NHL 10 | Xbox 360 | Sports | September 15th, 2009

You may be wondering, what makes a new sports game release so relevant every year? What’s so different about it that makes it something more then a roster update? There are many questions going through minds of sports gamers and quite frankly I believe all those questions are irrelevant. We should be grateful we aren’t being milked by DLC and instead offered up new challenges and new updates in every new release. In the case of EA Sports’ NHL 10, the game receives a complete makeover in both aesthetics and gameplay, giving us a brand new hockey experience. Moving on, let’s take a look at why NHL 10 completely raises the bar for hockey games yet again.

With NHL 10 finally in our hands; it looks like even EA was faced with the question of “What could we possibly do next?” after last years NHL 09. The new features come in the form of new modes like “Battle for the Cup Mode” lets you pick two teams to compete in a 7 game stand off for the Stanley Cup without the hassle of the regular season. There is also a “Playoff Mode” that is basically the same concept, but allows you to choose your team and battle it out in the 4 rounds of the playoffs for Lord Stanley. The final new addition is “Season Mode” which gives you one year to make it all happen. This is mostly garnered to the casual player who doesn’t have the interest in devoting to the regular season. Everything else is pretty much the same as it appeared last year.

 

The popular “Be A Pro Mode” returns with even more features this time around. You’ll begin in the minor leagues in hopes to build up enough skill to play on a spot of the NHL team you are drafted too. You’ll be in for the long haul and it’s a great achievement to watch as your player grows and develops into the NHL player you’re meant to be. There is a bit of a side twist to all of this as there is a new NHL Shop. Here you’ll be able to purchase all kinds of gear for your player to help boost attributes and increase your skill. If you’re really into the sport and want to build your dream team you can join in on “Be a GM Mode”. Here you’ll be taking on all the tasks of a GM of any given team for 25 consecutive years. You’ll have all the tools necessary to build your franchise and become a contender. 

Taking the game online allows players to play with up to 6 players on a team, join in on online leagues for the regular season, or take on another friend in the now famed shootout or full game. The NHL series has gotten to the point where there’s little you can do to make the game feel “new and fresh” again. While NHL 10 does faithfully represent the game of hockey, we are again left wondering this year, what they could possibly do for next years release. The new additions are basically add-ons to currently existing modes but there’s still no other sports game out there with as many options.

 

Though the design might not have changed much, the gameplay has certainly gotten most of the attention. The new board play mechanic sees itself as being completely random much like it is in the real sport. When multiple players gather for the puck against the boards, a scramble ensues. Here you must get your team mates to back you up and get the puck either out of the zone or make a pass for a scoring chance. Whatever you do after the whistle like; taking a shot on goal, face washing players or hitting the goalie forces the opposing team’s tough guy to go after you. Momentum and intimidation are two big words in hockey and with scrums after the whistle, playing the sport just got a little more interesting. Adding to the fact there are actually repercussions given if you bicker with penalties. If you’re locked up in bickering with another player, you can enter into another new gameplay addition called “first-person fighting”. While the novelty is nice, it does get a little tiresome when you realize that the game stops itself after every whistle waiting to see players roughing each other up with no way to skip it. Then again it does add to the realistic presence of the sport.

The “first-person fighting” is probably about as realistic as it gets when it comes to fighting in the sport. Using the analog sticks as your punches, you’ll hold and grab the player’s jerseys and begin to aim your punches. Your fingers will get a workout so make sure you’re not already tired to begin with. Finally checking isn’t as crazy as it was a couple of years ago. With NHL 09 it was toned down to a more realistic level, but with NHL 10 it’s toned down even further. There are plenty of situations where you’ll be given to check a player but can’t. Thanks to the amped up player skill there is a lot more strategy to take into account. No longer do you go around hitting people like there’s no tomorrow like we did in NHL Hitz. Finally, the puck physics are a lot more random this year. When NHL 09 introduced “lifting the stick”, it wasn’t as necessary as it is in NHL 10. The puck being as random as it is will bounce around everything and in order for you to gain proper control you have to make sure you know what you’re doing.

 

The player models in NHL 10 don’t quite look like their player counterparts, but it’s getting there. Certain players look pretty good while others look like the developers weren’t even trying to begin with. The overall presentation has a nice edge to it that NHL 09 didn’t have even when you take a look at the intro scene. Player animations are improved with players fixing their sticks after the whistle and celebrating goals. The crowd itself has gotten a nice overhaul. Thankfully women were finally inserted in the crowd because there are women that like hockey just as much as the guys. Crowd animations give way too towel waving in the playoffs, fans banging against the glass and new cheering and booing animations as well. The camera is much more easily focused this year and hasn’t changed much.

Bill Clement and Gary Thorne return for with year 2 under their belt as your broadcasters. You’ll hear much of the same script as you did last year with a few new long-winded additions. At times though, the commentators fail to catch up to the action on the ice and thus provide rather awkward moments through every game. They are fun to listen too, don’t get me wrong, however it would be nice if there was a little more personality and a livelier script. I would have to say get Mike “Doc” Emerick into the sound booth and I can guarantee you will get a much livelier game at every turn. The new cheers offer more variety during the season and the playoffs. Outside of that, expect all the bells and whistles you’d come to know out of a hockey game.

 

Replayability. It’s a word that every gaming consumer needs to know. Does the game have good replay value? If you’re a casual fan at heart, NHL 10 offers just enough to give you a taste of the sport. For the hardcore purist, the game satisfies on practically every level. However, one little trinket that is missing from the hardcore standpoint is the goal review. Not asking for much, but a not brief break in the action for strange goals. It would be nice to see goals denied because of the strange or illegal entry. Outside of that, all EA Sports can really do at this point is continue to improve on the Be A Pro modes and online service.

Overall, NHL 10 is an excellent experience to the hockey line of video games. The NHL 2k series still has a lot of catching up to do against EA Sports. You won’t go wrong giving NHL 10 a run whether you rent it or buy it. The sheer quality and attention to detail give NHL 10 an upper edge in the competition against 2k Sports. While there isn’t a Wii version in running, that shouldn’t deter fellow consumers as the game is just casual enough that it smoothly introduces you into the sport. NHL 10 is one sports game you wouldn’t want to miss, hardcore or not.