The extra movements allow you to cleanly deliver crisp passes to your teammates and not onto the stick of an opposing defender.Īlso of note, the soundtrack is the best I’ve heard in a long time for NHL franchises, maybe since NHL 06. Being able to get an inside edge on breakaways is easier and the improved skating has lead to improved passing in my experience. You’re able to make more explosive movements and able to stop and start on a dime. Skating is much more realistic and not as rigid as years past. The major game play overhaul is the new skating engine RPM or real player motion. I’m a particular fan of “Ones” as it allows the user to play quick games on just half the ice while giving the user an outdoor experience.
The gameplay is fun and challenging but full of great moments. It allows players to add their own individual flare to their game instead of being hampered in by just a few options.
There are many customization options for your player to give yourself a unique look on the ice when taking on your friends and foes. You’re able to create a player and keep it through any of the game modes. The big selling point of the new installment is “taking the game outdoors” with the “World of Chel.” It features 1 v 1 v 1 game mode, NHL Threes, EASHL and Pro-Am. This definitely helps with an authentic feel. When you score top shelf or slide a puck back door, you actually celebrate with a full five players instead of solo or just with one teammate. One small cosmetic change that users may not realize is group celebrations. The menus are clean and easily able to be filtered by pinning them for easy access to your favorite game modes. Menus have a new look and pause screens in-game are cleaner and provide updated game stats in a concise manner. Here are my thoughts on what I’ve experienced so far.ĮA made many cosmetic changes to NHL 19 from the previous year.
NHL 19 released on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 last Friday and I was able to get my hands and play it over the weekend and this week. Given a tad more time and consideration of fan feedback, this could have been one of its best installments yet. Electronic Arts releases the latest installments of it sports franchises every year and occasionally hurries through it. Grand Theft Auto IV and V and Modern Warfare 2 stand out as the best of the past decade or so. There are seldom few perfect video games.