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It's video gaming's worst kept secret that EA has made piles of cash by skating by (pun intended) on the former reputations of their various game franchises. EA's NHL series was the first game to really give you the feel of real NHL hockey on a console, and ever since it's been hit or miss (since PS2 it's been mostly miss, just ask the folks at 2K Games.) What most people have had issues with in the last half-dozen iterations has been the ultra-arcade-like gameplay: hitting turbo at all times, lining up huge checks that send opponents sprawling, goalies that often made little or no consistent sense. Well, here we are and a lot of these issues have finally been addressed... whether you like the outcome or not.
So let's get down to it, what's new? Well first off, Turbo is out the window, so don't bother looking for the Turbo button. Speed is based purely on momentum, which sure simulates real hockey a lot better than jamming on a button the whole game. Second: there is no check button, you now check with the right analog stick. And even when you do execute a check, sometimes you'll be hard pressed to notice a difference. A far cry from just pounding the Triangle button and sending whomever sprawling across the ice. Poke checking is now done (poorly) with a combination of the right analog stick and R1. So instead of a jabbing stick motion, you get this odd, floaty, zombie-esque move that really doesn't end up resembling anything like a poke-check as we knew it. And to back up a previous reviewer's comment: you are correct, nowhere in the book does it state how to win a face-off, but to do so you have to use the right analog stick, wait until the puck drops, then flick it quickly towards one of your players, then you'll win some face-offs. Pretty realistic, eh? Well, yes... and that's what's going to frustrate a LOT of people.
You see, despite all of the perennial belly-aching about NHL not being "real enough" now that it is starting to lean towards more realism it is a much more difficult game, sometimes bordering on anger-inducing. Take, for example, the simple act of shooting. What once was confined to a wrist-shot button and slapshot button is now an exercise in analog stick timing. So you're speeding down the ice in the 2nd period (towards the bottom of your TV screen), you are pressing down on the left analog-stick & in order to take a slapshot you push the right analog-stick up (this swings your stick back) then bring the right analog-stick forward while at the same time aiming the shot with the left analog-stick (that also governs the direction you are skating). If it sounds difficult to do, it kinda is, and message boards are filled with angry rants from gamers who just can't "get it" well enough to be adept at scoring. Though you will be happy to know that passing is a simple press of R2, that much hasn't changed. And for wrist-shots, just a quick flick forward on the right-analog-stick will execute a wrister, but go too far to either side and your skater will promptly stick handle the puck to that side, because both actions are mapped to the same analog-stick (just like skating & aiming your shot on the Left.)
So it is a little tougher to be truly "good" at the game, and the CPU AI is also much-improved. Defenses will adapt to your play-style (they actually will, no baloney, play and see) and on offense they will prove a challenge even on the Medium Pro level. Few things are as demoralizing as playing a home-game and hearing the crowd boo louder & louder as your defense is powerless to get the puck off of a wheeling & dealing offense in your defensive zone.
Presentation-wise, it's mostly aces. Bill Clement & Gary Thorne are possibly the best sports video-game announcing crew in the industry (up there with Nessler/Corso/Herbstreit in NCAA, and Vasgersian/Campbell/Hudler in MLB) but the one thing that is missing is the usual cut-scene treatment where they fawn over a certain player, telling you all about his attributes & how he plays the game. The lack of it really does stand out & makes the game a little less engaging as a result. But on the plus-side their commentary will actually respond to how well/poorly you are playing the game. Need strategy help? Listen to what they say about your team. And one more niggling presentation bug: once the whistle stops, it's best not to touch any buttons because if you do and there is any sort of penalty being called, or player info being displayed, it will treat it immediately like a Skip command and the info will flash in a millisecond and disappear. Kinda annoying, play it once and you'll understand what i mean.
So the haters finally have the closest thing to a sim-revolution that EA is ever likely to give them, and reading the reviews will show you that not everyone is pleased. Guess it goes back to the old adage: Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
p.s.
As a disclaimer, i should add that there is indeed an option to use "Classic Style" controls, meaning using face-buttons for shots, etc. etc. etc. though i feel that using this control scheme basically negates most if not all of the features that move the series forward. But, if you do find the new control schemes overwhelming, there is the Classic button setup option for you.
p.p.s.
Yes, the reviews are right, NHL 08 blows the doors off of NHL 2K8, which is very odd, given that such an occurrence hasn't happened in video-game land in years. Proper credit to EA where it is due.
