NHL 07
Posted September 20, 2006
With its first entrance of the series onto the Xbox 360, NHL 07 has been adapted by EA Sports to take advantage of the hardware and attract 360 owners back from the 2K Sports series of last year. Per usual, EA provides a glamorous presentation, filled with a variety of flashy movies and hard driving music. It's vastly more appealing than the drab appeal of NHL 2K6. Also, the menu system is simplistic to use and pretty darn smooth looking. Most importantly, the auto save system via the main menu is certainly preferable over the poor setup in the 2K series. 
Gameplay:
The modes included within the game are Quick Start, Franchise, Tournament, and Shootout. Quick Start is fairly standard. Options include team selection, jerseys, and arena. Franchise is actually a bit skimpy in relation to EA's rival. Off-Season tasks are but an afterthought and the season decisions are very light as well. Franchise mode mostly concentrates of the meat of a season, all 82 games and the playoffs. Tournament mode is certainly more adaptable than Franchise, but not overly exciting. Essentially, it would be like playing the Stanley Cup finals without the Stanley Cup. Shootout is perhaps the most entertaining mode and an effective method of teaching the control system. Players are allowed three shots each on the rival goalie, which is viewed a close-up, over-the-shoulder camera. The viewing angle creates an excellent environment for learning goalie actions and player moves.
EA is banking on the changes in the control system to win over hockey fans and it appears they have a winner. The new and improved control system is based around the right thumbstick for natural swings of the hockey stick. Shots and position of the puck is determined by the directional motion of the stick. For instance, quickly pushing up works for a quick pass or pulling back sets up the player to shoot. Advanced shots can be made with increased circling of the stick as well. On the defensive side, the controls don't feel as effective. The occasional well placed hit works, but defending shots is pretty much out of the question. Another drawback to the control system is the overly difficult learning curve. Many hockey gamers are likely to fall back on the classic system, as it's thankfully included. Also, EA offers a short, mandatory video explaining the controls at the setup stage of a new profile. Overall, the control system is a breath of fresh air and nearly a reinvention of the series if EA can work out the defensive side.
The AI ranges from brain-dead to brutal depending on the level of difficulty. Most folks will find the All-Star level to their liking, but falling back to Pro is nothing to be ashamed of. Most noticeably, plays need to be setup on the higher levels of difficulty as one timers and breakaways are in short supply. A high level of patience is needed for setting up the 3 to 4 pass goal in the enemy territory. Goalies are fairly competent on All Star and above, but silly goals do happen infrequently. For instance, one goal occurred when the opposing team knocked it past the goalie with their skate blade. I love a free goal as much as the next guy, especially during the playoffs, but it decreases the quality of the experience slightly.
The multiplayer is standard EA barebones fare, complete with the annoying legal agreement and barrage of messages. Ranked or unranked single player matches and leaderboards are pretty much the only available online goodies. EA did not include any variance of tournament mode in the online arena. Of the four games I attempted to play, only one held a stable connection. The other three spazzed out, each during a different break in the action. Essentially, the game was overtaken by horrific lag and forced both players to quit out. When the multiplayer actually works properly, the game will be enjoyable with the right type of Xbox Live adversary.
Just when EA started to integrate tougher achievements into their sports lineup, they take a huge step back with NHL 07. The achievements are broken into 26 tasks for a total of 1000 gamerscore points. Over 97% of the points are awarded for single player tasks with one lone 25 pointer for playing a ranked game online. Once again, EA doesn't include any restrictions or structure for accomplishing tasks. Simming, switching sides at the last second or pulling goalies is all allowed to rack up the score. As a point of reference, the entire lot of achievements can be garnered in approximately two to four hours; depending on your speed with the franchise mode. This pathetic attempt at any sort of challenge completely bankrupts any replay factor achievements usually add.
Graphics:
Visually, EA pushed the limit with their graphics engine; far beyond their competitor. The detail on and off the ice is nothing short of fantastic. Most noticeably, the minor details pop out as the most polished feature. Ice shavings flying off skates, jerseys free flowing off the body, and distinct facial animations during heated moments are all highly impressive compared to their real life in the NHL. It's almost eerie watching the close up of an instant replay in high definition due to the realism.
Unfortunately, the large amount of detail within the game engine takes its toll on the suffering frame rate. After playing both hockey titles, NHL 07 is vastly choppier than its 2K rival. The effect on gameplay is very noticeable and adaptation to the lowered speed is required to succeed on the upper difficulty levels. Also, the fluidity of the animations is hampered by the problematic frame rate. Slap shots look far too disjointed and dekes are overly jumpy. It's a shame EA didn't take more time to hammer out these issues as they hamper an otherwise beautiful visual experience.
Audio:
The commentary is rock solid due to the exemplary voice work of ESPN's Clement & Thorne. Clement handles the color commentary while Thorne focuses on the play-by-play action. Both announcers add an authentic element to NHL 07 and have a fairly large amount of voice recordings. After playing about twenty games, I still occasionally hear a new comment from of the fellows.
The sound effects are also delightfully accurate. The crunch of taking down a rival with a bone crushing hit is an auditory delight. Crowd noises range from chanting phrases to cat-calling the refs for calls against the home team. The soundtrack is surprisingly catchy if you like rock tunes. While the rock genre is the only one represented, menu browsing is thankfully less tiresome, especially during the franchise mode.
