NHL 11 [Review]

First things first, I’m not a huge hockey fan. I’ll watch casually, but it is one of the few sports that I’m not totally enamored with. However, I have always enjoyed Electronic Arts’ NHL series dating way back to the Sega Genesis days. With that being said, I’m quite familiar with the game and use it to keep me abreast of the goings on in the NHL. It’s the one game that EA does well beyond a shadow of a doubt. And NHL 11 is a far more fun experience than Madden, NBA Live Elite and just about any other product that EA Sports puts out (other than perhaps the revamped NCAA and FIFA series).

Even if you aren’t a hockey fan, this game is loads of fun and provides enough bells and whistles to have die hard hockey fans praising the game’s “Any moment can be a wow moment” tagline. It’s not far fetched, every moment can really be a wow moment. EA Sports has done a masterful job of tightening up the controls, improving the AI and making every moment on the ice simply engaging. Everything flows naturally and because of the unique physics, you will rarely see the same thing twice. After spending hours on end through a season, there are still games that produce surprises by way of goals, ridiculously hard body checks, dekes that will put opponents on the ice and goalie saves that will make your jaw drop. There are also some quirks that come along with hockey that NHL 11 captures. Pucks smash into goalies face masks, hockey sticks break, players lose an edge and fall, etc. The computer AI is built to make you pay for your mistakes. Find yourself out of position and you’ll see the CPU take complete advantage of the situation. You’ll kick yourself for giving up an important goal, but will appreciate the fact that the game is far from stupid. While it isn’t an absolutely revolutionary approach to the series, the enhancements beef up the game and it is hard to see how much more they can improve the title.

So yes, the game is a blast to play. But all of the meat and potatoes packed inside is downright head spinning. The seasons tournaments, GM, Be a Pro and playoff modes are still available, but with just enough tweaks to give it some new life. If you want to hop online, the game provides a smooth and relatively lag free experience. But what the game offers is the unique experience of what is coined as the Hockey Ultimate Team. This is an interesting mode where season play meets a card collecting game. It sounds strange but is rather fun in practice. Gamers assemble a team and compete against the computer or online in the UHL. The way you acquire players is through card packs. You can purchase card packs one of two ways — by using “pucks” that is a currency gained by accomplishing goals on the ice or spending your own cash to get them. If you are enamored with this mode, you’ll probably find yourself doing the latter and spending your own hard earned cash as you try to accumulate players from from around the world to fill out your squad. Also included in the card packs are coaches, contract extensions, skill buffs and more. It’s a unique experience that is done very well.

And then there are the visuals. Simply put, this game is full of eye candy. Ice skirts up from skates, clothing gets tucked over pads, animations are lifelike and players look just like their real life counterparts. The presentation is about as close to a real life hockey game as you can get. The commentary pulls up lame at times, but its forgivable.

All in all, NHL 11 is the measuring stick for how future hockey games must be created. Whether you are a big hockey fan or someone who is too busy with basketball and football to involve yourself with the NHL, this game is as close to a must have sports game as it gets.

Pros

- Realistic controls and unpredictability keeps the game fun

- Everything is spot on with the real world of the NHL

- Ultimate Hockey League could become an addiction

Cons

- Gaining “pucks” is a ridiculously cumbersome experience

- Commentary is blahzay

- AI occasionally does stupid things on the ice

Rating: 4.5 out of 5