NHL 17 News Post

NHL 17 Review

03:42 PM - September 10, 2016 by Steve_OS

The transition of EA Sports' NHL series to the current generation of consoles has been a storied tale thus far. We arrive at the third iteration in the cycle with NHL 17, and it finds itself in the fortunate position of being born out of a period of stability. Unlike last year, there are no significant wrongs to be righted, and the outpouring of fan unhappiness stemming back to NHL 15 has all but disappeared. It�s because of this that the shackles of the series have finally been let loose, paving the way for future innovations.

And yet, while NHL 17 is packed with an array of brand-new features and upgrades, it doesn�t feel like a revolutionary moment for the series. Instead, it tinkers with an already successful formula to create a sense of d�j� vu, but one that feels more satisfying this time around.

Read More - NHL 17 Review (Written by: Fraser Gilbert)

Game: NHL 17Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS4 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 5 - View All

NHL 17 Videos

Member Comments

# 1 Quentin32 @ 09/10/16 04:04 PM

What the bleep!!!! This game crept up out of nowhere to me. I don't remember 2k madden Fifa & nhl being this close to each other. I guess 2k f'd everything up by that early release

# 2 Retropyro @ 09/10/16 04:30 PM

I'll wait until it hits the Vault around May. Be A GM Online needs to be brought back before I drop a dime on NHL again.

# 3 buck135 @ 09/10/16 04:58 PM

On YouTube the Bruins goal horn is correct, but the music is absent. This wasn't an issue last year. Does anyone know if or why it isn't there?

# 4 mike24forever @ 09/10/16 06:29 PM

This plays a great game of hockey. Loose pucks, sloppy play, errant passes, etc. I'm happy with the on ice improvements.

# 5 Sparkles @ 09/10/16 08:26 PM

Their marketing team is pretty absent for this release. No hype whatsoever

# 6 franch1se @ 09/10/16 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buck135


	On YouTube the Bruins goal horn is correct, but the music is absent. This wasn't an issue last year. Does anyone know if or why it isn't there?

Seems to be the case for many teams. I play as The Kings and its the same. Correct goal horn, but no song.

# 7 slickdtc @ 09/10/16 09:22 PM

Appreciate the review.

I blew through a season of NHL 16 when I got a PS4 in February, but by the summer the game's flaws were too much to enjoy the game which was a lot of fun the majority of the time.

What I thought the problem was was the lack of full slider customization. I couldn't really open it up as much as I wanted to. I was hoping that the slider adjustments this year would allow me to have a true arcade feel when I wanted that and then switch it up and slow it down when I wanted a more authentic experience.

Sounds like some of the same bang-your-head against the wall moments still occur, which sucks to hear. I know no game can be perfect, so I'm hoping I'll be able to mitigate them with settings sliders and options.

I'm thinking I'll rent this game from Redbox and binge play it for a week or two, then decide whether to buy it outright or sit out another season. Unfortunately, no review can really make that distinction for you besides first hand experience. But it's good to know what to expect going in.

# 8 buck135 @ 09/10/16 09:57 PM

So EA removes the iconic music from each team which is a great part of the hockey experience and they stick garbage songs throughout the menu screens. Terrific.

# 9 Millennium @ 09/10/16 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buck135


	So EA removes the iconic music from each team which is a great part of the hockey experience and they stick garbage songs throughout the menu screens. Terrific.

Goal songs are there - seems to be a bug for certain teams.

# 10 OliDegu2008 @ 09/10/16 10:48 PM

I think I will pass this year given the review. Not that I was expecting anything revolutionary but was looking for a little more.

# 11 MizzouRah @ 09/11/16 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Millennium


	Goal songs are there - seems to be a bug for certain teams.

Yeah.. bug.. the Blues have their song.

# 12 Fraser G. @ 09/11/16 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slickdtc


	Appreciate the review. I blew through a season of NHL 16 when I got a PS4 in February, but by the summer the game's flaws were too much to enjoy the game which was a lot of fun the majority of the time. What I thought the problem was was the lack of full slider customization. I couldn't really open it up as much as I wanted to. I was hoping that the slider adjustments this year would allow me to have a true arcade feel when I wanted that and then switch it up and slow it down when I wanted a more authentic experience. Sounds like some of the same bang-your-head against the wall moments still occur, which sucks to hear. I know no game can be perfect, so I'm hoping I'll be able to mitigate them with settings sliders and options. I'm thinking I'll rent this game from Redbox and binge play it for a week or two, then decide whether to buy it outright or sit out another season. Unfortunately, no review can really make that distinction for you besides first hand experience. But it's good to know what to expect going in.

