NHL 15 Overview (Xbox One)

Pros

Excellent new visuals; solid gameplay; puck and collision physics show promise.

Cons

Minimal value, both online and offline; shoddy commentary implementation; missing basic options and features hurt big time.

Bottom Line

NHL 15 is missing too much to recommend to anyone but the most ardent diehards.

5.5

out of 10

NHL 15 REVIEW

NHL 15 Review (Xbox One)

Submitted on: Sep 12, 2014 by Glenn Wigmore

NHL 15 on Xbox One and PS4 has presented me with one of the biggest cases of cognitive dissonance I've had in some time. From one perspective, it looks better than it ever has before, and it plays very well. From another point of view, it provides no meaningful ways to enjoy the game, offline or online. Sure, there are a handful of modes to be found in NHL 15, but when you consider the plethora of options that users have had before now, it just leaves a real bad taste.

Bottom line: this game isn't worth full price.

Believe me when I tell you that this isn't what I wanted to say about NHL 15. Like many others, I was jazzed about the awesome reveal trailers and even the slightly buggy showing at this year's E3. I kept on telling people: "Be excited."

I did this because I saw some great presentation in the trailers, and I enjoyed what I played at E3. I had no doubt that they would include many — if not all — of the standard modes. Well, I was half right. The gameplay, to an extent, and the presentation provide some next-gen sizzle and fill me with hope for where the franchise could go in a few years, but the lack of modes is just so mind-boggling that it almost drives me to cynicism.

I could be angry and say that the game's inclusion of HUT mode but none of its other tent-pole experiences seems calculated and cold. I could say that neglecting the online components seems like a complete misread of today's gaming landscape. I could even say that the absence of basic features — player creation, proper simulation features (Be-A-Pro, Be-A-GM), All-Star Game, Three Stars, Winter Classic and more — presents the game as rushed and haphazard. Maybe some of those things are true. For a company as bruised and battered as EA to take this approach, when they've recently said the contrary, is just crazy.

To be clear: I put this at the doorstep of the higher-ups and corporate paymasters at EA. The hockey dev team is following a schedule. They shouldn't be punished for getting half the resources they need to finish a game. These realities are made all the more galling when you know how much EA makes off of Ultimate Team modes and DLC. Some of this profit needs to be put back into the product; otherwise, that's a dangerous path to go down. Consumers hold sway over a franchise like NHL, as it doesn't have the built-in advantages of a FIFA or even Madden.

Gameplay

The sad thing about all of this is that NHL 15 plays relatively well. To be clear, it’s not a major deviation from what the NHL series has delivered up until this point, but the addition of new puck physics, a weightier pace and an increased separation of upper and lower body on deking makes for a reasonably fresh gameplay experience. The speed of the game has been dialed down a bit, and I found the action satisfying, particularly when I turned the game up to hardcore sliders and superstar difficulty.

As always, the game plays much better when there is human cooperation or competition (which, I guess, means one-on-one online this year), but the AI does show some flash on that higher setting. They will actually possess the puck and move it around in the offensive zone for some one-timer and slot chances, and they even step up to close gaps slightly better than before (but still not enough). Then again, you can cut through the defense fairly easily in certain situations, especially with the new deking allowing for a bit too much control for low-end grinders. It’s not as much of an issue for me, but I can see how it will bother some users. I’ve written before about user input and sports games, and my sentiments still apply here. Vision control, joystick wankery and button spamming are always going to present problems for gameplay, and there’s really just no way around it. I’ve still had competitive games against the AI, and human competition (in its limited form) remains an option.

Some of the gameplay feel does benefit from a few other on-ice additions, including a better net cam, the puck bouncing in and out on goals, four officials on the ice, hybrid icing and an ability to collide with the goalie when crashing the net. These are all fun details on their own, but they each add something subtle to the gameplay that ends up having a meaningful cumulative effect.

Some players will be disappointed that defense and goalies remain relatively unchanged, other than the visual boost they’ve received and a deeper lunge on poke checks for d-men. Defensive strafing and hitting works as it did before, but now hits will cause both players to fall down slightly more often. Goalies have a few new animations, and they will let in a variety of goals thanks to the new puck physics, but they do still have some wandering habits and troublesome short-side animations.

The collision physics on all 12 players creates some oddities, but I do like the feature overall. There is some unpredictability to some sequences in front of the net, and it is amusing that you can take out your own players by losing an edge and bowling them over. But this feature still feels like a first-year effort, to be sure.

