NHL 15 News Post

NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

09:44 PM - August 25, 2014 by Steve_OS

The NHL 15 demo is available now on Xbox Live for Xbox One users. PlayStation 4 users can expect the demo tomorrow afternoon when the PSN Store updates with new titles.

UPDATE: The NHL 15 demo is now available for PlayStation 4 users. If you can't find it, click this link.

Some have had luck going to "New Demos" all the way over to the right. Games>New>Demos>New Demos (all the way over to the right) and grab the NHL 15 demo. Thanks @TheFlopfish)

The demo weighs in at 2.58 GB. Here are the details.

New York Rangers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Full game with three two-minute periods
Play in Madison Square Garden or Staples Center
Gameplay Camera Angles: Dynamic Low, Dynamic Medium, and Dynamic High
Practice Mode: Master the Superstar Skill Stick with a free skate against a goalie
Difficulty Settings: Rookie, Pro, All-Star

If you can't find it, try searching for it with Bing.

Play a few games and let us know what you think of this year's NHL title on Xbox One!

Game: NHL 15Reader Score: 6.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 16 - View All

NHL 15 Videos

Member Comments

# 301 GROGtheNailer @ 08/28/14 03:17 PM

I am curious as to why the demo time is set to 2 min/periods, it is so disruptive when trying to gauge the game itself. Just odd choice imo.

I will buy the game based off from what ive seen so far, I do like some aspects and want to explore what sort of game we can tweak out.

# 302 NYRangers31 @ 08/28/14 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GROGtheNailer


	I am curious as to why the demo time is set to 2 min/periods, it is so disruptive when trying to gauge the game itself. Just odd choice imo. I will buy the game based off from what ive seen so far, I do like some aspects and want to explore what sort of game we can tweak out.

The 2 minute periods really don't help their cause. It's too short to get anything going and too short to judge how the game is going to play in full. Would rather just have one longer period than this.

# 303 centauris @ 08/28/14 09:48 PM

Did EA update any demo tuners?

i played like 20 games and didn't get 1 powerplay.

got 3 powerplays in two games today.

I also noticed that the refs don't raise their arms when there is a penalty. lame

# 304 jaiman @ 08/29/14 12:16 AM

You can pull your goalie on the fly by hitting L1 and the trackpad on PS4... for those that thought they removed it.

# 305 venga @ 08/29/14 02:32 AM

{PS4} Please stop saying graphics are "great" or even "good" : this is definitely 720p w/smoothing filters !

Only NBC presentation is 1080p.

First i thought i was still on PS360.

This is EA...

# 306 gopher_guy @ 08/29/14 02:53 AM

Just got my xb1 today.

God, the game looks great on next gen.

Didn't get NHL 14, so this is an insta-buy.

Had fun with the demo.

# 307 Battman @ 08/29/14 03:27 AM

Played it yesterday and didn't like it at all: I won 4:3, 7 goals of which I saw none going in and had to wait for the reaction to know it was a goal. The default cam angle or the zoom (or both?) are horrible. The comnentators sometimes react with a delay when you have scored a goal. The graphics did not impress me either.
And the worst: The switch player button (R2) sometimes does not react properly. Two of three goals against me were caused by this: I just could not switch to the player closest to the puck.
Never had this problem in any other version.

For me the demo feels rushed. Will not buy the game.

# 308 18 eighty 5 @ 08/29/14 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keirik


	What drives me nuts is that the cpu doesnt have to follow the same player physics or momentum. They react instantaneously to loose pucks without a nano second of hesitation that a human will have. To make matters worse, my cpu teammates have the hesitation that the cpu opposition doesnt, so it seems to be there lol.

Agree. This is heritage chEAse for this series playing against the CPU.

# 309 Battman @ 08/29/14 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 18 eighty 5


	Agree. This is heritage chEAse for this series playing against the CPU.

Don't worry. FIFA has the same problems.

# 310 Smirkin Dirk @ 08/29/14 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battman


	Don't worry. FIFA has the same problems.

Having played both, FIFA's is much worse.

It cheats.

# 311 Battman @ 08/29/14 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hot Kidd


	Having played both, FIFA's is much worse. It cheats.

You're definitely right.

# 312 gopher_guy @ 08/29/14 12:46 PM

Just noticed they have all the refs on the ice, cool.

# 313 bigwill33 @ 08/29/14 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hockeynut99


	Lol you got all this from playing a demo. Wow. Well looks like you will be saving $69. 😉

I know you were saying that somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but yeah, I got all of that from the demo. The demo and the last 5 years of playing NHL.

I don't post this stuff to pile on a game or convince people not to buy it. That is not my agenda. These are issues that I would like to see be addressed and possibly fixed. If people do not point out these issues then they are likely to remain untouched for another half of a decade. And when you play this game as much as some of us do your fun with it is quickly hampered by the shortcomings that have been around for so long. Some of which are possibly easy fixes that are just never prioritized.

