The Stanley Cup Playoffs are almost here, and that means two things.
1) The craziest, most heart-pounding two months in hockey - maybe in any sport - are coming.
2) the next NHL is going to get announced soon.
When it does get announced, though, NHL 16 will be facing an uphill battle, because 15 was one hell of a disappointment.
Was 15 a big presentation upgrade? Yes. But the game, on current gen, regressed the series almost everywhere else. From missing modes and features to some downright awful teammate and opponent AI, it's hard to defend NHL 15, especially when the promotion for the game leading up to release made it look absolutley incredible.
Seriously, I cannot stress enough how beautiful this trailer is.
It's tough to say with complete confidence that 16 can easily right the ship either, because that game is going to have to accomplish a lot.
Here is a quick list of what NHL 16 has to do, starting with...
Game Modes
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| EA Sports Forums |
Those modes have to make their debut with NHL 16. No excuses. I even want to see the NHL 94 Anniversary mode make the jump to the current gen as well, blue ice and all.
All of this has to be ready for day one, too. When 15 launched last September, EA added a playoff mode and 5-v-5 online team play, along with other missing parts from Be A Pro and Be A GM, later on. But that's something EA shouldn't try to do again. Don't have players leaving the store with the idea that they just paid $60 for a game that isn't finished yet.
While getting the series back up to snuff feature-wise should be one of the main focuses for NHL 16, it is still a new game, so there are also going to have to be some new things that get thrown into the mix as well. I'm thinking the All-Star Skills Competition and a World Juniors mode are long overdue.
Gameplay
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| LetsGoFlyers.net |
This one is pretty simple, the revamped skill stick and physics were nice improvements, but the AI needs fixing.
Computer-controlled players need to have better awareness of what is happening around them. I couldn't even keep count of the number of frustrating offsides calls I've experienced this year, all because teammates would glide straight into the offensive zone, even though I was still behind them with the puck.
The computer-controlled players also need better contextual awareness. Whether my team was on the penalty kill or the power play, teammates never really seemed to act differently, and that can cause problems.
Presentation
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| PSNation.com |
The NBC broadcast graphics and music, along with Doc Emrick and Eddie Olczyk in the booth were nice touches that did a great job in making the game feel more authentic. Those graphics are going to need some updating, though, as NBC changed them all at the Winter Classic, and Doc's play-by-play in the game did get stale after a while, so a few more hours in the recording booth can help keep things fresher in NHL 16 for a little while longer.
NHL 16 also needs to have improved menus, which might sound like a strange nitpick, but 15's menus were slow and unresponsive. When I select something, the game should jump right to it as soon as I hit the button, not wait a couple seconds for it to register.
Oh yeah, and team celebrations with more than two players would be much appreciated, too.
Oh yeah, and team celebrations with more than two players would be much appreciated, too.
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| Operation Sports |
It's a tall order, but we'll start seeing what EA has planned soon. If last year is any indication, an official announcement should be coming around the early part of May.
For more on NHL 15, click here to watch 2BC Productions' review of the current gen version. The video goes more in-depth about many of the same problems that left the game coming up short.
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So how awesome was Easter Sunday?
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