Customer Reviews

NHL 10

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

That title sounds like hyperbole, but it's true from my perspective. I love sports video games and hockey most of all, and I thought NHL 09 was the best hockey game ever...until NHL 10 came around. I have probably played hundreds of hours of NHL 09 over the past year, and this game does an excellent job of taking everything that was good about that game and making it even better. I don't see myself getting sick of it anytime soon.

As a caveat, I do not play online. This is a review based on my single-player experience, which is my preferred way to play.

While the changes in NHL 10 are in large part subtle refinements of NHL 09, this isn't just a roster update. The "Be a GM" mode - formerly franchise mode - has been completely overhauled to give you GM-specific challenges and rewards as you play through the seasons. A few other new game modes - single playoff and single season modes, basically - have been added as well.

The main improvements in my opinion are found in the on-ice gameplay, which has been enriched by the ability to control the aim on passes, board play, the new fighting engine, scuffles after the whistle, better goalie animations, and better AI. The game experience is completely customizable and there are slider pre-sets for arcade-like, simulation-like, and intermediate gameplay (intermediate is the default).

Professional reviews will be able to tell you a lot more about this game than I will, so let me just say that everything you love about NHL 09 has only been improved. It's rare to see an EA Sports development team that really delivers and works hard year-after-year, and this team does exactly that. You can tell that there is a real passion and desire among the developers to make the best hockey game possible. They did it last year, and they did it again.

I have not encountered the AI problems that the other reviewer did in playing this game in single-player mode. Perhaps I am just used to the way the game plays, or perhaps that reviewer needs to explore the create a play option to get better performance from his AI teammates.

If you like hockey, buy this game. If you love sports games (and don't HATE hockey), buy this game. I've been let down by EA Sports many, many times in the past (most recently with Madden 10). This game is nothing short of triumphant.

nothing in this game has changed to much..only real different game play is fighting along the boards for the puck, (which you dont use to to much) and an actual fighting system which had many people scratching there heads in NHL 09 on how to fight. other then that gameplays seems about the same, i noticed shots from the point give more realistic chances for rebound goals then in 09.

another really great upgrade is the GM mode. wow...this almost gets complex. players have trade values, buyouts, teams have rumors of whos on the chopping block, you can put 3 players you want traded into the rumor mill, you can tell other teams what your looking for ex. offensive defense athelitic or draft picks.
its such an upgrade over last years, your general manager actually has a reputation,

anyway this is a good game, my review kinda rambled and went on longer then i wanted but if your a fan of the NHL EA series i would suggest buying this, no turn offs that i can see nothing drastic has changed. enjoy

NHL 10 is a fantastic game, and it's amazing to see how far hockey games have come over the years. The gameplay and controls take a bit of time to get used to, but once you do the NHL10 experience really is a lot of fun. The graphics are great, there are tons of teams to choose from, and the whole experience is a decent step forward from NHL 09.

One of the major gameplay upgrades I've noticed is that in NHL 09 interference penalties in front of your opponent's net were very common. Since 'check' and 'shoot' are both mapped to the right analog stick, if you were positioned in front of your opponent's goal trying to jam the puck in - you would often end up getting an interference penalty for shoving a guy off the puck. This was VERY frustrating, but thankfully the problem is solved in NHL 10.

I play a decent amount of games online with one of my buddies, and it works great except for one situation. When we play in person, we like to play with the two of us against one CPU-controlled team. Unfortunately this isn't possible online. You can play against each other, or against another team of humans - but there is no way to team up cooperatively against a CPU-controlled team. This is pretty much my biggest problem with an otherwise fantastic game.

Let's start this review with this tip: If you ignore me and buy the game anyway, IMMEDIATELY turn off the in-game music. Thank me later.

Now, if you do have it and your game hasn't frozen by now - just give it some time - you've very likely noticed that some of the problems of NHL 09 still reside in NHL 10, and this iteration created a few of its own.

Offline Gameplay:
Essentially every game I play is like this: I drive the wing hard, look for someone to pass to heading to the net, don't find anyone, have to curl and pass it to the point. At the point, usually the other forwards are hanging out at the side of the net, on a smoke break and of no help when I blast a shot low for rebounds. Playing that way for a few games is as dull as reading this paragraph again. Go ahead, try it.

