGM is being ignored by EA for so long. May I ask what difficulty are you playing your BAP? Thanks.

# 50 Gagnon39 @ 09/07/13 03:08 PM

After quite a few more games I can draw a more better conclusion.

As a long-time NHL and NHL video game fan I can say without a doubt that this game is better than NHL 13. And with that being said there's no doubt in my mind, with all things considered that its the best hockey game I've ever played. Now, before you think that I am giving the game the highest praise, let's slow down.

The game could be a lot better. In many, many areas. But the total package (we forget how revolutionary the skill stick was/is) is light years ahead of what we were playing 4-5 years ago.

The things I like are the improved skating. In my opinion it is much more realistic. And the hits, while maybe a little much are so much better than last year's bumper car player we had where hits would not even initiate. Now you actually have to think and tell yourself, if I fly into this player with his back to me, I'm going to get a penalty. If you think the boarding penalties are excessive its because of your gamestyle. You're not playing a realistic game of hockey if you try to crush everyone from behind on the boards.

The CPU passing, while still too accurate seems to be toned down just a hair. Which is good. And the goal variety seems to be good. I haven't finished a full season on an NHL game since NHL 10, but this may be the year that I do it again. So far so good.

# 51 jyoung @ 09/07/13 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canucksss


	IF i get this game it is because of this mode, since BaGM is being ignored by EA for so long. May I ask what difficulty are you playing your BAP? Thanks.

Default rookie settings.

There's no reason to bother with this game if you want to play goalie offline. The AI is just as bad as in previous versions of EA NHL.

EASHL and OTP remain the only way to enjoy playing goalie.

# 52 ComaFaction @ 09/07/13 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyoung


	Default rookie settings. There's no reason to bother with this game if you want to play goalie offline. The AI is just as bad as in previous versions of EA NHL. EASHL and OTP remain the only way to enjoy playing goalie.

Try All Star or Superstar and see if that helps.

# 53 adayinthelife @ 09/07/13 03:50 PM

Hoping to post full impressions when I have some more time tomorrow, but I just wanted to point out that it feels like the sliders have a bit more impact this year.

I've started messing around with them, and it just feels like I'm getting better results easier than in years past. I could be crazy and it could just be the result of new tweaks they've made, but that's the impression I've had thus far and I'm quite happy about it. Anyone else have comments on their slider experiences so far?

# 54 jyoung @ 09/07/13 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ComaFaction


	Try All Star or Superstar and see if that helps.

I've tried the higher difficulties and it doesn't make any difference for my team. It just makes the other team even better shooters and passers.

# 55 jyoung @ 09/07/13 04:48 PM

OK what the hell, I just got sent down to the minors to start season 2 of my skater career after posting 100+ points, wining the Stanlely Cup, the Conn Smythe, the Rocket Richard, the Art Ross, the Calder, the Hart, and the Lady Byng the previous season.

We finished the preseason undefeated and I had 20 points in those games.

Why on earth would I get sent down? This has to be a prescripted event in Live the Life mode or something. Makes no sense unless it was coded to happen to every skater at the start of year 2.

# 56 onlybygrace @ 09/07/13 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jyoung


	OK what the hell, I just got sent down to the minors to start season 2 of my skater career after posting 100+ points, wining the Stanlely Cup, the Conn Smythe, the Rocket Richard, the Art Ross, the Calder, the Hart, and the Lady Byng the previous season. We finished the preseason undefeated and I had 20 points in those games. Why on earth would I get sent down? This has to be a prescripted event in Live the Life mode or something. Makes no sense unless it was coded to happen to every skater at the start of year 2.

Maybe you had an off ice incident...a drug rehab stint...I dunno. None of this is suprising anymore.

# 57 jyoung @ 09/07/13 04:59 PM

I have a 100 rating in all four categories (fans, teamates, management, family), so it wasn't an off-ice issue.

The message told me was that they were "disappointed with my performance" and were sending me down for underperforming.

I guess 20 points and an undefeated preseason just wasn't enough for the game. Not to mention the previous season with all the awards and 100+ points.

The only explanation is that it must be a prescripted event that happens in season 2 automatically.

# 58 Perfect Zero @ 09/07/13 05:39 PM

Since I have Season Ticket, I thought I would give the game a try. I like hockey, but I used to follow the Brahmas and the CHL a lot more than the NHL. With the Brahmas folding, it looks like I'm going to be following the Stars more often. In any case, I like the game of Hockey, but I'm not at the level of knowledge as I am with Baseball, so bear with me.

First of all, the game looks solid from a graphic standpoint. It helps that the NHL is the best dressed professional league, but everything comes off crisp and the textures look really good. My first game was Dallas vs. Winnipeg which ended up being a 1-0 loss for me (DAL) late in the third. There were problems with the game slowing down in the second period and not being very responsive. That kind of happened a little bit in the second game where I got creamed as Pittsburgh against the Islanders 4-0, but I'm thinking that it might have been the download.

The passing game is really killing me right now, and I'm having trouble setting up plays. I don't know if this is a buy from me or not now.

# 59 jyoung @ 09/07/13 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cletus


	It's where you change grips constantly on the faceoff.

You can beat a face off spammer pretty easily by doing a forehand stick lift. Just make sure to time it early to compensate for the lag.

# 60 Nomah5 @ 09/07/13 08:59 PM

Pardon my ignorance but this faceoff spam... What would my opponent be doing on his end to "cheat" and win faceoffs? I guess I have never really seen that big of a discrepancy on faceoffs last year when playing online.

« Previous 1 234 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Next »

More Links

NHL 14 Available Now - Post Your Impressions Here