September 03, 2008 | 11:18 AM PST
by: Sascha Lichtenstein
It's no secret that EA Sports hasn't pushed their hockey titles with the same level of vigor that they have the rest of their core sports brands in a long time. It's not exactly a mystery why that is, either. While the Canadian populace at large and a sprinkling of similarly intelligent folks around the globe may have embraced the simple truth that hockey is the single greatest sport in the history of mankind, the vast majority of Earth's population is still playing catch up. They'll 'get it' eventually, but in the mean time the market's lack of enthusiasm has forced EA to devote most of their budget toward Madden and NBA Live for the American audience, FIFA for the European audience, and Tiger Woods PGA Golf for the ever-broadening 'we love to be bored out of our skulls' demographic. The pecking order received a bit of a shake-up last year when EA Sports Vancouver put together NHL 08, the most innovative, well-executed and critically acclaimed sports game in years. Now the team up in Vancouver is looking to improve over last season's all-star effort and leave the rest of the games in EA's stable to play catch up alongside their fans.
The introduction of the skill stick system revolutionized the offensive component of virtual hockey by finally giving players a level of control over the puck that allowed them to pull off the kinds of fast, finessed maneuvers that set hockey apart as a sport. With one analog stick controlling the speed and direction of the player while the other controlled the motion of the players stick, you were able to put pucks through the legs of defensemen and pick it up on the other side, twist and spin through traffic to set up the shot or the pass, and aim precisely enough to pop the goalie's water bottle off the top of the net. Now certain players, we're strictly talking about the Sydney Crosbys and Jason Spezzas of the world here, can also pull of one-handed dekes, dangling the puck on a string at the tip of their stick to keep the puck out of range of the defense as they sprint for the breakaway or an opening for a clear shot on net. It's a nice addition that makes the best players on the ice really feel particularly dangerous. Fans that have been whining for the return of a speed boost button should a) get over it and b) be at least somewhat pleased by the ability for players to skate faster with the puck by pushing it out in front with their stick once they hit top speed. Doing so gives the player almost no control so they better save the ability for when they have some open ice, but it's pretty damn useful for taking advantage of bad line changes or poorly-positioned defensemen.
A new hockey revolution takes the ice.
The skating and AI systems in NHL 08 forced players to lay off the overzealous hitting that characterized previous NHL titles and focus more on positioning and pressure, but the actual act of pulling off defensive maneuvers still felt unsatisfying compared to the fun being had on the other side of the ice. NHL 09 adds a host of new defensive abilities performed via the skill stick that help make defending the net as engaging as attacking it. Poke-checking has been overhauled so that it's more effective, precise and fun to use. Poking the puck away from an opponent mid-deke is incredibly satisfying, especially if he's right beside you wailing in disappointment. Checking has been balanced a bit better, so it's a bit less all-or-nothing. Hockey players are always getting physical on the ice, pushing back and forth for position on the ice, grinding on the boards, and we saw a lot more of that this year. Perfectly lined up massive hits will completely knock players off the puck, but failing that, a defensive player will still be able to slow down players with less-than-perfect glancing hits instead of basically just bouncing off and falling completely out of position like last year. Finally, you can lift an attacker's stick with your own stick in order to rob them of the puck, which is a really handy skill. NHL 09 made us feel as effective and powerful in the defensive role as NHL 08 made us feel on offense.
The cumulative effect of all these small additions and refinements, along with AI that seems more than capable of exploiting them, is on-ice action that feels remarkably close to the real deal. If that doesn't quite pack the 'wow' value you want out of an update, then the new online feature set probably will. NHL 08 was one of the first EA sports titles to feature online leagues, a move that put EA Vancouver and the NHL franchise out in front of the pack and left a lot of Madden and NBA Live fans crying foul over the fact that they weren't treated first. Look for a repeat of the sentiment this season, because EA Vancouver is taking the next big step for online sports gaming with a massively multiplayer online league, creatively dubbed the EA Hockey League. Using a third person camera angle, you control only one player on the ice. Your teammates are controlled by other players (or at least three of them, anyway), all looking at their player from the same immersive view, and everyone is forced to play their position appropriately. If you're defensemen then keep your ass toward the back of the play so you can get back into your zone to cut off offensive rushes. Anyone unfamiliar enough with hockey to wonder where the hell they should be at any given time can toggle a dynamic arrow on the ice to keep them in check.
The possibilities this year are amazing.
Make no mistake, staying in position is important, it's one of the factors being tracked that your created player's value in the league is based on. Based on that, along with playing effectively as part of a team (learn to pass, puck-hogs!) and things like +/- average on the ice go towards 'leveling up' your character and building stats that complement your position and play-style. Groups of players will be able to form their own teams - complete with team name, team colors and logos – and those that are serious about winning will want to upgrade their players complementary ways. Having five offensively minded players on the ice isn't going to win you many games, you need a well-rounded team and you need people that know how to play hockey. Offensive success comes from cycling the puck, setting up screens in front of the goalie, drilling the puck from the point and converging on the net to jam that sucker home. Hockey isn't always pretty, sometimes the goals are dirty, sometimes you'll need to get gritty along the boards, mucking and grinding for that loose puck. You'll need to back each other up, call for support and tell your teammates where you need them if you're under pressure. Playing through those nuts-and-bolts of the game are what bring a team together on the ice, and it worked as such in the game as well. On the other hand, sometimes hockey can be beautiful, and scoring after a beautiful deke only to be piled on by your teammates in a post-goal celebration feels great too.