There are plenty of people that play this game casually or have picked up this demo and are blown away. That is great for them. But for those of us who live, work, and play hockey as much as I do I want us to also be blown away in a good way.

I am still going to use my 6 hours to decide if this is a first day pickup for me this year. If it is not then I still may get it via the secondary market. That is my call. Just as it is for every individual to decide what is best for them. If I do pick it up I will hope to make use of the new video and photo features in the newest generation of consoles to better illustrate my points of what needs to be worked on in this game, however.

# 314 m_maclean24 @ 08/29/14 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigwill33


	I know you were saying that somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but yeah, I got all of that from the demo. The demo and the last 5 years of playing NHL. I don't post this stuff to pile on a game or convince people not to buy it. That is not my agenda. These are issues that I would like to see be addressed and possibly fixed. If people do not point out these issues then they are likely to remain untouched for another half of a decade. And when you play this game as much as some of us do your fun with it is quickly hampered by the shortcomings that have been around for so long. Some of which are possibly easy fixes that are just never prioritized. There are plenty of people that play this game casually or have picked up this demo and are blown away. That is great for them. But for those of us who live, work, and play hockey as much as I do I want us to also be blown away in a good way. I am still going to use my 6 hours to decide if this is a first day pickup for me this year. If it is not then I still may get it via the secondary market. That is my call. Just as it is for every individual to decide what is best for them. If I do pick it up I will hope to make use of the new video and photo features in the newest generation of consoles to better illustrate my points of what needs to be worked on in this game, however.

I can appreciate what you're saying. I love that there are people who put forward these concerns...for myself, I've learned to love the games for what they are...but there certainly needs to be someone out there who sees what needs to be improved, logs it, and makes it available for the team at EA- which you attempted to do during the "ask me anything" thread.

For a change though, I'm wondering if there is any improvement that you do see within the demo? I know for me, as a strictly offline player, I have seen some change in the AI, and it's not a figment of my imagination. ..I have seen the cpu make plays that I would never have seen in NHL 14.

I'm not asking to give you a hard time, I'm asking because I like the opinions you've posted before.

# 315 bigwill33 @ 08/29/14 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m_maclean24


	I can appreciate what you're saying. I love that there are people who put forward these concerns...for myself, I've learned to love the games for what they are...but there certainly needs to be someone out there who sees what needs to be improved, logs it, and makes it available for the team at EA- which you attempted to do during the "ask me anything" thread. For a change though, I'm wondering if there is any improvement that you do see within the demo? I know for me, as a strictly offline player, I have seen some change in the AI, and it's not a figment of my imagination. ..I have seen the cpu make plays that I would never have seen in NHL 14. I'm not asking to give you a hard time, I'm asking because I like the opinions you've posted before.

Certainly, and it is important to point out what is good with the game as well. I often say this about games; if you like a game and are not seeing issues then it is probably best to stay away from the message boards after release. There is a lot of negativity on places like this. But a good bit of it is just. It just may ruin what you are noticing in your game if you had not yet encountered the bugs or issues that other point out.

It is like a chip in your paint on your car. Once you notice it you can't go back. Other people may not see it or it may not be important to them, but it might bug you each and every time you look at your car.

That being said, here are the positives that I posted from my initial night with the demo from this thread:

Positives:
-I really like the flyovers and new presentation with the NBC overlays and such. Adds much life and depth for me.

-Hits were not as over the top as I had feared they would be, but they weren't great either.

-Goal horns are a great touch.

-Pucks are more alive and sloppy plays do happen. The puck rolling on end is beautiful. Some more sloppy goals do occur as a result, which is much needed. Also neat to see a puck jump over a stick.

-Backhanders are lethal again. They were nearly neutralized the last 2 years. They are almost too powerful with how easily they are elevated.

-I wasn't forced into any fights as a result of big hits.

-Catching a d-man flat footed as you change direction with an attacking player is a great feeling.

-You can really get the goalie down and out with dekes if you do them right, but this is also a negative to an extent.

-Ice degradation is good to see. The snow piles up in practice mode. And the clean shave for the shootout is subtle, but a good detail.

-The CPU players skate a bit more realistically now. You don't see as much of the skating with the width of their blades or turn arounds in their own zone when trapped and then a sideways movement that is impossible on skates and a super pass out of danger. You can trap them and force turnovers.

-The CPU speed cheat seems to be a tad turned down as well. But I am sure one tuner set could set this back to crap.

-Doughty is a beast! If someone carries the puck near him it is now your puck haha. He truly feels different than every other defenseman in the game. This is a good thing.

