PlayStation 3
Released in 2012 by EA Sports
Grade: A-
EA’s hockey series is consistently fantastic, with intuitive controls, deep AI, and beautiful graphics. Each installment tweaks the engine slightly, and unfortunately this one has a few minor issues that make it worse than both NHL 12 and NHL 14.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the sixth of nine installments on PS3.
Praises and gripes
This year, EA once again makes a big deal about new, more realistic skating control. Players are a bit faster than before and make deft sidesteps. There’s finally a standard sprint command, clicking down on L3. It’s one of those advanced controls that seems awkward when you first try it, but becomes natural eventually, and I like how the player bends forward as he digs in with stronger strides.
Players also stop and slide more realistically and have more trouble making tight turns. It’s a workable adjustment, but unfortunately, players can get awkwardly turned around at times, not facing the way it seems like they should. One time my player simply lost the puck without even being touched as he circled around.
The other notable issue is that there are too many rebound goals. It looks fine when you see it happen once, but you’ll find that they make up too many of the goals in the game. Shots from short range also have a tendency to trickle through the goalie’s gear, another change that’s supposed to add realism but occurs too frequently.
Other than that, this is the same exciting hockey simulation you get from the other installments. You’ve got three main gameplay settings: casual, normal, and hardcore, and a long list of detailed sliders. I love the realism of hardcore, with tenacious defenders making it hard to hold onto the puck and inspiring a quick-passing attack that you see in real-life NHL.
The dual-stick control may frustrate newbies, but it’s an ingenious system that allows for smooth and lifelike puckhandling and shooting. The rest of the controls are logically situated and intuitive to use. The collision detection and the player’s weight are realistic. You’ve got to really line up body checks, and you can shield off opponents like a real NHL player does.
But keep in mind, all these benefits apply to most of the other NHL games too. NHL 12 and NHL Legacy Edition are the gems of the generation. Get them both. They’re that good.