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

In regards to your comment about sliders, I'd say this year's game is definitely worth checking out on that basis. If it was your biggest concern with last year's game, you'll be pleasantly surprised at some of the new additions. They've put considerable work into this area.

Whether you can create the exact feel you're hoping to achieve is something only you can determine, however.

# 13 BaylorBearBryant @ 09/11/16 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike24forever


	This plays a great game of hockey. Loose pucks, sloppy play, errant passes, etc. I'm happy with the on ice improvements.

Agreed. There might not be as many bells and whistles, but the game plays great this year.

# 14 kariya05 @ 09/11/16 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike24forever


	This plays a great game of hockey. Loose pucks, sloppy play, errant passes, etc. I'm happy with the on ice improvements.

NHL 16 already had way too much of that. Played like a beer league hockey game. Setting up plays and scoring chances should be what I'm trying to accomplish, not a cross ice pass.

# 15 Pikesburgh @ 09/11/16 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kariya05


	NHL 16 already had way too much of that. Played like a beer league hockey game. Setting up plays and scoring chances should be what I'm trying to accomplish, not a cross ice pass.

That's how real hockey plays though. There's constantly loose pucks going into corners, bouncing pucks that jump over the stick, free for alls in front of the net, hockey really is a sloppy game along the boards and in front of the net. But, thanks to these sliders, you can make magnetic puck control if that's what you prefer. You can make a wild, choppy, physical game if you want. Extremely low scoring with lots of shots, it seems to give you the ability to do anything you want.

To me that's why it's worth buying. I plan on creating the 2000 style of hockey. Big hits, bit of a low scoring game (2-1, 3-2 type games), lots of scrums in the corner and in front of the net over loose pucks. Gonna edit down the 4th liners as well so there's a higher difference between player skill.

# 16 snc237 @ 09/11/16 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kariya05


	NHL 16 already had way too much of that. Played like a beer league hockey game. Setting up plays and scoring chances should be what I'm trying to accomplish, not a cross ice pass.

Maybe if your more casual of a player. As for I a persons that puts in about 400 games online across the game modes I love when it's more sloppy. Once you get use to the game, and face top ranked people in the world everything is tape to to tape and more so automatic.

# 17 cuoreceltico @ 09/12/16 07:28 AM

The story of this series, the most exciting game became the most ignored game...end of the story

# 18 Millennium @ 09/12/16 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cuoreceltico


	The story of this series, the most exciting game became the most ignored game...end of the story

Doesn't seem like a story, seems like one line that doesn't make a ton of sense.

Care to elaborate a bit so we understand your point of view?

# 19 buck135 @ 09/12/16 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Millennium


	Doesn't seem like a story, seems like one line that doesn't make a ton of sense. Care to elaborate a bit so we understand your point of view?

The NHL series used to be great, especially on the PS2. The gameplay has been terrible on the current gen until, according to the reviews, this year. Madden, Fifa, MLB the Show and NBA 2K all improve every year. EA puts no money into this game. Getting roster updates is almost impossible yet Madden has new lines of dialogue implemented every week. They are only adding features each year that have been there before and selling them as new.

This may sound trivial to most of you, but the removal of the team specific music this year (they were all in the game last year) really bums me out. I'm still picking the game up tomorrow since the reviews are good, but my expectations aren't as high as I'd like.

# 20 Bleak5170 @ 09/12/16 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buck135


	The NHL series used to be great, especially on the PS2. The gameplay has been terrible on the current gen until, according to the reviews, this year. Madden, Fifa, MLB the Show and NBA 2K all improve every year. EA puts no money into this game. Getting roster updates is almost impossible yet Madden has new lines of dialogue implemented every week. They are only adding features each year that have been there before and selling them as new. This may sound trivial to most of you, but the removal of the team specific music this year (they were all in the game last year) really bums me out. I'm still picking the game up tomorrow since the reviews are good, but my expectations aren't as high as I'd like.

Ugh so true. The roster updates in the NHL series are terrible. It's no secret that EA spends a lot less on this series than they do the others, (and it's understandable when you compare sales numbers). I almost feel sorry for the NHL devs considering what they're given to work with.

I'm holding off on the game this year because it really seems like you don't need it if you have 16. I want to be "wowed" when playing an NHL game like I am when I pop in NBA 2K.

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