Presentation

EA certainly touted the visual and audio upgrades that new hardware afforded, and they also perked some ears with their seemingly unique approach to commentary and game day presentation. Well, I consider the new arenas, crowds and player models to be a success, with a handful of small caveats. The arenas do look tremendous, as they feature great-looking banners, walkways and sightlines that really bring the place to life. Helping with that is the crowd, who has a lot of variety in terms of how they react and how they’re shown. You’ll also see all sorts of custom signs and props, and the explosion of frenzy when a goal is scored carries great emotion. It would be great to see more camera cuts and cutscenes involving the crowd going forward, but this is something that EA definitely did right as is.

The next-generation hockey player, as EA called it, looks quite good, with a meaningful upgrade in detail and a decent number of unique player faces (not everybody, though). Some of the animations are a bit all over the place during transitions, and the improved jersey tech does get into wind-tunnel territory, but I will take the advances the developers have made over where things were.

The game day presentation and new commentary are less of a success. In a basic sense, it’s nice to see fresh blood from the play-by-play of Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk of NBC, and TSN’s Ray Ferraro actually makes the most impact at ice level. Then again, hearing them in action kind of kills the effect, as you’ll hear lots of inaccurate comments, odd exclamations and poor line reads. Even the stitching of the audio is problematic. The NBC broadcast presentation permeates the entire game, and EA had the idea of superimposing the play-by-play guys (via green screen) in front of the various in-game arenas. It’s an interesting idea, but it’s limited by the fact that EA can only record so many versions of New York and LA… or any other team for that matter.

I should point out, too, that the collision physics that are now in the game do create some funny and entertaining sequences, but you will see when playing that they’ve also infused a bunch of awkwardness and jittery transitions during cutscenes and on-ice play.

Offline Modes

The offline selection of modes for NHL 15 is a touch better than the online offerings, but that’s not saying much. Even more problematic is that what’s here has been gutted and altered so much that it’s hard to recognize them from what they were. When modes like Be-A-Pro and Be-A-GM have been relegated to sub-menu status in NHL 14 and before, it’s painful to see them trotted out as “the ways to play the game,” especially when most are shells of their former selves.

When it comes down to it, the options available are HUT, Be-A-Pro and Be-A-GM. There is exhibition mode, which is so standard it’s not even a mode, and NHL Moments Live, but even that is just a novelty. Be-A-Pro is the only “career” equivalent left in the game, and it’s basically dead on arrival when you realize that you can’t edit your player in a meaningful way or play in the minors (you just get placed on a team). You can’t even guarantee a number on a team, as a player already there will take priority. The most damning thing is the inability to simulate to the next shift, which pretty much means you’ll be doing a lot of waiting to finish your games.

Be-A-GM is similarly problematic, with no player drafting, an inability to play with your minor league team, long simulation times and a clunky interface. While new menus help give things a bit more pop in this mode, everything just feels like a mode that wasn’t really ever put in a primetime spot, and now it has to be because there isn’t much else in the game.

Hockey Ultimate Team is also present and accounted for, and it remains more or less in tact, save for the inability to play against friends or in tournaments. The new line editing is definitely problematic, as the lack of “bench” makes it hard to swap out players with ease. While I’m not the biggest HUT fan in the world, I can’t see how a middling version of what’s been there before is going to get too many longtime fans that excited.

Online Modes

The online landscape for NHL 15 is quite barren, as the game limits you to basic one-on-one online play through either exhibition or HUT. As has been well documented, there is no EA Sports Hockey League, GM Connected, Online Team Play or Shootout. As bothersome as some of these bigger omissions are, how is that something as basic as shootout mode hasn’t made the jump to next generation hardware? Was that really so much of a time sink that they couldn’t get it in? Whatever the case, the absence of meaningful ways to play with your friends, either cooperatively or competitively, is just so blatant that it’s tough to really know what to say.

In this day and age, shipping a product that doesn’t have any meaningful way to play with or against your friends (online franchise, league, team play, etc.) just isn’t going to fly. What we’re left with is a one-on-one multiplayer option that admittedly is fun, but even that isn’t perfect. There was a touch of lag when I first played with some users, but this has cleared up for the most part. Also, the usual issue of tuning and penalty sliders comes up, as there really should be an update to add some interference penalties considering all of the collision physics and bumping that now takes place. I’ve had some good matches online, but it really just reminds me of all the fun I’m not having with friends.

Final Thoughts

I wish NHL 15 could’ve been the game that we were all hoping for, but sadly that’s not the case. The new presentation, taken as a whole, adds some much-needed life to the listless proceedings of years gone by, and the gameplay remains enjoyable (especially against humans), but the dearth of modes and copious feature omissions move past the points of “understandable” and “problematic” right on over to “downright troublesome.” If you’re looking for a basic hockey experience that provides some solid gameplay and no frills, I guess this game could work for you. But for everyone else, this is a game that does not — and should not — represent what sports gaming is and can be.

