Customer Reviews

ESPN NHL 2K5

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

ESPN NHL 2k5 is a good game, but not great. I am a little biased, because I enjoy EA sports games more than the ESPN titles...But due to the fact that NHL 2005 from EA is no different than the 2004 version (which i loved by the way), i was forced into buying ESPN...plus with no hockey this year most likely, i had to have some hockey right?

The pros: the gameplay of ESPN is great. The graphics are definitely up to par and the goalies are good enough so that it is actually hard to score on them on higher skill levels. (No longer will you find the score to be 10-7, that is unless you suck really bad or are incredibly good). The hits are realistic only because its not like NHL 05 in that all that game is, is a hits fest. Paul Kariya cannot crush everyone on the ice, and he cannot whoop people in fights. Which brings me to the fight category, which is definitely a great addition to the game. Now you can have range of the whole ice and not just be in a stationary stance like all of the previous hockey games invented. Another plus is the franchise mode in general. There really are so many little details in franchise mode that it is too tough to explain in here.

The pros: So many penalties! Even with the penalties just halfway up the meter (which is the default setting) you can get about 10 powerplays a game. Very unrealistic and quite frustrating when you try to focus a lot on having a good powerplay. I average about 1/12 on the powerplay, which is horrible when you try to stack up to other teams in the league. The commentators repeat a lot of the same things over and over again. You find this in many games, but this game is particularly bad in this category. Not too big of a deal, just a small thing that is easily fixed by just turning the volume down.

Overall, the game is good, but dont expect to be BLOWN away by anything. It is definitely a game worth playing for the year until NHL 2006 comes out (hopefully with some changes than the previous 2 versions :/)

-Bryan

First, the price alone is amazing. Video game technology is cheap now so the $50 price tag should be removed from all games. Back to 2K5, The graphics are the best ever seen on an NHL game. The improvement over last years version is incrediable! Commentary is much better. Yes, still repetitive sometimes, but alot more different comments and play-by-play announcing. The crowd even reacts to the action on the ice. Ring a shot off the post at home or not your opponent on his ass you will see what I mean about the crowd reaction! The controls have improved beyond expectations. You know literally control your every move. There are more extras than I have time to describe. But the table ice hockey is great. But the Franchise mode is the best improvement. It is more indepth and you can scout and control your minor league team as well. Everyone complains about the "freezing up" I have not had it happen to me. I am in the month of March of the franchise. But that does not mean there is not a problem. I just have not experienced it.
But the best part is playing on Xbox Live! It opens an all new realm to hockey.
The difficulty levels have improved this year as well. I dominated on All-Star level on 2k4 winnig games 20-2. This year, Pro is not easy. Yes, I have won games 10-2, but those types of games happen in real hockey as well. So I know that All-Star and Hall of Famer will not be easy.
Again, Sega smashes EA Sports when it comes to hockey. This game is a must for hockey fans who want a sim hockey game. If you want arcade type action and game play, go with EA Sports or NHL Rivals, or better yet NHL HITZ PRO. But 2K5 is well worth $20 and a few hours of game time! GO AVALANCHE!!

ESPN NHL 2K5 is the second "budget-priced" ESPN title to appear this year and it is again worth every penny. For NHL fans like myself, this may be the only hockey we get to see this year! The game itself is essentially the same as last year's edition, but the player graphics have received an upgrade. The jerseys have more of a shine to them and the wrinkles are clearly visible. Player faces also display emotion, which is kind of cool. Control is tight as usual, the gameplay itself is improved over last year (no more skating around the loose puck 5 times before your player grabs it), and there is a plethora of options and mini-games.

Like the NFL Title, Xbox owners can customize their own music tracks that play throughout the game, however this version isn't quite as intricate as NFL's. In this game, you can only select the song that plays, not the particular portion of that song... which was disappointing to this diehard Leafs fan. When I score a goal, the game already supplies the proper Air Canada Center sound effect... all I need is Zombie Nation to kick in afterwards. Oh well. It's a minor nitpick.