-Poke checking is for real, probably over powered though. If you don't like being poke checked spammed you will not care for this.

-The "tying up" that plagued this game for years isn't prevalent in this version so far to me. Not sure if it was removed, but boy I hope so. Nothing more stupid than having some unrealistic suction preventing you from moving in front of the net. Boxing out is one thing, but what was programmed into this game was not hockey! Hopefully it is gone and not just a case of the CPU unwilling to do it to other CPU players.

In addition to those; I do like how the CPU will gain the blue line and then dump the puck in when needed. This is better than carrying and getting creamed as they would in the past. It is also more realistic. You will now see the AI skate over the line one or two steps and then when the gap is closed by a defender they chip it past them or fly a cross-corner dump in and allow the far side wing to attack, or they will go for their line change. Much improved.

The AI seems to pick up on repeated cycling. They don't stay in the middle and just give you the boards the entire time. After two or three reverses when you are low and in the attacking zone a defender will eventually close in and try and anticipate the puck being slid around the boards again for the cycle.

I don't see as much of the automatic fly clears on the PK by the CPU. The one where if they gain possession in their own zone while killing a penalty they immediately lift the puck for a perfect full ice clear every time. It is still there and happens a tad too much, but the CPU will now also use a slap clear more often as well as pass it out or skate it out if the chance is there. And unlike before, I seem to be able to break up some of the clears with a higher success rate than in years past. Meaning, I might knock a puck down before it leaves the zone and then I have an advantage in the offensive zone. The game needs this kind of random and sloppy action at times.

# 316 Qb @ 08/29/14 03:18 PM

In my hour or so with the demo, something I saw from the CPU I like is their desire to create chances at the net. The last year I played a lot against the CPU was NHL13, but I remember the CPU being much more perimeter-oriented, content to pass it around with a high cycle and shoot from the blueline.

Now they seem to want to work the puck lower in the zone and will take any chance to carry or pass it to the net. Of course, some of that is due to some lackluster help D, but the offensive aggressiveness itself is good. And when I was able to keep everyone in position, the CPU would then start to move the puck around until something opened up.

I'm hoping to get a lot more time in this weekend. Initially, I like the revamped skating & stickhandling, getting closer to lifelike. It still produces some weird actions, but both are more deliberate and "stiffer" as someone said early on. Hopefully they keep it that way and don't give in to calls for more "responsiveness". And as I said above, the AI on both sides seems more net-focused in chance creation.

It's disappointing to see the CPU still give up the neutral zone & blueline so often, and in some cases when they shouldn't. Seeing two D-men backskate to the faceoff circles when an unsupported puck carrier comes at them is so frustrating. It's one thing with even numbers at speed or certainly on an odd-man rush, but more situational aggression from the D and, this part usually isn't discussed, more backside pressure from the forwards are sorely needed.

They've been able to put up a decent forecheck since '13, but that doesn't seem to happen further up the ice. A lot of times, it's like the CPU just retreats once you reach the NZ, rather than challenging as a unit to force turnovers and dump-ins. Some of this is related to strategies -- the 1-2-2 blue causes the D to sink back too much -- and settings -- cranking aggression to 5 or 6 does help -- but I fear some of it is just by design.