There's a double standard to this game. The defense AI (on superstar, anyway) is always covering my guys and it's not simple to get a pass through, whereas my defensive AI leaves people alone in front of the net. My offensive AI is rarely near the net, there AI is ALWAYS near the net (regardless of settings--the best I've found is to choose collapse).

The best setting I can come up with is crash the net and full attack, and even with this they are not as aggressive as the opponents AI.

Be A Pro Mode:
Be a Pro mode suffers from the same problem, although my impression is that your teammates were far more useful in that mode this year. In NHL 09, you had to dictate every pass and shot, otherwise you'd never get anything done in Be a Pro. However, based on more games played in this mode, it's darn near unplayable, except for as a goalie.

Let's Pause for A Second:
To reply to the user about create a play: I know all about it. And unfortunately it's a must. You have to go to these pre-assigned circles in order to get your team to do what they should do when you tell them to "crash the net." It's a problem to me when the opponent's AI does it automatically, and I have to sit around making plays and it's of little use on the rush, as your teammates are always 3-5 strides behind.

Further Gameplay Discussion:
Sometimes, for added frustration in the game, before even getting the zone, when I lead my passes as I'm heading to the blueline, my teammate AI just stops. They are letting me know they've got better things to do. Or they are afraid of the blue line?

Moving on to other problems, we have a faulty neutral zone AI. The computer will pass the puck for sometimes 10- 15 seconds back and forth through the neutral zone looking for a hole to open up. When they finally cross the blue line, they are apt to pass the puck indefinitely - wing to D, D to wing, wing back to D, D back to wing, wing back to D - unless you get out of position to attack. Once you do that, since your defense AI is lacking and likes to guard spaces instead of players, you'll get scored on with a wide open one-timer, because their forwards are always around the net. Must be nice.

Other problems, so far, include pucks sliding through my body and stick when I dive, nearly every poke check is a tripping penalty for me (solution to this is holding down the left trigger - forces your player to face opposition better), and near perfect stick-lift abilities from the AI (Superstar-Normal mode).

What's "new?":
Talking about the new features: On the plus side, the board play adds a little to this game. Instead of either checking someone along the boards or sliding off, now you can pin someone for a few moments either in a fight for the puck or to keep them out of the play (don't hold on too long, or you'll get called for interference). There is a problem with this feature though, because even if you are past someone, they can still pin you to the boards. Most refer to that as a "magnet" effect, and it needs fixing (a perfect excuse for NHL 11!).

Also, on the good side, it's more enjoyable to play as a goalie, as you can now make a "spread eagle" move and a "windmill move" (stacked pads on one side, then you throw your legs in the air and stack pads on the other). Also, you don't automatically hug the posts anymore when you are pressed to either side, which was a nuisance to me last year.

So, What Should You Do?
For me, this is an online game only, as a forward, just as NHL 09 was. The EASHL (EA Sports Hockey League) is where you get to play with a character you create, along with up to 11 other people (each playing a position). So, all of the problems with the AI (not going to the net, passing in the neutral zone forever) are gone. Only to be replaced by people who really don't know where they are suppose to be if you don't join a good team -- so join a good team!

My hope is that this update of NHL 09 has removed most of the cheats that were around in 09's online play (curve shot, wrap around, so on) without adding new ones of its own. Time will tell on that and I have my doubts, but what I can say immediately about online play is EA's desire to take every dollar you have will very soon turn me off as a customer. I paid for the game. Give me the whole game.

This season, EA has introduced special equipment "booster packs" you can buy for your Be a Pro player. These "booster packs" make your player better than the other people on line, by increasing your speed or other attributes. In other words, you are getting better not because you are improving (when you did well in NHL 09, you would get player cards that would let you increase your skills - this is still in NHL 10) but because you paid to be better.

If You Only Have Time, Read This!:
For now, NHL 10 is fun for me only as an online game. But, as I fight against more people with these artificially better players, if this is the path EA wants to tread, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be playing.

So, should you buy NHL 10? If you are going to play this in a season mode on your own, offline, I'd say no. If you are going to play online, I say rent it, see how much fun you have, and go from there. If you don't get around to buying it, it's not as though there won't be an NHL 11 or an NHL 110 down the road. And since it looks like the NHL2K series is done for now (rumored to be no NHL2K11), it's either this or bust.