Learning Curve: As usual, EA provides a reasonable selection of control options and difficulty modifiers so that you can find the right gameplay experience for your skill level.

Control Scheme: The NHL 94 button controls remain an option, but the skill stick works well this year, even with slightly different timing on the deking and slapshots.

Visuals: EA has done good work imbuing the players, crowd and arenas of NHL 15 with life and detail, but some odd animations (thanks to collision physics) rear their head. The green screen stuff is also a bit hit-and-miss.

Audio: It's great to have a new commentary team, but I don't think EA has added much when it's really a first-year effort that's only distinguishing factor is that it's new. Music is pretty good this year, and the crowd audio is still great.

Value: There just isn't any — straight up. For offline you've got a handful of also-ran modes (that aren't even what they were), and online is missing the heart and soul of the franchise (EASHL). Other missing features and basic options add to the feeling that this product was rushed and under-resourced.

Score: 5.5 (Average)
What This Score Means

Scoring Note: I took into account where the series had been in the last few years and what was expected in this version. I felt the absolute dearth of features hurt the game so much that it negated many of the positives.

NHL 15 Videos

Member Comments

# 41 ty5oke @ 09/13/14 02:24 AM

Great review. I think I'll wait for the patches to come out before picking this one up.

# 42 gopher_guy @ 09/13/14 02:59 AM

I'd be interested in seeing a review based SOLELY on gameplay. With the lack of game modes taken out of the equation. Personally, this is one of the more fun NHL games I've played.

Maybe the graphics jump (I'm a sucker for graphics) from 360 to XB1 is swaying my opinion, but I'm really enjoying it.

# 43 ChaseB @ 09/13/14 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gopher_guy


	I'd be interested in seeing a review based SOLELY on gameplay. With the lack of game modes taken out of the equation. Personally, this is one of the more fun NHL games I've played. Maybe the graphics jump (I'm a sucker for graphics) from 360 to XB1 is swaying my opinion, but I'm really enjoying it.

I don't think anybody is saying you can't enjoy this game and appreciate what it does without also having fair issues as well. I've liked PLENTY of games that "scored low" and still understood why they were reviewed poorly -- but also still understood why I liked them. A review isn't meant to be an affront to any one person. Rather, it's one person giving a subjective look at a game that hopefully has some objective background in that he or she has played enough of the game to give an educational judgment.

It's why games/books/movies/etc. are great in that while the interactions with the mediums are different and what you get out of each can vary widely, these are still things everybody is going to feel different about because personal experiences, history, biases etc. all play into it.

Getting back to your point about a "strictly gameplay" review though, at some point I think it would just come down to what you're really after by saying something like that. Are you wanting to see a "strictly gameplay" review with a score attached at the end or just a critique/discussion/review of the gameplay with no scores attached? To put it another way, do you want to just have a deep conversation about gameplay, or do you just want to see a higher score that better jives with your experience with the game?

I think wanting a deeper dive on gameplay as just an interested reader is fair to want. If your'e saying, I want a review where person X pretends nothing else exists but the gameplay and here's X score, I think that's sort of unfair to expect from any outlet as it sort of doesn't make sense. There was a point where things were really messy with reviews everywhere -- at least at mainstream places -- where everything was being rated. For example, "Sound" would get 0-10, then "Gameplay" would get 0-10 and so on and so forth and then you still have an overall score at the end, which sometimes was an average of those other categories and sometimes was not.

Point being, I feel like numbers in general are sort of a necessary evil, but it doesn't mean you have to look for that number as validation for the game. The point of a review, at least to me, is at the end of the day provide some insights into the experiences had with the game and how/why it spoke to that person. I'm not going to get anything out of a Consumer Reports review where it just breaks down every feature and so on. (That being said, I do think there's a place for that type of "review" in the industry, it just would need to be the only way a particular publication reviews games so people knew what they were in for when they went there.)

# 44 BMDinTDOT @ 09/13/14 04:30 AM

I haven't bought an EA NHL game since Sega Genesis in 1997. I loved the NHL 2K
series in the 2000's but haven't bought an NHL game since.

Every year I play the EA NHL demo or at a friends house and hated it. Hated the graphics,
hated the game play, hated the controls etc.

With that said I absolutely love the demo on my Xbox 1 and have been addicted. I love the
graphics, game play, controls, presentation and Doc Emrick as a commentator. I plan on getting
this game very soon.

I don't care that those modes are missing because I'm jumping in after a long hiatus and
I usually only play one on one online games anyways. While those modes sound interesting
I know they will be coming soon with a patch.

