Pros
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Excellent multiplayer gameplay
- +
EASHL returns!
- +
Terrific crowds and arenas
Cons
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By-the-numbers modes
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Still missing features from last gen
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No online leagues
Recommended reading
NHL 16 review
Excellent multiplayer gameplay
EASHL returns!
Terrific crowds and arenas
By-the-numbers modes
Still missing features from last gen
No online leagues
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Hockey fans sent EA’s NHL series 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:next-gen debut to the penalty box when it landed last year. Beloved modes were missing and gameplay was wanting, and the fans’ reaction was predictably cranky. EA Canada took notice, brushed themꦐselves off after blistering fan and critical reactions, and spent the next year packing as much into this season’s version as possible. The results are immediately noticeable - and mostly positive. While the NHL series is not all the way back to its glory day levels, NHL 16 is a strong step forward and - most importantly - an enjoyable game to play.
The best parts of NHL 16 jump off the screen. Arenas are filled with raucous fans shouting team-specific chants, mascots mill about and react to the action on the ice, and a near-palpable electricity permeates the air. The sounds of skates pushing through ice, pucks clanking off goalposts, and players slamming into the boards are superb. Horns boom with an eardrum-bursting din when goals are scored, with spectators reacting instantaneous🐎ly with ecstasy or agony, depending on their affiliation.
A number of key adjustments have been made to on-ice gameplay, yet some remains familiar. Checking is tuned way down, so the big, bone-crushing hits that were once the series’ hallmark have been replaced by more subtle shuffles. Fights, on the other hand, remain as rough-and-tumble as ever, with players skating away from a fracas bruised and bloodied. While NHL does a nice job offering a variety of ways to get a goal - stuffing in rebounds, deflecting passes in the slot, or blasting slapshots from the point - the tried-and-true methods for scoring remain. Unchallenged wraparounds or the famous “skate-across-the-slot-then-aim-top-shelf-opposite-direction” move, while not completely guaranteed, are still the best recipe for a point. Defensive AI is pretty good at running you off the puck, though, and bumping up the diffi♐culty from Pro to All-Star will present a huge challenge to anyone that’s not an expert.
Hockey Ultimate Team continues to be an enjoyable alternative to the tried-and-true franchise and career modes. The inclusion of offline season games dramatically improves the experience for newcomers, allowing you to tinker with your fantasy team without the pressures of a live, online battle versus a human. Other subtle improvements, such as improved menus and more visua🔜l aids about player relationships to each other, make HUT a more welcoming experience; however, it still has its own language and mechanics that take time and patience to learn.
| Genre | Sports |
| Description | NHL returns, adding more modes after its disappointingly lean new-gen debut. |
| Platform | "Xbox One","PS4" |
| Release date | 1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK) |
