NHL 12 Review

Since NHL 93, I’ve been playing video hockey games. I was only 5 years old when I received my first copy of an NHL game, which happened to be NHL ’94, so I have some experience with NHL hockey video games. Simply put, NHL 12 is one of the best yet.

Gameplay

Hitting

I usually complain about the gameplay of whichever iteration of the NHL game I play every year, but this year, they got the gameplay down. The hitting system has been completely revamped over the past two years, with a greater emphasis on realism. The system relies on a player’s weight, speed, and position to be effective, and the days of knocking down everyone on the ice are a thing of the past. In addition to that, your player can fall with the opposing player if you hit your opponent hard enough. If a player isn’t hit as hard, they may stumble, fall to their knees, or your player may even fall.

Goalie Interaction

The next great feature of the game is the goalie interaction. You must be careful not to even run into the goalie, as you will now incur a penalty for any contact unless your opponent pushes you in. While this feature can be frustrating, you can score timely goals if you get in the goalie’s way enough.  The last significant gameplay feature is the wholly reworked puck physics, which has added a different feel to this year’s game. Players can miss rolling pucks, knuckle pucks can bounce off things and find their way into the net, and it just generally doesn’t feel as if the puck is stuck to you.

AI

The AI has also been tweaked, making the game much more enjoyable. CPU players will dump the puck into an empty corner if they have no play, force players to the outside for poor shots on defense, and generally make the best play available. The AI goalie, which was largely unreliable in years past, now makes many more saves and better decisions. There is still the occasional time when he throws out a puck at times when he shouldn’t, without user input, though. Finally, your CPU teammates stay onside much more easily, creating fewer headaches.

Game Modes

There are no new modes besides the Winter Classic, which is merely a tacked-on experience; however, there are some improvements to existing modes. Other reviewers may view the absence of new game modes as a negative; however, I beg to differ. This is an NHL hockey game. You can only make so many modes based on an NHL game, and EA has done a good job supporting the many that they have already implemented.

Be A Pro

Be a Pro introduces the ability to play 4 years in the CHL, starting as a 16-year-old rookie, but users can still begin their career in the NHL or opt to play only 1 year in the CHL. Players are now given tasks that pertain to the game, and each task completed gives bonus XP to the player. The ability to simulate your next shift is a welcome one. No more waiting out every time you leave the ice. There is also the ability to break records set by the game’s various legends or take a legend through a Be a Pro career in the Be a Legend mode.

Be A GM/EASHL/HUT

In Be a GM, not much has changed, and I believe that not much needs to be changed. You can control every aspect of your franchise, from the contracts to the lines to playing games. Retired numbers have made their way to the mode, along with rookie contracts and more realistic injuries. EASHL remains mostly the same; however, there is one small change: you now have five different builds, one for each position, and you must reach your legend card with both a goalie and a player. If you play both, they’re not combined. Ultimate Team introduces Ultimate Team 24/7, allowing you to play a user opponent even when they’re offline, with another feature from this year’s game: lineups. Now, you can set a lineup for each type of tournament you’re in so that you don’t have to waste time changing things every game you’re in.

Presentation

The presentation is second to none in this game. It’s the little aesthetics that make it complete. There are new camera cuts of influential players making great plays, and the Jumbotron shows the score. The commentary remains essentially the same and could be enhanced with new lines, but it’s still very good. The new action tracker is the most significant addition in terms of stats in years. It allows you to scout shots, faceoffs, goals, penalties, etc. You can scout all these stats and view them mid-game, at intermission, or at any time, which is helpful when strategizing. Helmets and masks fly off on hard contact, glass shatters from hard shots or hits, players can be knocked into the benches, the crowd seems more intense, and the benches react to plays.

Final Thoughts

This is usually where I’d tell you what I didn’t like about this game, but I can’t find many faults. Despite a pretty weak hockey soundtrack (however, there are custom soundtracks), this game does almost everything right. There are tiny tweaks here and there, but none of which I could mention have any effect on gameplay or fun factor. This game is incredibly realistic and accurately represents the NHL, with immersive online play. I guess the one thing I can complain about is that the EASHL should have many more options than it does; it’s your team, so you should be able to do anything with it, and in short, you can’t.

NHL 12 is the definitive NHL hockey experience. There’s a reason 2K took a couple of years off. You can’t compete with the quality of the hockey game EA has put out.