NHL 13 Review
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Canada
Format: PS3/360/Wii U
Release Date: Out Now
This year’s iteration of the popular hockey franchise has arrived, and with it the first of the NHL series I’ve played in close to a decade. EA brings its most lifelike ice hockey game to consoles and manages to make a stunningly addictive game in the process.
NHL13 is boasting some of the most realistic physics seen in video game history, I was expecting great things from EA’s new True Performance Skating engine. Understanding the complexity of physics in modern games and understanding how easily that can go wrong (cough cough, Skate 3, cough cough) I was investigating EA’s big claims heavily before hand and intensely scrutinizing the promotional material pre launch.
Let’s face it a large portion of EA’s sports games are centered around people running not skating, and it is easier for those studio’s to share their knowledge throughout the different disciplines but ice hockey is a very different beast.
I will be honest, I have not been playing NHL for the last few years but the last time I did it the ice the physics were OK at best. NHL 13 has not just added a few nice features (skating backwards! FINALLY!) but has tweaked the gameplay to act just as you’d expect in real life. No longer can your players stop and turn on a dime, or skate flawlessly through a bunch of players. Skating around the rink feels like it should with your momentum and speed playing far more important roles than ever before. It’s a great step up for the series, and no doubt will have hardcore hockey fans far more satisfied.
Boasting more game modes than any of its predecessors, NHL 13 introduces the GM Connected mode. This more allows you to connect to your friends (or up to 750 people online) as you choose whether to manage, coach or play. This is the feature that will probably decide whether this game will temper between a passable experience and one of the greatest community games to hit this generation. The other new mode added to this year is the NHL Moments Live. This lets you relive some of the greatest matches in NHL history as you attempt to emulate some of the game changing moments of legend. These range from scoring a goal in the last minute, coming back when trailing in a game or just getting the right tackle at the right time. It’s a nice change from the standard Exhibition mode or the expected and involved Season mode.
Graphically, there haven’t been any huge leaps in progress but the game has dozens of new animations, most of them to complement the True Performance Skating. However, all these new additions to the game have left their mark with unskippable loading videos and the occasional stutter in gameplay. This is far more noticeable in the online modes but happens occasionally in offline modes also which is slightly disappointing.
The audio in any of EA’s franchises is a bit like Marmite you either love it or hate it. Personally I’m OK with the upbeat, high tempo and loud bass menu music but I presume this is generally because I tend to fly through the menus at high speed. The commentary as well, while still somewhat repetitive, is charming enough to get you through the matches, never fully criticizing but always free with compliments to keep your spirits up. Even 6-0 down, I was being told “This won’t be easy, but moves like that may just get them back in the game!”
Overall : NHL 13 is an excellent example of a refined EA formula. Thanks to years of innovation and the delicate tweaking of successful contributions we have an immaculately polished game that appeals to both the casual and hardcore player. But god I miss Free For All mode.
Overall: 8.5/10
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