The NHL, or National Hockey League, has always been the least glamorous of the American leagues. The NBA and NFL have dominated for many years, followed by MLB and the growing MLS. Ice hockey, partly due to geographical limitations, partly due to some characteristics that make it not particularly loved by parents (fights and broken teeth, for example), has never managed to escape its, however, rich niche. .
However, from a gaming point of view, the NHL series is one of the oldest and most appreciated from Electronic Arts and since 1991 it has arrived punctually every year on the reference consoles of that time. Sometimes even on PC.
In recent years, the NHL has survived ruthless competition from 2K Sports, the turmoil of NBA Live and the demise of the MLB license without ever losing its shine and its identity, accepting not being able to rely on the budget of other NHL products. EA Sports. and playing its role as a laboratory for some of the new features coming to EA Sports FC, as was the case with the players, now available "in the NHL FUT" since last year, or the double cover.
La NHL 24 Review, the new chapter available on PlayStation and Xbox from October 6, 2023, tells us that the series continues without too many surprises the path of evolution that distinguishes the annual sports simulations, introducing various improvements in gameplay, without distorting modes and options.
NHL 24 gameplay
Hockey is a fast, frenetic and explosive sport, in which at any moment a practically invisible fireball can be thrown towards the goal. It is also a sport in which fatigue is felt a lot and where the pressure, especially if you play on one team less, is palpable. In other words, it is not simple distill the essence of this discipline between the tactics of sieges during the power play and ultra-fast counterattacks, all but full of pushes, stick shots and skates to the limit.
NHL 24 tries to replicate all of this as realistically as possible. The contacts between the athletes are not as fluid as those in EA Sports FC (the "new FIFA"), but they are solid, the puck behaves faithfully and the goalkeepers are equipped with a set of really varied and beautiful animations. The rhythm seems great, with an alternation between attack phases and ultra-fast counterattacks with which to try to surprise teams that are too unbalanced forward.
Particularly interesting is the pressure measurement- By staying on offense for several seconds and continually engaging the opposing goaltender, you will increase a gauge that progressively slows down defenses, thus increasing the need to quickly clear the puck to loosen the opponent's grip and perhaps put new lines on the ice.
We also appreciate theGUI which, in a non-particularly invasive way, suggests to less experienced players which buttons to press, indicating the steps or showing where a certain shot is directed. A smart way to introduce freshmen to the game, without forcing them to spend hours on tutorials or various training sessions.
Experts, however, will be able to select a manual control system and operate with the classics. slider, that is, those options thanks to which you can granularly adjust each aspect of the game. During our tests we found that the computer is quite reactive and fun to use, although sometimes it tends to take refuge excessively in defense and is perhaps a little too clean in its inputs, almost never incurring penalties.
Online, obviously, it is not possible to regulate these elements and you have to "settle" for an experience that wants to be a synthesis between simulation and entertainment, in order to try to accommodate the largest possible audience.
A lot of NHL, but not only that.
Although the series is named after the American professional league, NHL 24 hides dozens of different teams within it, from the women's championship to the European championship, through national teams or classic formations. This is not a generalized selection of licenses like those of the former FIFA, but You can also find the main leagues of the Old Continent. (Swiss, Danish, etc.) that can also be used to organize championships, playoffs or others.
Sucker Punch cabin mode, that is, the one that transforms the hockey universe into a kind of card game that must be shuffled to find the best possible team, in a completely similar way to FUT. Like everything else in NHL 24, this mode benefits greatly from cross-play, which allows you to merge different user bases for more accurate and faster matchmaking, as well as a more balanced market.
World of Chel is also interesting, the way that gives the possibility of creating one's own alter ego to take it to dominate the world of hockey, even online. Nothing is missing in this mode, from cross-play to a battle pass that seems to guarantee items that can be carried over to NHL 25. In other words It has everything a modern sports video game should have to be able to compete equitably in the market, packaged with the care that EA Sports instills in all its productions.
The presentation of the menus is excellent, as is the sound accompaniment, a little more rock and energetic than what is heard on football fields or in NBA stadiums.
Conclusions
Tested version Xbox Series X digital delivery Xbox store Price 79,99 € Holygamerz.com 7.5 Readers (2) 3.5 your voteNHL 24 is a good game, but it has a big problem, the one that unites it with all the annual athletes: it lacks what the English would call the "selling point", the element that would make it essential for all lovers of this game. sport. It's a step forward in the right direction: the gameplay works well, the balance between simulation and fun satisfied us, and the game hits stores with a plethora of modes capable of satisfying any palate. The only ones who may not fully appreciate EA Sports' offering are those who bought one of the latest chapters in the series and don't feel the need for updated rosters or more refined gameplay.
PRO
- Successful balance between entertainment and simulation.
- Good pressure mechanics.
- Excellent interface and general presentation.
AGAINST
- There is still room for improvement in AI
- The news is not revolutionary.
