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NHL 14 Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

NHL 14 Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

I’ve Been Missing Out

Let’s be honest with each other, Internet stranger. I’ve never played an NHL game before. My sports-gaming experiences come from throwing balls, not hitting pucks. And I’m going to go ahead and admit it–the deep and insatiable wrath of the Internet concerns me a little. I just finished trying out NHL 14 , and I’m pleased (and extremely relieved) to say that not only did I like it, I enjoyed it more than any other sports game released in a good, long while.

In order to prevent this review from devolving into a lengthy compare and contrast between EA Sports NHL and other sports series, I want to take a sentence to get a thought out of my system: NHL 14’s fast-paced gameplay vibrates with an energy lacking in other sports titles. The action never stops. Players jet in and out of the game, teams steal the puck by knocking an opponent off their feat, and pissed-off men throw off their gloves and engage in honest-to-God fisticuffs. The games in NHL 14 never stop moving, and even the most easily distracted gamer will find it difficult to look away.

Easy-to-grasp skating mechanics are the cornerstones of NHL 14’s energy. Players cut, check, spin, and turn without ever ignoring the laws of physics that govern skating on ice. These laws create a unique way of moving, and movement never ceases in the hockey rink. Stopping takes patience, as players have to glide to a halt, and the hockey puck constantly propels from one side of the rink to the other with players chasing behind it. Stopping while controlling the puck slows down the game’s pace, but only for a moment, because standing still for too long will get a player bulldozed.

Each game of NHL presents players many opportunities to hit each other. Making a wrong turn, finishing up a pass, being too close to the wall, or just generally skating too slowly exposes them to brutal slams. NHL 14 really wants you to use violence. So much so that it makes the standard hit-stick employed by games such as Madden redundant, simply gliding into an exposed player initiates a hit. The potential for any play to result in a turnover caused by assault creates a tense and enjoyable atmosphere. And if this violence doesn’t satisfy you, you can initiate a one-on-one brawl with the push of a button.

NHL 14 Screenshot

Thanks to what EA calls the Enforcer Engine, fighting in NHL 14 has enough depth to be called a mini-game. By pressing triangle, you can instigate or accept a fight. Although the computer occasionally declines, more often than not, it’ll be ready for a brawl. During the fight, you can push, pull, punch, block, dodge, and grab. These fights add another layer of intensity to the game, increasing the energy. And since these fights are mostly optional, people not in the mood for a brawl can enjoy their hockey game punch-free; well, unless someone on the other team just gets really annoyed and charges you, but that doesn’t happen too often.

Enough depth of gameplay exists that the Enforcer Mode acts as nothing but icing on the cake. This depth comes from the intricate controls. Learning the intricacies of skating and puck management will take some time, as can be confirmed by a quick look at the in-game manual, which splits the controls up into seven different situations. Offence, defense, faceoffs, coach controls, fighting, net battles, celebrations, and using the goalie all have different control schemes. Mastering NHL 14 won’t be easy.

NHL 14 Screenshot

For players looking to play a hockey game from a simpler time, they can start up the NHL 94 Anniversary Mode. NHL 94 Anniversary Mode simplifies the control scheme so that it mimics the controls of NHL ‘94 . This simpler mode, although enjoyable, lacks the depth of the main title. Fans of the old school, arcade-style hockey games should love it, though.

NHL 14 offers many different ways to enjoy the game besides the regular game and Anniversary Mode. Live the Life Mode lets gamers simulate (more or less) what it’s like to be a hockey player. In this RPG-esque mode, you’ll gain experience points, answer interview questions, get endorsement deals, and manage the affection of friends, family, and coaches. Although extremely enjoyable, the repetitive routine and the long seasons start to wear after awhile.

Season Mode is the classic sports-game mode where you play through the schedule of a team. The similar General Manager Mode takes you through a season but opens up some extra team-managing shenanigans to engage in. Another mode lets you transplant NHL legends to the modern era and play their career. At their core, these game variations are like different spices on the same dish. They don’t offer enough originality to engage players not interested in or bored by the core game.

NHL 14 Screenshot

Versions of these game modes, however, exist in the online content of the game. GM Connected takes the General Manager Mode online, and players can be created in a similar style to Live the Life in the EA Sports Hockey League. Essentially, most of the game can be played online with others. This increases the fun of the game; nothing satisfies quite as much as planting a friend into the ice. One major part of the game not included in the online content is NHL 94 Anniversary.

The graphics and sounds of NHL 14 compliment each other well. The life-like figures take full advantage of the capabilities of current-gen systems. The fluid skating motions never break. The appropriate skating sound accompanies players as they take a long zag or stop suddenly for a U-turn. The spot-on sound effects, combined with the realistic visuals, create a compelling representation of a hockey game.

All in all, NHL 14 is a very polished game that takes full advantage of its subject to create an intense, thrilling sports title. Its brutal, energetic nature offers a unique experience that most gaming versions of sports lack, and it’s definitely my favorite sports game of the year. I recommend this game both to hockey fans and non-fan gamers. Although I had never played an EA Sports NHL game before today, I’ll definitely be playing one tomorrow.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.0 Graphics
The graphics take full advantage of the engine to render life-like visuals. 4.0 Control
The complicated controls might flummox some, but they compensate by offering enough depth to engage even veteran players. 5.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The solid sound effects never misstep. 4.0 Play Value
NHL 14 contains enough content to keep fans playing until the next game. Live the Life mode is fun, but other modes offer only surface changes to the gameplay. 4.3 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • NHL 94 Anniversary Mode — Celebrate one of the most iconic entries in the NHL franchise with the inclusion of NHL 94 Anniversary Mode. The mode, which is included in all copies of NHL 14 , gives players a new way to get into old-school NHL action. All built within the NHL 14 game engine, NHL 94 Anniversary Mode has off-the-charts speed, big goals, bigger hits, and takes fun to a whole new level. The mode also offers nods to its hockey video-gaming roots through a retro presentation style including blue ice, classic star-shaped player indicators, organ music, and much more.
  • NHL Collision Physics — Developed from the same core technology that powers Fifa’s critically acclaimed Player Impact Engine, NHL Collision Physics introduces bigger, more thrilling hits and truer-to-life collisions. A new left-stick control scheme makes delivering a game-changing hit simpler and more rewarding than ever.
  • Enforcer Engine — There is a code in hockey; when it’s broken, you have to respond. A first for the NHL franchise, Fight Night technology delivers a new 3rd-person experience, physics-based punch targeting, and player size differentiation to every fight, creating the most authentic and electrifying experience yet.
  • True Performance Skating — Built on the breakthrough innovation that introduced physics-based skating and over 1,000 new skating animations to EA’s NHL franchise, the second year of the True Performance Skating features improved acceleration, explosive first-strides, quicker pivots, and enhanced lateral skating, resulting in greater player responsiveness and unprecedented control.

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