NHL 15 Demo: Is the Gameplay Enough? (Roundtable)

[socalbeast08]

well graphically its great, gameplay and goalies and other issues in nhl 14 are still there. I am on the fence about current gen vs previous gen. i like having all 30 goal horns and my custom music. idk if graphics are enough to make me buy the ps4 version. ugh decisions decisions.

[onac22]

I have played two games on all-star. The first game the cpu went up one early but I scored twice to win. The second game I lost, 4-0. What is most disturbing is that all five cpu goals were the same. Pass right to left,bottom of the circle to slot for a roofed one timer.



In looks the game is impressive. The mechanics so far are not all there. Did have two powerplays in the second game. Penalties were there for me.



What concerned me the most was the ease of the one touch dekes. One button push and a direction on the right stick everyone plays like Crosby. The feature ends up playing more like the skill stick in madden, I was being optimistic and hoping it would be more like the skill stick in FIFA and based on player skill.

But it does feel good to have an NHL game to whine about again.

[GrawrD]

EASHL took up a huge part of my time for the past 5 years, but I am having tons of fun with the Demo so far.

[EliJ27]

I love it, as long as they didnt take the creation and roster editing aspect out of the game like EA has been known to do in the past with other games i think everything will be fine.

[ASUBoy93]

Am I the only one that thought the demo was a great showing of what NHL 15 is going to be?

Sure, the full game is missing modes but I personally feel like the gameplay/graphics/presentation are big steps up for me this year. I was worried the demo would be poor but it plays great IMO. It definitely solidified my purchase on the 9th.

[SVCbearcat10]

You're not the only one. The jump in gameplay is greater from NHL on next-gen (compared to last gen) than Madden was last year. The physics and momentums of the players is much more accurate, making positioning more important.

AI was always be an issue in a video game. You can either choose to exploit flaws or try to play simulation hockey. Many choose to exploit the flaws and take all the fun out of it. I just find it funny that all the people who are saying it's half a game are the same people who would be saying it's nothing put a port if all the modes made it in but graphics/gameplay was minimally changed.

We've learned that a 1st release on a new console will never live up to most people's expectations. I think they have a great foundation to make this truly a great game over the next few years.

On a side note... I think gaining the offensive zone could be a little bit harder, but I don't want that part too life like. I don't have time to play 20 minute periods, I like the quick games of 5 minute periods. If you have to dump the puck everytime (and implement true stick collision physics like some call for), no one would EVER possess the puck long enough to score in a shortened period. It would be a sloppy mess and a pretty boring experience. There has to been some element of 'arcadeness', for lack of a better term, to make the game fun.

A 2nd note... goalies. I hope they address them next year. While they aren't terrible, I just think they can be improved. Something about their movements, or lack of subtle variety in their animations seem off. They don't interact well with the goal or the crease. Most complaints about being in position and still giving up a goal doesn't bother me, that's called every night in the NHL.

[TDKing]

Wiggling jerseys are stupid. Not seeing 12 man physics. I don't see any of the highly touted layered uniform stuff. As I stated before to me it seems like the same game with lowered ice friction and a slight change in puck physics.

[kerosene31]

I was disappointed with the missing modes, but I could honestly live without them. I could keep busy with offline modes if the gameplay was a big step up.

For me, the gameplay just isn't a big leap. The puck physics are improved. I'm not sure if I like the new skating or not. That's about it. The AI feels very similar to 14, which is not a good thing. I found myself figure skating in the CPU's zone all day even on the higher difficulties.

I like where the game is going and I'm looking forward to NHL 16. If they can work on the AI and add some game modes and build on the puck physics, it could be a great hockey game. At least based on the demo the game isn't there yet.