Overall, if you enjoyed last year's game, you'll be pleased with this year's edition. And for $19.99, you really can't go wrong.

the last sega nhl game i had was 2k2, and that was a big disappointment, so since then i have been playing ea sport's nhl series, but it was starting to get old. it was the same game with new bells and whistles.

i just got this game today, and i tell you, it was well worth it. it is a very fun and challanging hockey SIMULATION. thats right, it is challanging, AND a simulation. it's not like ea where you can have the game for a day and already be playing on difficult. im on rookie and it is still hard. and this is someone who was winning 12-0 on the highest setting in nhl 2004.

the contact stick is a great idea, and a lot better than ea's bruise control. you hit the right analog stick and, depending on which direction you move it, you can slash, hook, or even elbow. the players move precisely and shoot where you aim. passing is nice and simple, and the fighting kicks ass. it is the best fighting engine i have ever seen. it took ea's new fighting system, and added a sort of mortal kombat aspect to it. very fun indeed.

the graphics are very good as well. the player faces and models, though goofy, are very nice to look at. the proportions aren't quite right, but they still look very good. i love how the helmets shine in the light. the arenas dont look as great as they do on the xbox, simply because they put so much into the game (which i have no problem with), and the ps2 isnt as powerfull as the box, there are no polygonal fans. the arenas all look like their real-life counter parts though. the cut scenes all look very nice as well, and some are sort of amusing. it would have been cool to see more intros, but what are you going to do.

the sound is where this game really shines. all the sounds of the sticks, skates, and especially the crowd, are very well done. when your goalie gets on a streak, the fans start chanting their name. the announcers are very awesome too. im a huge hockey fan, and i usually hate gary thorne and bill clement, but unlike in real life, they actually commentate on the game at hand. when the crowd starts to cheer, they make a comment about it, and when your goalie makes a great save, they show the emotion as if they were really there. i like how they give a little bio on some of the players on your team between whistles.

the skills competition is major fun. the only thing is you can only choose 5 players to do every single event, not 5 for each. other than that minor flaw, it is perfect. the party games and skybox modes are very fun as well. they really add to the replay value of the game. the franchise mode is deep and fun, too.

now one thing i always look for in a good game, and one thing that kind of let me down, was the celebrations. you very rarely get a celebration cut scene after a goal, but when you do, they are very cool. the stanley cup celebration is fun to watch also.

the players still move awkardly as they have in years past, but it doesn't take away from the game one bit. this is definatly the game to get this year. if you do want ea's game, i suggest getting '04 and updating the rosters, '05 seems like more of the same.

IT'S ONLY $20!
Last years 2k4 took great steps to incorporate real hockey presentation with smooth game play. The effort was more than noteworthy but something was lacking. This year the 2k series seems to have picked up steam and has made necessary changes while adding new features that make this game more than enjoyable.
IT'S ONLY $20!
First off, for the causal hockey fan, this game does everything it can to keep things simple. You have your speed burst, poke check, shoot, slap shot, and check buttons when playing. The difficulty has been started of at almost too easy but never worry, there are many settings you can tweak to adjust to your level of play.
IT'S ONLY $20!
The advance users can use a more advanced control scheme. From pinning your opponent to the boards, catching air borne pucks, dumping the puck - you name it, this game's got it. You can even switch to a player not controlling the puck and call for the pass!
IT'S ONLY $20!
Game play this year seems the same pace it was last year with only a few gripes to voice. First the face off animations are awesome but right after dropping the puck the game seems to move in slow motion for second - and not on purpose. Goalie animations are mediocre at best. Come on, butterfly means putting your pads where u can see the whole face, not at an angle. Either motion capture is in experienced or animation department is a little off. Either way, there are just not enough save animations for the netminders. Other than these two nit-picks, the game is smooth as butter, or cream, or your favorite drink...you get the picture. Player animations are awesome, fighting is a lot more realistic with the new fighting engine, and scoring goals top-shelf never felt better.
IT'S ONLY $20!
Modes of play have changed allowing users to participate in mini party games which are just a blast! Exhibition, Franchise -which now has minor league teams with scouting, Tournament, Quick Game, and Live play will also keep you glued to your TV for hours. Even if you don't feel like playing any games there is always the more than welcome Skills Competition.

