NHL 08
Posted October 15, 2007
This review will encompass three versions of EAs latest NHL game, creatively titled NHL 08. Having played through three versions of the title it’s safe to say that the PS3 and 360 version of the title are near identical, so no comments will be made with regards to this except for my comments on which controller I felt played best.
EA took to heart some of the feedback from the radically updated control scheme they implemented in 2007 by removing the mapping of passing to a forward push of the right analog stick. They wisely moved passing to the left shoulder button, thus freeing up the right stick to solely be used for shooting. This time around, pressing forward on the stick with no backwards motion will fire a wrist shot, while slap shots are still performed by winding up or pulling back on the stick and then following through to the top position. And yes, even after playing the title last year, it was still somewhat tricky to get into the groove of almost exclusively using the analog sticks. Sure, there’s an option for the new scheme challenged people who wish to enable the old style of using the face buttons to shoot and pass, but after playing with the full stick control, it’s tough to want to move backwards in time.
The controls are common across all three platforms, but using buttons for tasks such as passing and getting speed bursts is sorely missed on the current generation versions. Instead of pressing L1 to get a burst, simply pressing forward to skate is supposed to give you the edge, but really any speed improvement is barely perceivable and honestly not a bad thing to scale back in the game. By moving passing from the right stick to the buttons, more directions on the stick are now free for other controls and the Skill Stick has been improved on allowing for complete right / left control of your stick when you have the puck. This allows the player to pull a defender or the goalie out of position by drawing them to the puck while not having to leave their desired spot on the ice. This can open up the ice for quick pass to an open player or even to an open shot on the net. But not all is perfect with the scheme however, as one-timer shots are a lot less frequent, especially if you want to have your point man wind up with a huge slap shot.
On defense the stick becomes your method to perform a body check and, thanks to this, the chances of landing a huge hit to rattle the boards are slimmer. If you line up an opponent and they deke around you at the last second while you’re preparing to blast into them, you are all of a sudden out of the play and give the other team a huge advantage. As a result you will see a lot less massive open ice hits, and the body checking becomes a lot more precise and used to force plays.
Naturally the same modes of play are included as is the same year in and year out. Aside from the quick play option there is a World Tournament mode allowing you to take control of superstars worldwide, as well as a much needed practice mode. The Dynasty mode makes a comeback and offers all of the expected actions but also includes the full AHL season in conjunction with the NHL season. This allows you to play through both seasons concurrently and lets you focus on player development in the minors and adds some depth to the mode. Player creation is back again with a plethora of options for each character type, right down to the color of the stripes on the Eagle brand pads the goaltender wears. In addition to creating a player you have the option of creating your own team, which may be interesting but really where’s the fun in amassing a team of top ranked players who can never be defeated?
The coolest option in the game this year was the create a play mode. The mode lets you skate all five players on the ice independently to create a perfect play. Think of it as a recording session where one player moves at one time, then it’s played back as you move the other player and record their positions. Seeing a play you designed get used in a game is a very fun thing, unless of course you turn lame and try to make the Flying V a real play. Please, leave Emilio out of this game. Naturally an online option does exist in this game, with similar gameplay modes and options in them all. And thanks to EA requiring their own servers, there is no edge given to one version over the other.
Graphically the game is quite sharp, not taking too much of an improvement over last year’s game but still keeping up with the technology. The ice tarnishes as the periods pass, player animations are top notch and the new RBK Edge uniforms are shown in all their ugly glory. The sound is equally as impressive across platforms with crowds dynamically adjusting to the way the home team is playing and shots packing a lot of punch when they hit the post or the boards.
Year in year out EA and other sports game developers try to encourage players to repurchase their title. The changes to the control scheme this time around really help flesh out the first attempt at pure analog control for both skater and stick, almost always for the better. My preference for controls leans to the 360 controller for both feel of the trigger button as well as the slightly more stiff analog stick, which in a game like this isn’t too finicky; but for something like Tiger Woods where accuracy is essential, the stiff stick definitely gets an edge.
If you skipped out on the 2007 update to this game and are itching for new rosters, a better control scheme and some nasty looking new jerseys, EA’s title does satisfy all those requirements. Unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to play 2k8 to make a judgment on which NHL title takes the cup this year, but I can safely rank this title as recommended thanks to its improvements.
