Am I on drugs?
PlayStation 3
Released in 2009 by 2K Sports
Grade: C-
Despite cleaning up several flaws from earlier versions, this game moves so painfully slow that it’s maddening.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the last of four PS3 editions before 2K surrendered the hockey market to EA. The very last edition, NHL 2K11, is exclusive to the Nintendo Wii.
Praises and gripes
It seems 2K went all in for a hockey simulation this time around. Goalies are more solid. AI teammates are usually where they should be. Passes have more zip. Dekes are more effective. Skaters are more natural, stopping and sidestepping like real players. These are all nice improvements. But the game simply moves too slow, and there’s no option to speed it up. Why didn’t someone tell 2K that hockey was the fastest team sport in the world?
Goals aren’t scored as easily, but rebounds still make up too many of them. Even though goalies cover the net more realistically, they often let little shots bounce right in front of them, usually where someone can easily knock it in.
There are more bad quirks. Body checks hit hard, but they look weird when the skaters are so slow. Shots can be tough to aim. Passes don’t go faster or slower based on the situation or how long you hold the button.
The game needed a lot of fine tuning, but honestly, it’s useless when the action feels so sluggish. It’s just not fun.
The coolest thing about this game is that you can drive the zamboni between periods.