NHL 13
Reviewed By Liam Di Pietro
Ice Hockey is quite a foreign sport to most Australians; NHL '13 has the chance to bridge the gap between the two and provide an insight into this major American/Canadian Sport. NHL 13 is brought to life by EA Sports, proving why they are at the forefront of modern sports gaming.
If the game of Ice Hockey is foreign to you prepare for some bamboozlement with the offside and icing rules. However, in due course gamers will adapt to the rules and game play strategies resulting in movement of the puck becoming second nature.
The AI in the game is world class, FIFA-esque in fact. Team mates move off the puck with the intelligence of real life players as they find open space, making it easy to move the puck around the rink.
I found myself comparing this game to an old favourite of mine, NHL '08 and let me tell you the two games are worlds apart. The additions and innovation that has gone into this series over that 5 year period is very impressive. Even improvements from NHL 12 are vast.
The 'EA Sports Hockey IQ' is the Artificial Intelligence developed by EA for the NHL franchise. EA Sports have made the defenders smarter and quicker to identify attacking moves before attackers have reacted. This advanced AI system creates realistic gaming scenarios.
This brings me to the 'True Performance Skating' aspect that EA Sports have introduced with NHL 13. Basically they have split skating into three different categories:
*Explosiveness – The Speed at which a player can get off the mark and react in different directions.
*Top-End Speed – The Speed that players can reach in the game, reflective on their real life ratings.
*Momentum – As a skater increases their speed, it becomes more difficult for them to change direction or recover a lost puck. Shooting and passing also decreases in accuracy when skating at a fast pace. Players must look ahead of the play to determine when to speed up and slow down.
Another great feature with the skating engine is the ability to skate backwards. This skill becomes a massive threat when attacking the goal and approaching from behind the net.
NHL Moments is a gaming mode that allows players to relive famous moments in NHL history and play out historical scenarios that have happened in the world of NHL. As a relative outsider to the world of ice hockey (living in Australia and all), it provides an entertaining way to learn a brief history of the sport.
The Game modes in NHL '13 are similar to that of NHL and sports games of the past (Season, Tournaments, you get the picture). However, a ‘GM Connected’ mode allows users to play in an online league that effectively makes you the GM of your own team as you compete against friends (and enemies).
Players are even able to download an app that lets them make trades, communicate with other league members and check scores and standings. These additions are the difference between a good game and a great game, setting up what is effectively a fantasy league even in the off season.
The graphics in this game are unbelievable, EA have really outdone themselves with this installment of NHL. The ice and skaters look quite lifelike and the atmosphere of the game coupled with the stadium advertisements make for an intensely realistic feel.
As a massive sports fan, you will enjoy this game. It is a great introduction to a sport that isn't portrayed in the Australian media. This game opens a portal to a sport that most Australians will never get to experience.
Overall NHL 13 is highly recommended not only as a change up from the usual sporting games that are on offer but as a classy, well made, ridiculously fun sports game that you and your mates can easily get into. EA Sports have definitely landed a winner with this release.
Game: NHL 13
System: PS3
Developer/Co-Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