You can have all the modes with all the bells and whistles in the world but if you have
crappy graphics, gameplay, controls, presentation, commentary etc. like this franchise
has had for so long then none of that stuff really matters.

# 45 Inflict @ 09/13/14 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wiggy


	Well, the PR campaign was more of an admission on their part that there was something to hide (negative stuff), which there was. That didn't directly correlate to score. Every review is in context. To say "expectations" shouldn't factor into it just doesn't hold water with me, as you're basically then talking about reviewing things in a vacuum. All genres of games are compared to their peers in the field. That is in expectation. If someone does something better, then I'm going to call a game out for not doing it as well. NHL has only itself to be compared to at present, and I'm not going to go into an isolation chamber and review a game and not acknowledge what it had done before. This is an existing brand. They don't just get to reboot and throw out everything that made the game enjoyable to so many. I agree with you that the gameplay is very good, and the presentation (mostly) delivers, but this game is about much more than those things. It only works if there are a suite of modes to enjoy it. UFC is not in that situation, as its gameplay is more pivotal since it's a one-on-one game. I expect it to have a better career mode, etc. next time out, but they nailed online play and most of the gameplay this time. Again, it is a first effort. EA MMA was five or six years before, which isn't relevant to this current franchise (made by an entirely different dev team). I agree that FIFA and Madden were more "port-ish" than NHL or UFC, but that doesn't mean that NHL should ship with scores of modes missing and basic features MIA. The whole product was mismanaged, and consumers deserve to be warned against such a cynical release. Again, I love the NHL series, but this one is missing a lot of what makes the brand great. I'm clearly not the only one to be saying this, and I'm not going to give something a pass when it's incomplete. Everyone brings some level of expectation and bias into a review, and to want tabula rasa every time is just not realistic, in my view.

This is not about reviewing a game in a vacuum, but for setting a standard for consistency so that reviews will hold up even a few years down the line. Sometimes it means looking at the bigger picture, and not just as a fervent fan or consumer. It is entirely your right to do so, so there is no argument from me on what you can and can't do. I am just personally not buying that there should be such a big discrepancy between NHL and UFC overall scores based solely on reviewing the game itself.

"They don't just get to reboot and throw out everything that made the game enjoyable to so many"

They've done this before with NHL 07's transition to the previous console generation. They've done it with PGA (PS3/XBOX360), the Sims (most recently), and multiple other brands. It's not unprecedented and the average consumer should have been more aware of this. Bad PR only exacerbated this expectation. A 2 year development cycle (mostly just one actually) for a new next gen game is not going to produce the same quality and quantity of modes as a last gen game from the previous year if it is built on a new engine. I would have been pleasantly surprised if they were able to pull it off however. I'm treading the same ground here, so I will move on.

"EA MMA was five or six years before, which isn't relevant to this current franchise (made by an entirely different dev team)."

This is a contradiction to your previous point about not reviewing in a vacuum and comparing games to their peers and previous iterations. UFC should not be immune to this criticism when NHL isn't. Regardless of when the previous game came out, it's something that it should be compared to if we are to subscribe to your same views when reviewing NHL 15 on next gen. Consistency is my sole issue here. Also, IMO, first year next gen exclusive games (exclusive in the sense that the game uses a completely different engine then it's last gen counterpart) like UFC and NHL is a better comparable then using the last game in the series. I believe that a review of NHL 15 should reflect the new development cycle (a la UFC), not building upon an existing framework like Madden and FIFA did. Speaking of Madden and FIFA, I would also like to respond to this:

"I agree that FIFA and Madden were more "port-ish" than NHL or UFC, but that doesn't mean that NHL should ship with scores of modes missing and basic features MIA. The whole product was mismanaged, and consumers deserve to be warned against such a cynical release."

I agree completely that everyone should know what is missing from last year. I do not want to censor that in anyway. I just think that it's unfair to say missing modes is mismanagement unless you subscribe to the philosophy that they should have gone the FIFA/Madden route (port and update) or think they should have taken another year off to polish and add more modes. Those are valid criticisms. I just think the hate is misdirected at the development team due to their uninformative PR campaign and lofty expectations from fans. Could they have gotten more modes in with better management? Possibly, but we will probably never know. I think it's a pretty safe bet to say that they got in what they could in the time given.

"Everyone brings some level of expectation and bias into a review, and to want tabula rasa every time is just not realistic, in my view."

This is the main point we disagree on and we are not going to change our minds on this. Let's just end this here and let me conclude by saying that I agree with a lot of your criticisms and praises, just that the review score is reflecting a view that does not take into effect that this is a new development cycle and, IMO, should therefore be compared to other games that start from (almost) scratch. UFC was given the same treatment and I think NHL deserves that too.