Simply the best game I had ever played (until my wife got me NHL 2K11 for Christmas). Your teammates actually do intelligent things. They don't wander offsides and stay there! Seriously, though, the real difference is the controls. Using the left stick to skate, and the right to control the puck, you have great movement ability. Unlike older hockey games, you don't just skate up the ice and hope. You can put a move on the D at the blue line, then pass off to a teammate. The controls are precise enough to allow you to get a cycle going in the offensive zone. The shot control is equally great. Using the right stick, you push up for a wrist/snap shot and pull back to wind up for a slap shot (then push up for the shot). Most of all, the gameplay is just fun!

Unlike the other EA Sports franchise(madden), NHL 10 continues to not just add a simple roster update, but gives you new features and detail. In a nutshell, NHL 10 is extremely realistic, be it graphics, passes, gameplay, strategies, uniforms, models and facial features, behaviors. Everything about NHL 10 gives you an authentic feel to the gameplay.

Highlights:

*First person fighting! A new feature that gives fighting a whole new dimension. I love being able to punch, block, and dodge. It could use a little bit more depth like letting you use both hands, punch into their body, but it's okay. I give EA a pass because adding first person fighting is an innovative addition to the NHL franchise. For the most part, it gets all the basics and typical things you'd find in a real fight in a NHL game.

* Details are off the charts in many aspects of this game. Skating is extremely realistic the strides, starting and stopping, snow showers, turns, etc. This also makes it a little bit more difficult for the player to get a certain place. That means that the gamer must make smart decisions and skate well or else they will be pay the price. The ice is very detailed. Turns and scrapes on the ice stay on the ice, and you can tell that the ice deteriorates as the period progresses. Player models and faces of prominent players are spot-on. Although not always perfect, they still did a good job with many of the players.

* Create your own play. I like that you're able to create your own plays on the offense - rush, powerplay, and offensive zone. And in those 3 facets of the offensive game, you can choose between the different strategies. Very simple to use and is a lot of fun to experiment with. This aspect of the game is very deep and detailed. Give it a shot, you might be the next great coach!

* Gameplay is realistic and has become more difficult to score goals as the NHL franchise has evolved. Whether it's using a good pass or play the boards well, the AI challenges you to do the right things to score. You can no longer skate from one end to the other and scoring an easy goal. You need to play a good team game - offensively and defensively, much like a real NHL game - in order to win.

* Playoff mode - If you really don't want to go through the season mode, just jump right in the playoff mode!

Some drawbacks:

* Although the AI is very good, every now and then you'll get a fluky goal. I mean, I know that goals can happen and that goalies can be very oblivious sometimes, but it can happen more than once in a game. It can be very frustrating. However, I've found that as long as I make it hard for the CPU (Getting in pass lanes, putting on a hit), fluky goals don't happen as often.

* No speed burst. I'm all for the realism effect, but some players like Ovechkin, Marleau, and Briere have game-changing speed. You won't really be able to change the gears.

Overall, a very complete game that simulates the real NHL game extremely well. You'll bite your tongue and be frustrated sometimes, but in the end, winning in this game is very satisfying.

Big hits, challenging to play, and realistic (95%) of the time. Really the only grudge I have against this game (other than the typical merry go round of the same sayings over and over again that every game has) is that when a goalie is pulled it is far too easy to just skate past the defenders and score an empty netter. No one is diving to stop you, or throwing themselves infront of the puck...really on big thing worth noting as a negative.

This is a great video game. I was playing NHL 09 but wanted more current rosters so I picked this up for a pretty cheap price. It's a lot easier to start fights.

I received this game recently and the graphics are amazing. This game not only has the NHL but multiple other leagues as well and is quite fun to play. It is well worth the money spent and hope you too will try this game out.

My 17 year old son and I have been having a blast watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs! I surprised him when this game came in the mail and I said, "LETS GO HAVE SOME NHL CHAMPIONSHIP HOCKEY FUN!"

We have a BLAST with All the exciting hockey playing! The graphics are AWESOME! The game play is so true to form, we sometimes think we're watching NHL on tv.

If you are looking for some fast paced action and just plain old GREAT competition against your family or friends, this game has it!! Hope this review helps!