NHL 10 Review

It’s that time of the year again. The warriors of the ice have returned to the rink and are ready to unleash the brutality that only hockey can bring. EA Canada has done it again by bringing the most amazingly realistic experience possible to their game. As with Fight Night Round 4 , NHL 10 gives both hardcore fans and casual fans an in-depth hockey unrivaled by other franchises.

For the record, I am not a hockey fan in the slightest. The only sport I’m even remotely into is NCAA Football. After my experience with NHL 10, that might change a little. I never knew that hockey was so much fun to watch, let alone interact with. NHL 10 does a great job depicting how much skill it takes to precisely handle a puck, along with the timing and coordination required to take an accurate shot on the goal.

No button mashing will get points on the board, you have to really work for it. Luckily you get to hand out some beat-downs along the way. By far the coolest addition to this year’s edition of the game, is the first person fighting. At first it’s kind of hard to get used to, but once you learn how to get out of the way of the punches and parry, a satisfying slow-mo knockout will soon be yours (remind you of a certain boxing game from EA?).

NHL 10 offers a very nice selection of game modes. The “create a player” is just as deep as every other EA Sports game, and the “Be a Pro” mode is a nice challenge for those looking to get deep into their video game puck-smacking counterpart’s evolution into a hockey star. Season mode is what you would expect, as it is usually the same every year. I was more impressed, however, by the different practice modes. There is a practice set-up for many different scenarios, and the skills you learn can really help you get out of a jam when in the middle of a tough game. I found myself playing 3 on 5, trying repeatedly to get more goals than the computer could save, but was met with a brick wall of rejection 85 percent of the time. Playing as a goalie is fun but I would recommend staying in the practice mode for the goalie for a while before trying your luck online.

Which brings me to the mode that impressed me the most: online play. Sure, there is your normal fare of quick match, ranked match, etc. But the online league play is what really pulled me in. All of the game-winning glitches aside, working with a team using actual communication is much more fun than outsmarting a computer program (and sometimes easier…but mostly harder). I’m not the most skilled player in the world, but I felt a sense of accomplishment getting even B ratings online against some serious hockey fanatics. Just make sure you are friends with the people on your team before joining up and playing, or you will be in for a rather annoying experience.

Aesthetically, EA Canada brings the hockey experience to life. The facial animations match what you would see while watching the real thing. I can not say the crowds were the best looking ever, but then again, we’re here for the hockey, not the thousands of people getting drunk and watching. The announcers are just as repetitive as any other sports game, and honestly I get tired of terms like “five hole” and “deke”. These announcers love to use them in excess as if to really show off their knowledge of the sport they obviously adore. The soundtrack is pretty decent with a nice variety, which makes sense as I am not aware of a specific type of music related to the sport. Probably the best (and most satisfying) sound work in the game, is the body check. You don’t even have to see the hit, you can feel it was a bone crusher simply from the loud smack followed by a resounding thud.

Overall, NHL 10 is the same thing you get in every year’s iteration. The additions of board play, enhanced stick control, and first person fighting all make it a valid purchase in the long run, especially for fans of the series. EA Sports once again proves why they are the dominant developer in the simulated sports world, by making you feel the experience rather than play it. They made a believer out of me and somewhat a fan, as they did with Fight Night Round 4. Of the reviews I have done thus far, NHL 10 was the biggest surprise enjoyment of them all. I highly recommend NHL 10 as a buy for casual and hardcore fans, and at least as a rental for all of those curious to step into the rink.