# 46 Inflict @ 09/13/14 04:54 AM

Or neither deserve that treatment. That works for me too.

# 47 Wiggy @ 09/13/14 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inflict


	This is not about reviewing a game in a vacuum, but for setting a standard for consistency so that reviews will hold up even a few years down the line. Sometimes it means looking at the bigger picture, and not just as a fervent fan or consumer. It is entirely your right to do so, so there is no argument from me on what you can and can't do. I am just personally not buying that there should be such a big discrepancy between NHL and UFC overall scores based solely on reviewing the game itself. "They don't just get to reboot and throw out everything that made the game enjoyable to so many" They've done this before with NHL 07's transition to the previous console generation. They've done it with PGA (PS3/XBOX360), the Sims (most recently), and multiple other brands. It's not unprecedented and the average consumer should have been more aware of this. Bad PR only exacerbated this expectation. A 2 year development cycle (mostly just one actually) for a new next gen game is not going to produce the same quality and quantity of modes as a last gen game from the previous year if it is built on a new engine. I would have been pleasantly surprised if they were able to pull it off however. I'm treading the same ground here, so I will move on. "EA MMA was five or six years before, which isn't relevant to this current franchise (made by an entirely different dev team)." This is a contradiction to your previous point about not reviewing in a vacuum and comparing games to their peers and previous iterations. UFC should not be immune to this criticism when NHL isn't. Regardless of when the previous game came out, it's something that it should be compared to if we are to subscribe to your same views when reviewing NHL 15 on next gen. Consistency is my sole issue here. Also, IMO, first year next gen exclusive games (exclusive in the sense that the game uses a completely different engine then it's last gen counterpart) like UFC and NHL is a better comparable then using the last game in the series. I believe that a review of NHL 15 should reflect the new development cycle (a la UFC), not building upon an existing framework like Madden and FIFA did. Speaking of Madden and FIFA, I would also like to respond to this: "I agree that FIFA and Madden were more "port-ish" than NHL or UFC, but that doesn't mean that NHL should ship with scores of modes missing and basic features MIA. The whole product was mismanaged, and consumers deserve to be warned against such a cynical release." I agree completely that everyone should know what is missing from last year. I do not want to censor that in anyway. I just think that it's unfair to say missing modes is mismanagement unless you subscribe to the philosophy that they should have gone the FIFA/Madden route (port and update) or think they should have taken another year off to polish and add more modes. Those are valid criticisms. I just think the hate is misdirected at the development team due to their uninformative PR campaign and lofty expectations from fans. Could they have gotten more modes in with better management? Possibly, but we will probably never know. I think it's a pretty safe bet to say that they got in what they could in the time given. "Everyone brings some level of expectation and bias into a review, and to want tabula rasa every time is just not realistic, in my view." This is the main point we disagree on and we are not going to change our minds on this. Let's just end this here and let me conclude by saying that I agree with a lot of your criticisms and praises, just that the review score is reflecting a view that does not take into effect that this is a new development cycle and, IMO, should therefore be compared to other games that start from (almost) scratch. UFC was given the same treatment and I think NHL deserves that too.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond. And I get that there are some points we're going to disagree on.

I do have to correct your closing comments, as again, my review specifically did not target the devs. There were a few comments made with some puzzlement of missing features, but I placed the blame squarely on higher-level mismanagement. I am not targeting the devs because I understand some of the realities of game development.

As for EA MMA as compared NHL 07, it's my feeling that those are not alike whatsoever. I'm not contradicting with EA MMA, as that was taken into consideration, as well as the THQ games. I feel EA Sports UFC is a better game overall. Also, again, it's not continuing a brand. EA MMA was 6 years prior by another team. That's not year over year. Also, I didn't review EA Sports MMA (which got an 8 on our site, btw, so I don't really see anything wrong with a 7.5 for what I feel is a better game in terms of gameplay while maybe lighter on content to what EA MMA had).

NHL 07 existed in a different paradigm. There were no online leagues or sprawling feature sets. Not to mention, I don't recall that game being as gutted as NHL 15. Unfortunately, I wasn't around to review NHL 07, but it was not nearly as problematic considering the "expectations" of the time. It got a 7 on our site, which is what you've suggested NHL 15 should get. You're basically talking about a difference of a 1.5 points, and I feel NHL 07 was in a way different time (and it introduced the modern hockey game with the skill stick and wasn't as gutted).

To bottom line it: I think UFC is a better game in many ways, and that's why the review shook out the way it did. I have written a lot about the realities of development and user expectation, and I've tried to quell some of what you're referring to. In my opinion, NHL 15 went way past the line of acceptability for a reboot.

