NHL 15 Demo Available Now, Post Your Impressions (Xbox One, PS4)

[ThreeKing]

Man! After 5 games, this game is pure FUN!!

I find myself playing this demo more than Madden right now. That's saying a lot.

[Mikey88]

to me this game is going to be a ton of fun in online vs mode
all they need to do is tone down the gameplay speed a bit and shot power
setting up on the pp using umbrella strat feels great!

[Elite49]

My only problems with the demo are two things that someone could probably answer if they are in or fixed in the full game.

Firstly, theres no audio in saved clips of this game on either platform it seems using the consoles dvr features. (PS4 here). Wondering if this'll be fixed in final version because this is a pretty big part of these consoles and that would be awful to exclude. This NEEDS fixing.

Then secondly, another audio issue but with in game replays. Any chance the in game replays could bring back having audio in them like last year? It added to the overall presentation of the games, hearing the sounds on ice during that game winning goal.

Other than those two issues, I've had a blast playing the demo and can't wait for release.

[bigwill33]

Quote: Originally Posted by SVCbearcat10

In the end, this is a much much better game. Like any game, the experience is how you choose to play it. If you want to find exploits (seem like some are found) and do them over and over, then this game will be unplayable. If you try to play it like its meant to be played (dumping every so often, not intentionally doing glitch goals, etc), then it should be as good as ever.

You are right. And that is the issue with this game, the main issue that I have with this game.

I shouldn't have to handicap myself from playing real hockey to win at this game or score. I have already found nearly the same gameplay as there was in the prior versions of this game. There is never a need for me to dump and chase. I rarely need to cycle. I do these things because I want to, that is fun to me. Replicating a sim experience is my goal.

But the problem is that these are not rewarded like they would be in real life. And what is rewarded is carrying the puck in along the boards and spamming speed burst to get it in deep and then firing a one-time pass across the ice for the far wing.

Watch any video that is mostly what people do. They fly up and down the ice as fast as possible and try and try the same things over and over again. Why? Because it works too often! Why do any of the hard work and real style plays if you can just cheese the game all day the same ways that have been in for 5+ years?

This is especially a game killer online. You can set up the most beautiful plays in the world and make your opponent look silly, but the AI will compensate and cover for them and the goalie will dive across and make the miraculous save. Or, you can just skate over the line as fast as possible, one on two, and do a one-touch deke and gain the slot and curl your wrists over to send one top corner all day long. What do you think everyone is going to do?

The point is it should be on EA to have fixed these issues by now. They are not new. They are eyesores and ruin the immersive realism. I shouldn't be responsible for fixing their mistakes or handicapping my skills or IQ to try and get a realistic outcome.

If a baseball game had it so every time you bunted you got a base hit, or a football game had it where every toss right to the halfback was an automatic first down people wouldn't be too happy. That is what the NHL series is suffering from most, in my opinion.

[Spongedaddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Saint Iscah

Playing on PS4.... The choppy play is terrible. I'm pushing through it because I really want to see the "new NHL experience" on next gen. But really, it is BAD. 720p? Really? Aside from these negative's I feel good about how the game feels and plays. Hopefully the choppiness and 720p are merely demo issues. I cannot see this game being released w/ this type of choppiness and under 1080p. We will see.

I was all for it until the demo. I did not see much of a difference between the demo and last year's game on my PS3. I loved it last year, but did not feel like there was much of a leap. Game play may be different in final version, but I doubt the graphics will. I did like the idea of the live pre-game commentary.

[ThreeKing]

These physics, man!

These mother lovin' physics are sweet!

This game truly has that, anything-can-happen feel to it. Very FIFA-ish, and that's an awesome thing.

2 more weeks...

[spidertour02]

I finally got into the demo on PS4 a little while ago. Since I didn't play NHL 14, this feels great and new to me. I like how the stick handles (deliberately avoiding one-touch dekes), and it looks great ...

... but am I the only one having problems with a strange, choppy-as-hell framerate? I had to stop after the first period to come here and see if it's a common problem. I'm using True Broadcast without the auto-zoom, and it is VERY choppy. It's like the demo has a strobe effect or something. I think I have a headache.

[bigwill33]

After playing a while longer, and on both the PS4 and Xbox One, I have found a few other issues that are bothering me.

When trying to adjust the settings for your defense during a play stoppage one of the prompts is the same button that is used to skip over the stoppage and advance to the face-off. Who decided that was a good idea? And how did this get past testing?

But my main issue with the demo so far is this:

The gameplay is boring me already because we have been there and done that. Meaning, to get positive results you do the same things over and over again and these things are the same things that you had to do for the past 5 years with this game.

There is no dynamic movement without the puck on offense. No dynamic lanes that open up in the zone. I know exactly where my players will be and where the defense is positioned and that never changes! I can never set up a PP in the zone and go from the lower left wing boards and pass across the ice to the far point. I can not expect to cross corner a fly in dump and know that my far wing is crashing to get it. I can't pin the puck holder on the boards and hope that my teammate will be the second guy in to support me and win the possession.

These are the types of things that wear on a long time player of this series. That and the same goals going in, over and over and over again. Almost all of my goals given up are because the CPU beats my guy under the goal line, usually because of clunky controls such as a failed board pinning or wonky skating animation, and then they quickly center it to someone that is not being tied up in front for an easy, point blank shot. Why can't my backside d help tie up their stick? Give it a quick lift or clamp it down? Why are they not even positioned correctly?

I see other people commenting about their scores for the demo being like 4-2, 6-0, etc. With shots being around 12-16 for their team. How in the heck are you managing that? I fear I know the answer. Most people just cary the puck into the zone and fire, over and over again. And every so often it works. Heck I know when I am going to score if I am giving a clear shot. I can see when the goalie is leaning wrong. That means there is little incentive to play a realistic game. And that is exactly what is like to play online. Just exploits and the same routines over and over. This is because of the unchanged AI.

I could probably fool myself into playing this game this fall after a purchase. I could mess with the sliders and establish my own house rules and regulations to ensure I am not exploiting too much or cheating for an advantage based off of how the game is designed to play, but after half a decade of the same thing I am tired of it. I am bored by it.

Goaltending has hardly been touched since 2006! Not the game, the year. How long will it take until they fix these issues and what faith should I even have at this point that they will even get it correct when/if they ever do?

That is what is so sad about this demo to me.