In terms of presentation, the NHL series typically puts on what I feel is arguably the sharpest, most engaging display your eyes will find in any sports series. The exterior shots of the stadium transition smoothly to an attractive pregame segment that makes good use of the NBC Sports license. The only time the presentation suffers is during stoppages of play when skaters are shown gliding around the boards, coming off the bench, etc. I regularly saw a bit of blurring and hazing at the edge of the character models as they moved during these scenes. Given the rest of the sights are crisp, clear and integrated beautifully into the flow of the production, the fuzzy models – however briefly seen – are quite noticeable.
A new addition to the in-game presentation is the On-Ice Visual Trainer. Basically, the trainer works to make you a better player through providing instruction and feedback via small dialogue boxes that appear on screen. For example, during the face off you will see a box that may suggest you rotate the right thumbstick to establish an underhand grip on the stick. Once the puck is dropped, you will also get feedback on whether or not you swiped too early, too late or just right. These visual cues also extend to showing you open passing lanes while you carry the puck and even what areas of the net behind the goalie are least protected. The information is presented unobtrusively and more often than not led me to successful scoring opportunities. I found this system to work best in assisting with passing lanes and how to engage defenders while I was carrying the puck. When it comes to face-offs, however, I found the advice offered was no more effective than my going against the suggestion so long as my timing was accurate.
Though the On-Ice Visual trainer did help improve my understanding of the in-game situation, I wish my AI teammates would have taken note of the cues I was receiving. Not only were my teammates apparently inattentive, their collective IQ plummeted every time we were in the defensive zone. The most commonly surrendered goal I witnessed involved my defenders letting attackers post up glove side along the crease. While I pressed the puck carrier along the boards, in the slot or at the point, my teammates would stand motionless in front of the crease allowing attackers to glide into prime scoring position. Shortly thereafter, I would watch the attacker receive a beautiful pass that the AI defender would not attempt to deflect. Nor would said defender feel motivated to engage the attacker once the puck arrived. This sequence almost always concluded with a goal. If I decided to assume the responsibilities of clearing out the bodies lumbering in front of my netminder, my teammates would only half heartedly pursue the puck carrier, preferring polite requests for him to stop over full on body checks. This left the attackers free to set up shots from just about anywhere they pleased. Yet this arrangement was actually preferable to the previously described scenario as my netminder appeared more comfortable stopping pucks that were not fired point blank from the top right side of the crease.
On the offensive side of the equation, I found my teammates performed much better. They worked to establish position and dynamically adjusted to where I carried the puck. NHL 16 rewards smart offense over a run and gun one-timer show. So the sudden boost in intelligence your teammates receive in the offensive zone allows you to get inventive as you work to create scoring opportunities.
Just as there is no one way to lighting the lamp in NHL 16, there is fortunately more than just the one way to play this year. The popular Ultimate Team Mode that is no stranger to FIFA and Madden returns to NHL 16. And if you are up for a quest for the cup but do not want the hassle of navigating the full 82 game season that precedes it, you are welcome to skip the regular season all together in Playoff Mode. Online Team Play will give you and your friends a chance to play together. And Connected Franchise will expand on that concept, granting you and several buddies to manage different franchises in the same league through a succession of seasons. Despite all there is to do in NHL 16, there is one mode that remains strangely absent. A mode whose absence I noted in my NHL 15 review. The NHL 94 Anniversary Mode from NHL 14 was a tremendous amount of fun. I do not see how that failed to make the list of things to bring back to the table in NHL 16. Honestly, I would even expand it, allowing for full season play. It was that much fun.