I feel the correct question to ask is: "Why wasn't the dev team given the time/resources they needed?" Ultimately, consumers shouldn't have to accept poor business practices like The Sims or Tiger or this year's NHL. How about not releasing every year? How about reallocating resources? There are many things they could've done.

Once again, it seems that you're asking for consistency, but you ultimately feel the game should score higher. Our rubric says that 5.5 is average. That's what I felt this game was (gameplay is above that, but it gets offset by the rest). I don't feel the lack of modes and ways to enjoy the game (and missing basic features) should just be ignored in the score.

If I had my druthers, we'd have a simpler score. In fact, no score would probably be best, as this is really sort of a silly argument altogether. The text is what matters.

I appreciate you responding, as these are fair questions to ask. I've constantly tried to use the whole scale, and it's one of those things where it's easy to look back and feel one way or the other. That's why the text has to articulate what the game does well and what it doesn't, and it has to serve all audiences, not just the folks in one play style.

# 48 Nate99 @ 09/13/14 07:01 AM

I love the graphics and physics of the game so far, my problem is the lack of basic features that have been in the EA version of NHL games for years. NO EDIT PLAYER!? Really? The only gameplay problem I see is the Cpu's style of hockey is to center the puck at all times through my terrible defenders (McDonagh and Girardi) who stand there and do nothing to stop the play. The cpu hardly ever shoot the puck resulting in horrible save percentage stats for the best goalie in hockey (Hendrik Lundqvist)

# 49 GisherJohn24 @ 09/13/14 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RUFFNREADY


	$$$$ - that's what they were thinking, and always thinking! They would sell you a lemon, and patch in controllers later! EA isn't in on the front end of anything anymore; they are in the back end waiting for a riot to breakout! I am sorry to say it but, EA is that average looking neighbourhood car dealership, with a sleazy salesman, that will sell you any eye appealing car, with no "Engine" (back seats, door handles), at major car dealership prices (New/full price). They will send you the steering wheel and brake pedal later on (in a patch)! Oh, and have a nice day; after you finish paying for it, before it leaves the lot! SMH as I LOL

I hate to admit but fir this case. Yes you're spot on

# 50 HealyMonster @ 09/13/14 02:15 PM

Man not a hockey fan, would have never purchased this game, but when I saw the game had the bnc rights and were doing some new things presentation wise, I wanted to see how it ended up flushing out in the end. That led me to check out this review.

Seems like EA sports is a mess. If I had to call it, EA SPORTS seems to have held back the entire sports genre from moving forward since the start of the ps3/xbox360 generation. Every game they release seems to have massive issues, and quite frankly scea, 2k, while there are issues, it never seems to get to the point of easoorts games. THis isn't something that has been just the last year or 2. The last10 years have been a disgrace for this company and really they have made sports gaming something entirely different in terms of what to expect from a sports video game.

Considering it's not just NBA live having issues getting out a game that has features and works as intended, but madden, and nhl. These are franchises that have been putout yearly since the early 90's. Leadership at EA SPORTS has to have serious issues as considering its issue after issue withall of their premiere franchises, someone of importance over there is an idiot and lost.

This company is a disgrace, and someday we are all going to look back and remember these last 10 or so years as a black mark when EA was in control of everything. Sooner or later this is going to come crashing down on them. You can't offer up crap year after year and get away with it forever, sooner or later things will fall apart.

# 51 Saint Iscah @ 09/13/14 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HealyMonster


	Man not a hockey fan, would have never purchased this game, but when I saw the game had the bnc rights and were doing some new things presentation wise, I wanted to see how it ended up flushing out in the end. That led me to check out this review. Seems like EA sports is a mess. If I had to call it, EA SPORTS seems to have held back the entire sports genre from moving forward since the start of the ps3/xbox360 generation. Every game they release seems to have massive issues, and quite frankly scea, 2k, while there are issues, it never seems to get to the point of easoorts games. THis isn't something that has been just the last year or 2. The last10 years have been a disgrace for this company and really they have made sports gaming something entirely different in terms of what to expect from a sports video game. Considering it's not just NBA live having issues getting out a game that has features and works as intended, but madden, and nhl. These are franchises that have been putout yearly since the early 90's. Leadership at EA SPORTS has to have serious issues as considering its issue after issue withall of their premiere franchises, someone of importance over there is an idiot and lost. This company is a disgrace, and someday we are all going to look back and remember these last 10 or so years as a black mark when EA was in control of everything. Sooner or later this is going to come crashing down on them. You can't offer up crap year after year and get away with it forever, sooner or later things will fall apart.