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Up till now I have always considered EA sports to be the forefront in sports games against the 2k line. I bought this after "somewhat" enjoying a fantasy draft franchise on 2k7. I am an actual hockey player of 15 years so I know how the game should play or atleast feel. I got nothing but angry when playing this game though. I spent most of the game trying to figure out how to do a face off because nowhere in the instructions does it say how to. I still don't think I'm doing them right, because I never win one, this in itself can be very demoralizing because it's an integral part of the game.The 2nd and most important thing was it just did not feel like a hockey game, I was too busy chasing the "perfect" passing computer around and never being able to line up a good check, and when I used the poke check it never seemed to even phase the computer. Also when I just tried to cover off men and play positional hockey, they would just skate around my computer team mates like nothing.
When I had the puck all I could really do is skate an even rush into their zone and either one of my passes got intercepted and turned back or I took a crappy shot from a bad angle. It's almost impossible to dump and chase and dig the puck out of the boards because the computer is just perfect at reacting to these situations.
All in all it did not feel like I was playing much of a hockey game and turning down the difficulty did not make it feel any more like one. It still felt like I had to 1 man rush the puck to the opposite side every time or the computer would take the puck back every time. Anyways after about 4 hours of gameplay I'm ready to put it away and try the 2k version, last year's wasn't all that bad, definitely nothing new but atleast something I could get into and feel like I'm playing hockey.Overall this game would be great, but EA has had some programming problems in this particular version of the game....
Pros: Realistic in some ways... Devastating checking if you line them up right.
Cons: Balance between the computer goalie and your goalie is horrible, Every computer controlled player has the ability to make your players look like rookies when they have the puck (even the ones you know aren't offensive players). Sloppy coding in the game which causes the game to stop runing even when your PS3 is working correctly. The new controls are horrible and you can't default the set up to the classic controller scheme. The interface that you use to advance through the season becomes jittery and almost unstable looking when you're simulating the days you don't have games to play. Penalties are balanced so that the computer will be on the power play a lot more than you. The computer "dives" too much without being penalized for it.
If I could play more than one game without it having problems it would have a higher rating. But this is a problem that I had with the XBox 360 version as well.
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NHL 08 is one of the best games of hockey I've played since NHL 94' on the SNES. The controls are tight, the graphics are crisp and clean, and the A.I. is amazingly life-like.PROs:
Graphics
Physics Engine
No Speed Burst Button
Accurate Depiction of an NHL Game
CONs:
Difficult (even on lower levels)
Controls take some times to get use to
Still some soft goals get in (seems to be a glitch)
Body checking is sometimes a challange
You'll hit the post no less than 8 times per game (WTF?)
All in all it is a very satisfying expierence. If you want a hockey sim, this is the game to get. It's the best hockey game in a long time.I was initially skeptical about NHL 08. I was a 2K Sports player for years as EA never seemed to get what hockey was really about. To put it simply, the 2K series tended to be hockey simulators while the EA games tended to be arcade games. That all changed with NHL 08.
The biggest change, and the biggest positive, in the game compared to its compatriots (regardless of brand) is the notion of positioning being important. Just like in its real-life counterpart, since obstruction is being enforced, defensive positioning is paramount. In NHL 08, you'll actually be called for tripping or holding. You'll actually be called for interference, and even elbowing. All of this means that you'll be acutely aware of where your defenders are in relation to the puck carrier and possible passing lanes.
Perhaps even more compelling is that the opponent AI understands these factors as well. Trust me when I say you will be beat by Ovechkin on a backdoor play. You will be beat by a tip-in of a cross-crease pass because a defender is out of position. You will be beat by the opposing defense using your own defenders as a screen for their slapshots.
Graphically, the game is solid. Skaters kick up snow when they stop suddenly. The goalie's water bottle gets shot to the end glass if you roof one by him. Hats are thrown when there's a hat trick. The uniforms are all legit, and look good.
The audio is generally good. Gary Thorne and Bill Clement are great announcers, but, like with all sports games, have a limited amount of dialogue. The crowd seems pretty lifelike, even starting chants for a certain player, or if your team is mouting a comeback.
Two things hold this game from reaching five stars:
1. The controls take a while to get used to. This is especially true if you come from 2K Sports. They're very simple once you get used to them, but there is a learning curve.
2. Fighting seems to be an afterthought. While you can fight against an opposing player (which is instigated by, of all things, slashing them), the controls are a bit of a mystery. Unfortunately, the manual doesn't help because there are no fighting instructions in it. From what I can tell, the right stick controls the punching (somewhat like EA's Fight Night games) and the face buttons control other actions, but it's all a bit of a crapshoot. Thankfully, fighting is pretty rare in the game.
Overall, NHL 08 is just about perfect. If you enjoy hockey games, I recommend picking it up.
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