Conclusion:
The unique control, fast paced gameplay, and gorgeous visuals are excellent indicators of the direction the series is taking. EA Sports still needs to heavily improve their multiplayer modes, achievement structure, and frame rate, but the future is getting brighter for EA hockey fans. I recommend renting the game to test out the new control system and decide if the multiplayer issues are worth putting up with.
Gameplay:
The modes included within the game are Quick Start, Franchise, Tournament, and Shootout. Quick Start is fairly standard. Options include team selection, jerseys, and arena. Franchise is actually a bit skimpy in relation to EA's rival. Off-Season tasks are but an afterthought and the season decisions are very light as well. Franchise mode mostly concentrates of the meat of a season, all 82 games and the playoffs. Tournament mode is certainly more adaptable than Franchise, but not overly exciting. Essentially, it would be like playing the Stanley Cup finals without the Stanley Cup. Shootout is perhaps the most entertaining mode and an effective method of teaching the control system. Players are allowed three shots each on the rival goalie, which is viewed a close-up, over-the-shoulder camera. The viewing angle creates an excellent environment for learning goalie actions and player moves.
EA is banking on the changes in the control system to win over hockey fans and it appears they have a winner. The new and improved control system is based around the right thumbstick for natural swings of the hockey stick. Shots and position of the puck is determined by the directional motion of the stick. For instance, quickly pushing up works for a quick pass or pulling back sets up the player to shoot. Advanced shots can be made with increased circling of the stick as well. On the defensive side, the controls don't feel as effective. The occasional well placed hit works, but defending shots is pretty much out of the question. Another drawback to the control system is the overly difficult learning curve. Many hockey gamers are likely to fall back on the classic system, as it's thankfully included. Also, EA offers a short, mandatory video explaining the controls at the setup stage of a new profile. Overall, the control system is a breath of fresh air and nearly a reinvention of the series if EA can work out the defensive side.
The AI ranges from brain-dead to brutal depending on the level of difficulty. Most folks will find the All-Star level to their liking, but falling back to Pro is nothing to be ashamed of. Most noticeably, plays need to be setup on the higher levels of difficulty as one timers and breakaways are in short supply. A high level of patience is needed for setting up the 3 to 4 pass goal in the enemy territory. Goalies are fairly competent on All Star and above, but silly goals do happen infrequently. For instance, one goal occurred when the opposing team knocked it past the goalie with their skate blade. I love a free goal as much as the next guy, especially during the playoffs, but it decreases the quality of the experience slightly.
The multiplayer is standard EA barebones fare, complete with the annoying legal agreement and barrage of messages. Ranked or unranked single player matches and leaderboards are pretty much the only available online goodies. EA did not include any variance of tournament mode in the online arena. Of the four games I attempted to play, only one held a stable connection. The other three spazzed out, each during a different break in the action. Essentially, the game was overtaken by horrific lag and forced both players to quit out. When the multiplayer actually works properly, the game will be enjoyable with the right type of Xbox Live adversary.
Just when EA started to integrate tougher achievements into their sports lineup, they take a huge step back with NHL 07. The achievements are broken into 26 tasks for a total of 1000 gamerscore points. Over 97% of the points are awarded for single player tasks with one lone 25 pointer for playing a ranked game online. Once again, EA doesn't include any restrictions or structure for accomplishing tasks. Simming, switching sides at the last second or pulling goalies is all allowed to rack up the score. As a point of reference, the entire lot of achievements can be garnered in approximately two to four hours; depending on your speed with the franchise mode. This pathetic attempt at any sort of challenge completely bankrupts any replay factor achievements usually add.
Graphics:
Visually, EA pushed the limit with their graphics engine; far beyond their competitor. The detail on and off the ice is nothing short of fantastic. Most noticeably, the minor details pop out as the most polished feature. Ice shavings flying off skates, jerseys free flowing off the body, and distinct facial animations during heated moments are all highly impressive compared to their real life in the NHL. It's almost eerie watching the close up of an instant replay in high definition due to the realism.
Unfortunately, the large amount of detail within the game engine takes its toll on the suffering frame rate. After playing both hockey titles, NHL 07 is vastly choppier than its 2K rival. The effect on gameplay is very noticeable and adaptation to the lowered speed is required to succeed on the upper difficulty levels. Also, the fluidity of the animations is hampered by the problematic frame rate. Slap shots look far too disjointed and dekes are overly jumpy. It's a shame EA didn't take more time to hammer out these issues as they hamper an otherwise beautiful visual experience.
Audio:
The commentary is rock solid due to the exemplary voice work of ESPN's Clement & Thorne. Clement handles the color commentary while Thorne focuses on the play-by-play action. Both announcers add an authentic element to NHL 07 and have a fairly large amount of voice recordings. After playing about twenty games, I still occasionally hear a new comment from of the fellows.
The sound effects are also delightfully accurate. The crunch of taking down a rival with a bone crushing hit is an auditory delight. Crowd noises range from chanting phrases to cat-calling the refs for calls against the home team. The soundtrack is surprisingly catchy if you like rock tunes. While the rock genre is the only one represented, menu browsing is thankfully less tiresome, especially during the franchise mode.
Conclusion:
The unique control, fast paced gameplay, and gorgeous visuals are excellent indicators of the direction the series is taking. EA Sports still needs to heavily improve their multiplayer modes, achievement structure, and frame rate, but the future is getting brighter for EA hockey fans. I recommend renting the game to test out the new control system and decide if the multiplayer issues are worth putting up with.