I agree......up until the last sentence. There are hundreds of thousands of people (millions in the case of Madden) that just go out and buy the game every year sight unseen. Then they spend hundreds more on packs in this "Ultimate Team" nonsense.

It will not change as long as the "drones" keep shelling out $60 on "day 1". It seems like w/ every EA Sports release there is some "major" problem. NHL 15 is probably the worst I have seen. Maybe NBA Live 14 was worse. But I dont play basketball games so I cannot speak to the issues with that game. I have just seen people reference it a few times as a real bad release.

EA will only respond to effects to their bottom line. Anything you hear about EA "listening" to their fans to make a better game is hogwash.

The only voice we as consumers have is via sales.

# 52 SGMRock @ 09/13/14 04:23 PM

I would have expected this type of release if it had been released in 2013 for the Xbox One/PS4. FIFA and Madden managed to do it and yes they were not super great on the new consoles as far as graphics and such they still had all the same features the previous gen games did and a few more. The NHL team took that whole release off for the new consoles and yet still could not get in even half of their normal features.

I having fun with the gameplay I will say that seems solid. The new presentation is nice, the play by play is a bit dry though. I like the new team ok but you can tell they have not had time to get in a good amount of stuff there yet and smooth it out. At least what they have is good. No stuff like Madden 15 where the announcers constantly say the wrong things.

No player editor really burns me though, and the Be a Pro mode being back to the bare bones it was the first year they added it to the game makes my shake my head. They should have delayed this game 2 months at least so they could have added in the stuff they said they were patching in.

Next year if they add in all the features they left out to the gameplay they have this year and beef up the play by play a bit I will be very happy with NHL 16.

# 53 PsnHitman17 @ 09/13/14 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookjn


	I wish people would stop defending this game. FIFA 14 and MLB: The Show 14 also provide great gameplay experiences without sacrificing the modes that many of us rely on for replayability. If those two titles can offer consumers both great gameplay and value, why does NHL 15, a game that only offers great gameplay, deserve a comparable review score?

cookjn how quick you are to forget that FIFA didn;'t have tournament play last year

# 54 PsnHitman17 @ 09/13/14 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SGMRock


	I would have expected this type of release if it had been released in 2013 for the Xbox One/PS4. FIFA and Madden managed to do it and yes they were not super great on the new consoles as far as graphics and such they still had all the same features the previous gen games did and a few more. The NHL team took that whole release off for the new consoles and yet still could not get in even half of their normal features. I having fun with the gameplay I will say that seems solid. The new presentation is nice, the play by play is a bit dry though. I like the new team ok but you can tell they have not had time to get in a good amount of stuff there yet and smooth it out. At least what they have is good. No stuff like Madden 15 where the announcers constantly say the wrong things. No player editor really burns me though, and the Be a Pro mode being back to the bare bones it was the first year they added it to the game makes my shake my head. They should have delayed this game 2 months at least so they could have added in the stuff they said they were patching in. Next year if they add in all the features they left out to the gameplay they have this year and beef up the play by play a bit I will be very happy with NHL 16.

As far as the announcers, wasn't it reported there gonna come back and record new lines in January the original plan anyways.

# 55 BMDinTDOT @ 09/13/14 05:27 PM

Since the NHL isn't that big and doesn't sell that well compared to other EA sports games NHL
has the smallest development team and they out source it to India or Sri Lanka where the game
is made before being brought back to Vancouver for final production.

The EA NHL team just doesn't have the resources or man power to get what needed to be
done on time. The NHL series only has appeal to Canada and half of the states so EA isn't
gonna put in a ton of resources into a game that doesn't have a big market like Fifa, Madden
and UFC.

# 56 bigwill33 @ 09/13/14 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMDinTDOT


	Since the NHL isn't that big and doesn't sell that well compared to other EA sports games NHL has the smallest development team and they out source it to India or Sri Lanka where the game is made before being brought back to Vancouver for final production. The EA NHL team just doesn't have the resources or man power to get what needed to be done on time. The NHL series only has appeal to Canada and half of the states so EA isn't gonna put in a ton of resources into a game that doesn't have a big market like Fifa, Madden and UFC.

Then why are they spending all of that money to obtain the rights to all of the Euro leagues that are in the game?

Why wouldn't EA give them a staff that they could work with to complete a proper and working game for at least one year so they have a base that they could work off when moving into next gen?

And why should I feel compassion and sorrow for a supposed overtaxed work crew when they have had a history of delivering a less than stellar product and this year have put out 4 skus that half are hardly half featured and the other half had nearly nothing new in them at all? When I purchase any other product that isn't up to the industry standard or doesn't work as advertised I don't sit back and think "boy, I wonder if they had enough people working on this product. I'd better just buy it anyway and hope for the best in moving forward. I don't want anyone to miss a meal because I didn't spend my hard earned money on their shoddy product."

