A common theme has emerged within the sports video game genre in recent years with developers attempting to make their products more "accessible," which is to say easier and more accommodating for the inexperienced to play and enjoy. EA Sports' "NHL 18" has not only made a strong push in that area, but it also hopes to capture the attention of a new crowd with new modes and features that prioritize fun over realism.
Making the game less intimidating are features such as the new tutorial called "Training Camp" and the ability to play co-op (in person or online) in almost every mode. The former helps get a grasp on the basics like shooting, passing, defense, and faceoffs. The latter can take pressure off by reducing individual responsibilities and help assist in organic improvement by playing alongside someone else who may be more experienced with the game or knowledgeable about the sport.
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But easily the biggest selling point of "NHL 18" over the previous edition in the series is the mode "NHL Threes." With arcade-style sports games nearly extinct, what used to act as a bridge for many to a more simulation experience is now being packed right into the sim product.
NHL Threes undoubtedly achieves the goal of being a fun experience, and it's not just limited to the crowd looking for over-the-top action. The mode is grounded enough that skill can still shine through in both competitive matches and against the CPU. The exception to that belief has to do with powerups that make goals worth extra scores or take away scores from the opponent. Thankfully that is an option that can simply be turned off.
Playable both online (head-to-head), co-op with a friend, and through an offline campaign of its own, Threes is substantial enough that it could have even stood on its own but instead adds considerable value to the "NHL" series which has long needed it. Threes even has its own amusing commentary and brings in some strategy through the selection of players and line changes that occur between periods. Ultimately, though, it's mostly about wide-open offensive play and big hits and there's nothing wrong with enjoying that.
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The whole of "NHL 18" has taken on a bit of an arcade-like slant this year, and the marketing of the game has clearly tried to communicate that, whether it be with Threes or the capability to pull off more stylish offensive maneuvers during the course of regular gameplay.
On the ice, "NHL 18" does represent its proud heritage well. There are more tools in the offensive and defensive arsenals this season, which presents an interesting challenge to newcomers and series veterans alike.
On one hand, it's fun to have things like new dekes and stickhandling tricks available. On the other, these can be tough to pull off in the frenetic, punishing vacuum of a small ice space filled with wickedly fast and strong opponents. It takes dedication to pull off the combination of learning these skills and executing them in the heat of battle without reverting to the tried-and-true tactics that many have as muscle memory from years playing EA's hockey franchise.
More impressive is the fact that playing defense has become exponentially more fun.
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The reintroduction of the Defensive Skill Stick is a revelation; once I began to use it, I couldn't stop. It's quite powerful and multi-dimensional. Depending on player positioning, moving the right control stick toward an opposing player will either result in a jab at the puck (with a high ratio of success removing said puck from their possession) or lay them out flat with a vicious check. Sure, this will result in the occasional penalty — and your lack of ability to have more control over whether you poke at the puck or put a shoulder to their face can be frustrating — but there's now much more influence on the play in your favor than I can ever remember.
You'll need to be sharp on defense, because the computer is a really smart hockey player (especially on the deeper simulation settings). More than ever, success in "NHL 18" is dependent upon you doing the little things well — winning faceoffs, maintaining possession, making smart passes to open players, not trying to do too much with a single player — that real winning hockey clubs do. I am regularly delighted by how the AI cycles the puck and makes me pay for overaggressive mistakes, finding players in front of the net that I've abandoned in reckless pursuit to convert centering passes for goals.
Unfortunately, longtime players will discover that two tried-and-true methods for scoring goals remain. Sliding from right to left (or vice versa) in the slot with possession of the puck, then firing at the net to the opposite direction you're skating, results in a large number of goals. The higher the difficulty settings, of course, the harder it is to get in that position without more interference, but the core mechanics remain familiar.
Presentation is largely unchanged from recent years, and that is unfortunate. The foundation for great presentation was put into place years ago with both an authentic broadcast package and credible commentary team, but little has been done to advance either since then. Despite that, and even without a transition to the Frostbite Engine, which is now in place with "FIFA" and "Madden," the game does look great and animates well. It may take moving to that new engine for improvements to legacy complaints like on-ice celebrations being limited to two players though.
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Franchise mode in "NHL 18" — which once again disappointingly will go without any ability to play online with others — introduces league expansion. The expansion feature provides the option of beginning with the current 31 teams or adding a 32nd. The created 32nd team is a customized one that can then be placed in any city within the game's database. That is unlike the franchise relocation feature, and means there is no personality to the individual cities for an expansion team. All the cities can have settings such as local fan base and national popularity set to the highest values possible when setting up the team.
EA Sports Hockey League is probably the most popular mode in the "NHL" series and it, too, has received the three-on-three treatment. EASHL in its traditional format brings in up to 12 different users for a single online game where every player on the ice can be user-controlled. One of the struggles with the mode has been coordinating that many people to be online at once. Now though, by utilizing the league's overtime rules, EASHL can be enjoyed by more people and the open space on the ice results in an experience that naturally favors offense.
It may be surprising that it would take an "arcade" mode to round out a simulation-based product, but NHL Threes does just that for "NHL 18." While the series is still lacking in some aspects of gameplay and presentation this year, "NHL" achieved something important, by becoming the most appealing edition of the series for an audience that extends beyond just the fanatics of the sport in a very long time.
NHL 18 was reviewed on Xbox One and is also available on PlayStation 4.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, is co-founder of the sports gaming site HitThePass.com, hosts the "Press Row Podcast" and can be reached on Twitter@Pastapadre .