So hey - if you ever buy just one hockey game this year or any year please make it ESPN NHL 2K5. After all it's just twenty dollars. That's it. And, at this price tag, it's more than a steal - but don't feel guilty, this game just rocks.

P.S. I pray for the NHL season this year. They better come to an agreement. I NEED my hockey.

I've been anxtious for the release of this game ever since May and now that it's finally here i'm very happy to say that it was worth the wait. I did not purchase ESPN NHL 2004 becuase i thought that this was suppose to come out earlier but, now that i have this game i must say this is better. Eventhough i don't have the older version i have played it and i like this one better. First of all there are many new gameplay features in this game that improve the game a lot. The new intense contact controls let you perform cheap shots, which can be very useful but dangerous because if a reff. notices it you'll be sitting down. The online play has been revamped this year and you can now manage your own leagues. The game is very realistic and has great flow(unlike EA's game). There are also a ton of minigames to play if you get bored of playing a real game. These minigames allow you to break away from the usual game and build up skills at the same time(which is very fun).

There are too many new features to talk about in NHL 2k5 so i'll just have to say you have to buy this game and experience the coolest game on earth! (sorry, but i had to do that!)

Overall: 10/10
graphics: 9/10
gameplay: 10/10
fun factor: 10/10
sound: 8/10
value: for 20 bucks of course it gets a 10/10 you can't beat that price for a fantastic game like this!

ok let me start off by saying this game does freeze occasionally, and this is caused, at least in my case, by the system scratching the game. i had a similar problem with madden 02, where either they made the cd too thick or my system is just dirty.

the graphics in this game, though not nearly as good as the cybermapped faces of EA's game, are very good. the whole espn presentation makes me feel like im controlling a real life game. i've had people walk in while i was playing think i was watching espn classic. the movements and animations of the characters, though goofy, flow perfectly.

the speed of this game is perfect as well. right out of the box it's perfect. you dont have to mess with any of the games many, and I mean many, sliders. your team reacts so well to everything going on on the ice, and your defense and goalies will not let in 20835729087359 goals a game. which brings up another point, the goalies.

the goalies in this game are amazing. neither team will let in a mass amount of goals, every game is a reasonable score, unless you are playing finland against belarus. anyway, the animations of the goalies is flawless. in EA's game, the goalies seem to flop around hasek style, and they tend to not play like their real life nhl brothers. in ESPN, each goalie plays similarly to his own style, and the goalies are rated very well, and play as well as they are rated. you won't have a goalie with a rating of 49 shutting out a team with a goalie of 95 10-0.

the coup de grase of this game is its franchise mode. it is beyond words. you control almost everything. hiring coaches, scouts, trainers, minor league staff. and it all affects your team. i couldnt believe the offseason either. the scouting in this game is amazing. you can actually play games and go through skills competitions with players before you draft them. there's so much more that i just dont have the time or space to talk about.

when all is said and done, for 20 bucks, you are getting a game that is worth 50. this game hip checks EA right over the boards and into the opposing bench. this is a true hockey simulation with a million different modes that i forgot to mention. party mode, shootout, skills comp, franchise (the best i have ever seen), pond hockey, mini rink mode, international, playoffs, tournament, no helmet, even the heritage classic. this game is loaded with hours and hours and hours of fun.

All around, this is the best hockey game available...tons of modes (including the new party mode, which is fun and different)...tons of unlockables (including historic teams and jerseys, unique rinks, no helmet mode play)...tons of good, top gameplay hockey...despite what some others have said, the graphics are actually quite good...the default camera has the players fairly small, which is what I think some are reacting to, but after playing this way, I prefer it because you can see more of the rink as a play develops and when passing...net, there is no reason to spend $50 on EAs inferior hockey offering when you can spend $20 for the best

While NHL 2K5 is a nice step along the development road for the series, the main goal of the product was to beat EA's NHL 2005 out the door and get it out cheaper. Unforetunately, while some improvements are made the quicker and cheaper route shows through and holds this game back.