I see a lot of false reasoning and pleading in these responses that just make me scratch my head. When did we stop holding companies accountable for their products? Why do we continue to blindly support things that are not where they should be in comparison to what we have been delivered in the past? And why do we feel challenged and insulted personally when someone doesn't agree with our opinions?

The last question is something that everyone should take a step back and think about before posting on any online site.

# 57 BMDinTDOT @ 09/13/14 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigwill33


	Then why are they spending all of that money to obtain the rights to all of the Euro leagues that are in the game? Why wouldn't EA give them a staff that they could work with to complete a proper and working game for at least one year so they have a base that they could work off when moving into next gen? And why should I feel compassion and sorrow for a supposed overtaxed work crew when they have had a history of delivering a less than stellar product and this year have put out 4 skus that half are hardly half featured and the other half had nearly nothing new in them at all? When I purchase any other product that isn't up to the industry standard or doesn't work as advertised I don't sit back and think "boy, I wonder if they had enough people working on this product. I'd better just buy it anyway and hope for the best in moving forward. I don't want anyone to miss a meal because I didn't spend my hard earned money on their shoddy product." I see a lot of false reasoning and pleading in these responses that just make me scratch my head. When did we stop holding companies accountable for their products? Why do we continue to blindly support things that are not where they should be in comparison to what we have been delivered in the past? And why do we feel challenged and insulted personally when someone doesn't agree with our opinions? The last question is something that everyone should take a step back and think about before posting on any online site.

I'm just going on what I heard...

One thing I noticed is most of the sports games have been like this as they make the adjustment
to next Gen. The usual news cycle has been completely different for almost all the games and I
think the reason for this is because the companies are trying to get everything they can till the
very end and don't want to advertise anything they can't deliver.

Almost all the sports games were lackluster or missing tons of things from old gen in year
one on next gen. I'm assuming that the game producers are having a hard time adjusting
to the new technology for some reason and don't want to release modes that are faulty.

As for me personally I haven't bought an EA NHL game since 97 Sega Genesis and I really like
the demo and the new game and plan on getting this game. As for the modes that are missing
they don't interest me so I really don't care.

I've bought every NBA 2K game since it came out in 1999 at launch and am fed up with
them and won't be getting it at launch this year as they've lost my trust.

Every year I give the Fifa and Madden demos a try but they don't interest me enough to buy.

# 58 bigwill33 @ 09/13/14 07:54 PM

My entire post wasn't directed at you, personally. I was just quoting yours in addressing my first point. I should have been more clear.

But I do have so many questions for the developers that were not responded to. I think many of us have questions from how did this happen to wonderings of the basic functions of the game and how they work.

And I question the rationale and aggressiveness of so many people on here that are seemingly offended by a game's rating or review.

# 59 ram4x4marc @ 09/13/14 08:46 PM

I believe the review is a tad bit harsh. The game plays great, I bumped up a few sliders like game speed, goalie recognition, and screens affecting goalies moved down a bit and i have fun every single game i play. For as many people say on this site, if the game doesn't play good, who cares about the game modes, i'm shocked about all the anger. I'm a huge EASHL fan and thats the main thing i looked forward to but with the gameplay being great, I can handle playing Season (in be a gm) and some HUT/Online VS modes. 5.5 should be reserved for an NBA Live type game that truly looks like there is no hope for the series..NHL you play it and say WOW this is awesome, and you just know its not going to get worse!

# 60 BillsFan1113 @ 09/14/14 04:30 AM

Been playing since nhlpa 93 on the sega genesis, love video game hockey, and in my opinion I am thoroughly impressed with the foundation they have begun. This game with slider adjustments is the best playing hockey game made to date. I look at it as it's there first attempt on new gen, throw out everything they had up through nhl 14....I believe it's unfair to say they are missing all the old modes they built in for years on last gen. Right now like others have mentioned I'd much rather have this gameplay and physics and presentation over 10 different modes to play, I've played an bought every year and with the minimal upgrades to gameplay year in and year out I hate to say it but it was getting BORING, give me an online mode and a basic franchise mode with this gameplay and I'm finally feeling like YES I'm playing next gen hockey, this is a great stepping stone and I see what they decided to do first year in.....I do not regret this purchase whatsoever and am looking forward to what will be added in the years ahead. I appreciate this much more than keeping every mode with a graphical upgrade but the same minor upgraded gameplay we've had since 07.... The future looks good, basing my own review on just a first year next gen product this game to me is an 8.5.

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