I'm not a fan of MMOs, but I was getting so into this game during those heated moments in front of the net that I was begging for a button to slam my stick on the ice when calling for a pass. Not that you need it with voice chat but old habits die hard. We'll have the final review next week, but from what we've played this already feels like the future of the sports genre.
The introduction of the skill stick system revolutionized the offensive component of virtual hockey by finally giving players a level of control over the puck that allowed them to pull off the kinds of fast, finessed maneuvers that set hockey apart as a sport. With one analog stick controlling the speed and direction of the player while the other controlled the motion of the players stick, you were able to put pucks through the legs of defensemen and pick it up on the other side, twist and spin through traffic to set up the shot or the pass, and aim precisely enough to pop the goalie's water bottle off the top of the net. Now certain players, we're strictly talking about the Sydney Crosbys and Jason Spezzas of the world here, can also pull of one-handed dekes, dangling the puck on a string at the tip of their stick to keep the puck out of range of the defense as they sprint for the breakaway or an opening for a clear shot on net. It's a nice addition that makes the best players on the ice really feel particularly dangerous. Fans that have been whining for the return of a speed boost button should a) get over it and b) be at least somewhat pleased by the ability for players to skate faster with the puck by pushing it out in front with their stick once they hit top speed. Doing so gives the player almost no control so they better save the ability for when they have some open ice, but it's pretty damn useful for taking advantage of bad line changes or poorly-positioned defensemen.
A new hockey revolution takes the ice.
The skating and AI systems in NHL 08 forced players to lay off the overzealous hitting that characterized previous NHL titles and focus more on positioning and pressure, but the actual act of pulling off defensive maneuvers still felt unsatisfying compared to the fun being had on the other side of the ice. NHL 09 adds a host of new defensive abilities performed via the skill stick that help make defending the net as engaging as attacking it. Poke-checking has been overhauled so that it's more effective, precise and fun to use. Poking the puck away from an opponent mid-deke is incredibly satisfying, especially if he's right beside you wailing in disappointment. Checking has been balanced a bit better, so it's a bit less all-or-nothing. Hockey players are always getting physical on the ice, pushing back and forth for position on the ice, grinding on the boards, and we saw a lot more of that this year. Perfectly lined up massive hits will completely knock players off the puck, but failing that, a defensive player will still be able to slow down players with less-than-perfect glancing hits instead of basically just bouncing off and falling completely out of position like last year. Finally, you can lift an attacker's stick with your own stick in order to rob them of the puck, which is a really handy skill. NHL 09 made us feel as effective and powerful in the defensive role as NHL 08 made us feel on offense.
The cumulative effect of all these small additions and refinements, along with AI that seems more than capable of exploiting them, is on-ice action that feels remarkably close to the real deal. If that doesn't quite pack the 'wow' value you want out of an update, then the new online feature set probably will. NHL 08 was one of the first EA sports titles to feature online leagues, a move that put EA Vancouver and the NHL franchise out in front of the pack and left a lot of Madden and NBA Live fans crying foul over the fact that they weren't treated first. Look for a repeat of the sentiment this season, because EA Vancouver is taking the next big step for online sports gaming with a massively multiplayer online league, creatively dubbed the EA Hockey League. Using a third person camera angle, you control only one player on the ice. Your teammates are controlled by other players (or at least three of them, anyway), all looking at their player from the same immersive view, and everyone is forced to play their position appropriately. If you're defensemen then keep your ass toward the back of the play so you can get back into your zone to cut off offensive rushes. Anyone unfamiliar enough with hockey to wonder where the hell they should be at any given time can toggle a dynamic arrow on the ice to keep them in check.
The possibilities this year are amazing.
Make no mistake, staying in position is important, it's one of the factors being tracked that your created player's value in the league is based on. Based on that, along with playing effectively as part of a team (learn to pass, puck-hogs!) and things like +/- average on the ice go towards 'leveling up' your character and building stats that complement your position and play-style. Groups of players will be able to form their own teams - complete with team name, team colors and logos – and those that are serious about winning will want to upgrade their players complementary ways. Having five offensively minded players on the ice isn't going to win you many games, you need a well-rounded team and you need people that know how to play hockey. Offensive success comes from cycling the puck, setting up screens in front of the goalie, drilling the puck from the point and converging on the net to jam that sucker home. Hockey isn't always pretty, sometimes the goals are dirty, sometimes you'll need to get gritty along the boards, mucking and grinding for that loose puck. You'll need to back each other up, call for support and tell your teammates where you need them if you're under pressure. Playing through those nuts-and-bolts of the game are what bring a team together on the ice, and it worked as such in the game as well. On the other hand, sometimes hockey can be beautiful, and scoring after a beautiful deke only to be piled on by your teammates in a post-goal celebration feels great too.
I'm not a fan of MMOs, but I was getting so into this game during those heated moments in front of the net that I was begging for a button to slam my stick on the ice when calling for a pass. Not that you need it with voice chat but old habits die hard. We'll have the final review next week, but from what we've played this already feels like the future of the sports genre.