On the positive side, many great new features were added. The mini games are amusing and a great hockey party game. The dream team ladder tournament, which pits you against various dream teams assembled by NHL players is a great idea, and the inclusion of a minor league team management system in franchise mode adds a ton of depth. They even added in trivia and shuffleboard to the Skybox's Game Room!

The challenge modes are where the first big changes are noticed. In NHL 2K5, all challenges are avaliable to the player immediately - all the level 1 challenges don't have to be beaten to unlock level 2 etc. In some ways this is good: waiting around to win that one Stanley Cup Finals game so you could attack the "Get 5 Big Hits" challenge seemed kind of silly. But there is a negative backlash: now you accumlate points ridiculously fast and can buy whichever unlockables you want very fast. What's the problem? Challenge mode becomes obsolete quickly unless you are dying to unlock the 1932 Montreal Canadains.

(Speaking of unlocking teams, Sega Sports apparently didn't get a Hall of Fame lisence, and so the unlocked teams are mostly filled with "C Center" and such. Some are obvious -- #99 on the Kings for example -- others are not -- I know that #5 from the 1932 Habs is on the tip of your tounge! You can probably edit and fill in your favorite teams, but this means even less reason to go for those historical teams you are less interested in)

Stepping away from the features, the gameplay remains very similiar to last year's ESPN Hockey, which is definately a good thing. The gameplay of NHL 2K5 was superior to all hockey games ... Sega knows it and didn't toy with a good thing. The graphics are still passable as well, although there is a marked improvement in player face models.

The place where the game starts to slip and show signs of its cheaper and rushed development is in the presentation. A lot of the commentary is reused from last year's ESPN Hockey and any new blurbs added in quickly become stale as well. There are almost no goal celeberation scenes at all ... only about half the goals will even get a replay and the game only shows the goal summary on about 25% of the goals.

I don't know about you, but I'd think replays on all goals and especially GOAL SUMMARIES for each goal shouldn't be too hard to conjure up after each goal. You can still get this info on the stats screen in the main menu, but it really would be much nicer on the screen after the goal. They did it last year, what's so hard about doing it again?

Other than these nagging presentation issues and just average graphics, ESPN NHL 2K5 is a solid hockey buy. It should keep the video hockey fan happily occupied until the release of NHL 2005, and the price won't break anyone's bank account. If you are tired of EA Sports or if NHL 2005 flops as badly as 2004 did, NHL 2K5 could turn out to be the best hockey bargain ever.

This is one of the most fun sports games on the market, but unfortunately it feels half-finished. In their rush to get the game out before EA's, Sega left a number of glaring bugs in the game. The minor bugs include annoying ones such as the seemingly random calling of two-line passes even when the puck is either not passed or has not crossed any lines; comic ones such as the equally random announcer comments (e.g., it could be the first period with tied score, and the announcers will start talking about how one team "has really dug itself a hole in the scoreboard here in the third period"); and bugs which are simply weird: Editing anything (even hair length or stick color) about a player makes that player's rating go up. Each of these categories has plenty of company.

Most notable and infuriating, however, are the numerous freezing bugs related to Franchise mode (one of the game's most-touted features). The basic situation is that the computer cannot always properly handle its rosters, and if a hole appears (due to a trade or injury) that it cannot fill, the game will freeze when you attempt to play a game. This basically forces you to play with injuries and CPU trading off from Day 1, or risk losing your entire season partway through. This bug is simply inexcusable, since it completely wrecks any sense of realism, and is so glaringly obvious that even the slightest amount of testing should have caught it. There is no excuse for bugs of this caliber to have reached a shipping product, and Sega owes its customers something for this.

That being said, actual gameplay itself is unmatched. If you're looking for just a great hockey game that's fun to play and has lots of different modes to keep you entertained, this is the one to get. If you want a good Franchise experience and don't mind working around a few mind-blowingly stupid bugs, it's also worth checking out. But if you want a polished product that the company has clearly taken pride in making, move along; there's nothing to see here.