EA took to heart some of the feedback from the radically updated control scheme they implemented in 2007 by removing the mapping of passing to a forward push of the right analog stick. They wisely moved passing to the left shoulder button, thus freeing up the right stick to solely be used for shooting. This time around, pressing forward on the stick with no backwards motion will fire a wrist shot, while slap shots are still performed by winding up or pulling back on the stick and then following through to the top position. And yes, even after playing the title last year, it was still somewhat tricky to get into the groove of almost exclusively using the analog sticks. Sure, there’s an option for the new scheme challenged people who wish to enable the old style of using the face buttons to shoot and pass, but after playing with the full stick control, it’s tough to want to move backwards in time.
The controls are common across all three platforms, but using buttons for tasks such as passing and getting speed bursts is sorely missed on the current generation versions. Instead of pressing L1 to get a burst, simply pressing forward to skate is supposed to give you the edge, but really any speed improvement is barely perceivable and honestly not a bad thing to scale back in the game. By moving passing from the right stick to the buttons, more directions on the stick are now free for other controls and the Skill Stick has been improved on allowing for complete right / left control of your stick when you have the puck. This allows the player to pull a defender or the goalie out of position by drawing them to the puck while not having to leave their desired spot on the ice. This can open up the ice for quick pass to an open player or even to an open shot on the net. But not all is perfect with the scheme however, as one-timer shots are a lot less frequent, especially if you want to have your point man wind up with a huge slap shot.
On defense the stick becomes your method to perform a body check and, thanks to this, the chances of landing a huge hit to rattle the boards are slimmer. If you line up an opponent and they deke around you at the last second while you’re preparing to blast into them, you are all of a sudden out of the play and give the other team a huge advantage. As a result you will see a lot less massive open ice hits, and the body checking becomes a lot more precise and used to force plays.
Naturally the same modes of play are included as is the same year in and year out. Aside from the quick play option there is a World Tournament mode allowing you to take control of superstars worldwide, as well as a much needed practice mode. The Dynasty mode makes a comeback and offers all of the expected actions but also includes the full AHL season in conjunction with the NHL season. This allows you to play through both seasons concurrently and lets you focus on player development in the minors and adds some depth to the mode. Player creation is back again with a plethora of options for each character type, right down to the color of the stripes on the Eagle brand pads the goaltender wears. In addition to creating a player you have the option of creating your own team, which may be interesting but really where’s the fun in amassing a team of top ranked players who can never be defeated?
The coolest option in the game this year was the create a play mode. The mode lets you skate all five players on the ice independently to create a perfect play. Think of it as a recording session where one player moves at one time, then it’s played back as you move the other player and record their positions. Seeing a play you designed get used in a game is a very fun thing, unless of course you turn lame and try to make the Flying V a real play. Please, leave Emilio out of this game. Naturally an online option does exist in this game, with similar gameplay modes and options in them all. And thanks to EA requiring their own servers, there is no edge given to one version over the other.
Graphically the game is quite sharp, not taking too much of an improvement over last year’s game but still keeping up with the technology. The ice tarnishes as the periods pass, player animations are top notch and the new RBK Edge uniforms are shown in all their ugly glory. The sound is equally as impressive across platforms with crowds dynamically adjusting to the way the home team is playing and shots packing a lot of punch when they hit the post or the boards.
Year in year out EA and other sports game developers try to encourage players to repurchase their title. The changes to the control scheme this time around really help flesh out the first attempt at pure analog control for both skater and stick, almost always for the better. My preference for controls leans to the 360 controller for both feel of the trigger button as well as the slightly more stiff analog stick, which in a game like this isn’t too finicky; but for something like Tiger Woods where accuracy is essential, the stiff stick definitely gets an edge.
If you skipped out on the 2007 update to this game and are itching for new rosters, a better control scheme and some nasty looking new jerseys, EA’s title does satisfy all those requirements. Unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to play 2k8 to make a judgment on which NHL title takes the cup this year, but I can safely rank this title as recommended thanks to its improvements.