# 317 m_maclean24 @ 08/29/14 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigwill33


	Certainly, and it is important to point out what is good with the game as well. I often say this about games; if you like a game and are not seeing issues then it is probably best to stay away from the message boards after release. There is a lot of negativity on places like this. But a good bit of it is just. It just may ruin what you are noticing in your game if you had not yet encountered the bugs or issues that other point out. It is like a chip in your paint on your car. Once you notice it you can't go back. Other people may not see it or it may not be important to them, but it might bug you each and every time you look at your car. That being said, here are the positives that I posted from my initial night with the demo from this thread: Positives: -I really like the flyovers and new presentation with the NBC overlays and such. Adds much life and depth for me. -Hits were not as over the top as I had feared they would be, but they weren't great either. -Goal horns are a great touch. -Pucks are more alive and sloppy plays do happen. The puck rolling on end is beautiful. Some more sloppy goals do occur as a result, which is much needed. Also neat to see a puck jump over a stick. -Backhanders are lethal again. They were nearly neutralized the last 2 years. They are almost too powerful with how easily they are elevated. -I wasn't forced into any fights as a result of big hits. -Catching a d-man flat footed as you change direction with an attacking player is a great feeling. -You can really get the goalie down and out with dekes if you do them right, but this is also a negative to an extent. -Ice degradation is good to see. The snow piles up in practice mode. And the clean shave for the shootout is subtle, but a good detail. -The CPU players skate a bit more realistically now. You don't see as much of the skating with the width of their blades or turn arounds in their own zone when trapped and then a sideways movement that is impossible on skates and a super pass out of danger. You can trap them and force turnovers. -The CPU speed cheat seems to be a tad turned down as well. But I am sure one tuner set could set this back to crap. -Doughty is a beast! If someone carries the puck near him it is now your puck haha. He truly feels different than every other defenseman in the game. This is a good thing. -Poke checking is for real, probably over powered though. If you don't like being poke checked spammed you will not care for this. -The "tying up" that plagued this game for years isn't prevalent in this version so far to me. Not sure if it was removed, but boy I hope so. Nothing more stupid than having some unrealistic suction preventing you from moving in front of the net. Boxing out is one thing, but what was programmed into this game was not hockey! Hopefully it is gone and not just a case of the CPU unwilling to do it to other CPU players. In addition to those; I do like how the CPU will gain the blue line and then dump the puck in when needed. This is better than carrying and getting creamed as they would in the past. It is also more realistic. You will now see the AI skate over the line one or two steps and then when the gap is closed by a defender they chip it past them or fly a cross-corner dump in and allow the far side wing to attack, or they will go for their line change. Much improved. The AI seems to pick up on repeated cycling. They don't stay in the middle and just give you the boards the entire time. After two or three reverses when you are low and in the attacking zone a defender will eventually close in and try and anticipate the puck being slid around the boards again for the cycle. I don't see as much of the automatic fly clears on the PK by the CPU. The one where if they gain possession in their own zone while killing a penalty they immediately lift the puck for a perfect full ice clear every time. It is still there and happens a tad too much, but the CPU will now also use a slap clear more often as well as pass it out or skate it out if the chance is there. And unlike before, I seem to be able to break up some of the clears with a higher success rate than in years past. Meaning, I might knock a puck down before it leaves the zone and then I have an advantage in the offensive zone. The game needs this kind of random and sloppy action at times.

Very well said. I am not the type where coming on a board like this would ruin the game for me - I love to hear what other people notice, good and bad, and obviously I want to see us get the best game possible.

I am wondering, what camera/settings do you use when you are playing the demo?

I mentioned this in another thread I think, but I switched to the true broadcast view two nights ago, and I have been seeing some little things happen that I never picked up on before (admittedly I think most of them are due to the better puck physics, rather than drastically improved AI). Now maybe it's just the fact that the camera angle is different that gives it such a better feel, as I'd only used the default camera in NHL 14, but the more I play it the more I am seeing little improvements that are making me somewhat intrigued with what we might be able to do if the sliders are effective this year.

# 318 MachoMyers @ 08/29/14 03:50 PM

I went from being totally dismissive of this game to being almost certain I will preorder it. I enjoyed the 4 demo games I played with the computer as I aggressively went for penalties slowing the clock down to add to the game but the user vs user games I played were fantastic and were the most fun I had playing a hockey game since 2k10.

I'm hoping the variety in franchise mode with presentation features matches that of Madden and keeps you engrossed this year. If it does this and NBA could be my go to games for the season.

# 319 jwilphl @ 08/29/14 04:43 PM

Having played the demo, this is a no go for me. The gameplay feels extremely similar to NHL '12. I'm not sure I buy that they built this from the ground up, unless they recycled a ton of code. I don't see a ton of evolution here. Granted the changes may be more subtle than which I can flesh out in 2 minute periods. The animations are certainly much better, and I'm sure there are some things I'm missing in the demo, but I don't see enough to convince me to buy it. Although my larger concerns are a bare-bones GM mode, which is basically the only mode I even play.

The presentation is looking much better, but the in-game commentary is simply drab for some reason. It doesn't "sound" like a TV-game at all. When I win, the crowd just sits there and looks bored. They don't sound very lively. Using real footage was something I brought up probably five years ago so they didn't have to spend time rendering everything. It is nice to finally see it in a sports game.

There are also some odd cut-scenes where players on the bench are all in the same pose, have the same blank stare, or move like robots, etc. I haven't seen an EA sports game with polish in a long time; it seems they always have trouble with the details. Perhaps I sound overly critical of the game to some, but with less time to devote to gaming in general, I'd rather spend that more limited time on a truly quality experience. I'd also rather support games when I can embrace their vision.

That said, I've seen some encouraging signs that both NHL and Madden may have some sort of vision for the future now; it just comes down to implementation. My confidence in EA as a brand is at an all-time low, so I'm much more hesitant to buy their products nowadays as compared to the past.

# 320 jyoung @ 08/29/14 05:01 PM

The more I play this demo, the more I just shake my head at the AI's decision making:

The AI just steps up way too often now when you're rushing at them.

Because of that new tendency, I've been getting more breakways and odd man chances in this demo than any NHL game I have ever played.

Maybe Superstar difficulty will be better in the retail game? All-Star Hardcore is just way too easy to score on.

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