NHL 14 game Review

I have been playing NHL 14 for awhile now. I must say that it is one of the best hockey simulations that I have ever played. (and I have been playing NHL games since the early 1990's) One of the things that I think really pulls this years simulation by ea is the “true simulation” mode. To many times in games past you could almost just do anything you wanted. Once the puck was no your stick you were fine, you could move through other peoples out stretched sticks as if they weren't even there, the puck never hardly bounced, and it was just over all too easy in that aspect. I never really felt like it was a “true” hockey simulation. All you had to do was take the puck down the boards with your winger, center the pass, one timer, GOAL!!. While you can still do that to a certain extent in NHL 14 there have been a lot of tweaks in “true simulation” mode. For instance the puck bounces off of your stick a lot easier. If you try and receive a pass that was sent to you way too hard for you to handle the days of you just scooping it up and having full control are over. The puck can skip off your stick, it can bounce on you at the last second, sticks can break when your winding up for the shot, and so on. These small tweaks I feel add a lot more to the simulation feel of the game. There are still a few things that you can do to exploit the goalie AI a bit, but overall it is a lot better. If simulation hockey just isn’t your thing, and you would rather have a no rules no penalty just straight physical smash mouth hockey there is a throw back to NHL 95 mode where you can enjoy exactly that.

The matchmaking for online play seems to be improved over last season, and the overall enjoyment of playing online weather its ESHL, Vs mode, Hut, or any of the other various online modes is much higher for me this year. Another thing that I almost forgot to mention the new hitting animations is much smoother, and has a lot more animations then ever before. if you get bumped you will be pushed a little, but if you get lined up you are down off your feet and on the ice.

there is also a new enforcer system. VERY much improved, and the fighting takes styles from fight night and is much much more enjoyable.

While there are many, many positives for me in this title there are still a few down sides as well. Some people have figured out how to mess with the goalie AI so that they can score almost every time they get an inch of room on the ice in front. Way to solve that? Learn to play super tight defensive hockey in your own zone online. Sometimes you run into some pretty rude and over all un friendly people online. (you will find that with any game though.) Overall if you enjoy hockey then you need to get this game today. It features so many various game modes that when I go to play sometimes it takes me awhile to decide exactly what I want to work on. My Hockey ultimate team? My dynasty mode team with the avalanche? Should I get signed up for an online gm season? Maybe just some NHL 95 throw back fun. Overall I highly suggest this title to anyone who is a hockey, or even sports fan in general. Great game. you will not be disapointed