After a very slow start in Round One of our showdown, EA had the opportunity to capitalize by showing off a taste of what it plans to bring to the match. The demo for EA Sports’ NHL 09 was released on the PSN and Xbox Live this week, revealing only a taste (as the NHL 2K9 demo did) of exhibition play between the Pittsburg Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings. Now that we’ve spent a little time going through the demo, it’s time to make a preliminary overview of how the game looks to be shaping out. With the release of both these games only a week or so away, we want to find out which game is going to really make the NHL experience work this year.
Round Two: Fight!
The demo for NHL 09 seemed to have the same demo constraints as 2K’s entry, with only the Stanley Cup Final contenders able to be pitted against each other, and only for a single period of play with no overtime. The game also showed a taste of their ‘Be A Pro’ mode, which allows you to take the role of a single player on the ice and stick with that player for the entire match. It’s an interesting take, and it shows how the online play for the game could really develop if we see that feature fully realized when the game is released. However, we were more focused on just playing a few exhibition matches and seeing how the game held up under such a small version of the final game.
If you were a fan of NHL 08 at all, you’ll be glad to know that the game plays very much the game. The new control system, which allows you to individual guide the puck and the player using the right and left analog sticks respectively, still works pretty well and makes the effort look just as impressive as on-screen action at times. The game feels pretty smooth, and the graphics hold up reasonably well, though it’s hard to notice much improvement over the year previous. Lightning seems a bit stronger, and they’ve put a bit more work in the details (which leads to really uncanny valley moments with the referees and their terrifying eyes). Visually, though, it does seem to outdo the 2K9 demo as it stands, but the demo for EA’s game was about double the size, so it seems it shows a bit differently as a result.
The AI is pretty solid; most of the games played were very close or went into the shootout (no overtime available). The shootout mechanics are very similar to the year previous, but it feels a little smoother and it seems the dekes look more realistic this time around. The big strength of the new control system is that it does make you feel more accomplished about putting the puck in the net than simply tapping the buttons, and it has the same ‘dangle’ style that is associated with most of the great hockey goals. The fighting engine is a bit different this year, with more focus on button presses than using the sticks to try and wind up for punches and dodge. All the fights ended with a single hit, however, which is a bit strange but we’re hoping it is just a limit of the demo.
The ‘Be A Pro’ mode was a fresh take on the idea of playing as one individual on a team. This was a feature we were very interested to explore, but it was as limited as the exhibition play, so it allowed you to play through one period of offline exhibition. You are given a guide of where to go as a player to ensure you don’t move too far out of position, and the camera is dynamic enough to give you a wider view of the play area while still maintaining focus on your player at any given time. This mode offers a bit of a challenge, considering it is harder to set-up plays with AI, but it still is an interesting take on the play and we’ll have to see what comes of it in the full retail version of the game.
So far in our battle, it seems that EA is coming out with the stronger punches. However, it is just delivering on a lot of what was offered last year. There’s still a lot to be seen from both these games, as we haven’t even gotten our eyes on the retail copies, but so far NHL 09 seems to be showing a bit better.
We hope both of these games will deliver, but look for Round Three where the games will measure up head to head in our dual-review to determine which one comes out on top.
Ian don’t you dare give EA any credit for the shovelware that is NHL09.
It is NHL08, slightly patched. Nothing more, nothing less. If anything this is what the game should have been by the end of last year.
Personally I know I was looking at garbage when they kept the entire same intro and just superimposed Dion Phaneuf over last years Eric Staal. Sure enough the game was exactly the same just reskinned to look and feel ever so slightly different.
The gameplay feels only slightly more fluid. Players don’t feel like they move on train tracks quite so much, and the monstrous crunching bodychecks have been eliminated for the most part.
EA still hasn’t tweaked goalie or defensive AI to defend against the all too easy one timer of slap-pass goals. I had enough the first time I saw the goalie dance helplessly in the net confused as the puck danced near the lettering on the back of his jersey. I could see myself bored to tears with the repition of trying to block one timers in this years multiplayer, much like last years, in which every game degenerated into a one-timer war once you got to the top 4000 or so players.
I guess it is better than the half assed effort of a demo that is NFL Head Coach 09, which crashes on me repeatedly. When John Riccitiello boasted improved QA he probably meant that for the fiscal year of 09 forward, because I haven’t seen any of it yet.