When given the opportunity to review NHL 19, I had my reservations. Not because I expected a bad game, but because I hadn’t laced up virtual skates in over ten years. My heyday of playing EA Sports’ NHL lasted from ’99 to ’01. Indeed, I hadn’t played the franchise since NHL 08, but I’m glad I gave NHL 19 a go.
From the outset, I appreciated that EA Canada has made this year’s version as much about the beginner and casual players as the hardcore. That’s not to say it’s lost its sim edge that the series is known for, but it does begin with a nice step-by-step setup that introduces you to pre-set difficulty settings including options like “It’s been a while since I have played a hockey game,” as well as control schemes that include the shot-stick, hybrid mode (using face buttons or the stick to aim and shoot, my choice), and even “NHL 94 controls,” which only use two buttons. After making your selections, you can also then trim down the otherwise jam-packed start menu which lists the numerous modes and areas of content the game offers, a dozen or more. NHL 19 (and possibly other older versions that I haven’t tried) allows you to pick your top three modes that it will put on the main start screen in a horizontal line, hiding all other modes just a “screen below,” which you can access just by pressing down. It’s helpful to clear some clutter and make the numerous options less, well, overwhelming.
The accessibility and outreach to players like me who haven’t played the series in years or are just picking it up continues with a very impressive training mode that was quite literally professionally done. Detailed video instructions take you through six areas of play, from shooting, passing, defense, on through advanced dekeing, complete with not only instruction and application segments, but grades on how your application went. Historically, I have always played the series with an arcade-sort of attitude, and have rightfully had limited success (though I did have much more success in NHL 2K6 and 2K7 playing that way). This training mode has helped me not only take a step or two forward in my play, but also in my understanding of hockey. I give EA Canada credit for spending the effort that they did this year on these new (or at least new to me) accessibility and training components.
With any annual sports release, a fair question is ‘what’s new?,’ beyond of course the basic roster changes and other changes like team names or jerseys. NHL 19 includes a short video that you can watch that actually doesn’t do a very good job of explaining what’s new, but press materials provided to me helped me understand what’s been added, expanded, etc., in NHL 19. First, the core gameplay mechanics are largely unchanged, sort of a “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” scenario there. There is now Real Player Motion Tech, which is intended to enable more control and precision in turns and accelerating, as well as additional physics. I’m not a regular to the series, so I’m not sure how big of a deal this is compared to last year, but I think it’s more of an under the hood change than a very noticeable overhaul.
On the other hand, the biggest change in NHL 19 is the World of CHEL that offers a unified system to player customization and progression, with equipment and perk unlocks and a more cohesive experience than individual modes. CHEL transcends both offline and online play modes to keep your progression going. It’s based off of the EA Sports Hockey League (EASHL), which I personally have no previous experience with. NHL Threes, Pro-Am, and a pretty cool 1v1v1 mode, that is online only, are included. 1v1v1 is played without rules and actually on a frozen pond rink, for the most arcade-like experience I’m aware of in any EA Sports game.
Many new customization options are included now as well, and changes to the Franchise mode such as dealing with scouts, but honestly, none of that appeals to me, so I didn’t spend much time with it. That said, the new agreement that EA had made with the NHL Alumni Association means that over 200 legendary players are back and can be played against modern stars. Seeing members of the 2001 Avalanche team take the ice again was nostalgic and, personally, the coolest part of NHL 19 for me.
As far as presentation goes, I was kind somewhat disappointed with facial animations, but on the whole NHL 19 looks great. The soundtrack is fine, I rather enjoyed the non-licensed stuff that the very old EA Sports games used to use instead, but it is what it is. Expert commentary by the familiar voices of the NHL on TV by Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk add to the sim atmosphere that EA Sports has once again achieved here (note that these are not the commentators used in the 1v1v1 mode).
In sum, another year and another solid NHL release; it might not have enough to stir series veterans, although the inclusion of the World of CHEL and the Legends is certainly cool. Furthermore, the investment EA Canada has made to those who have long sat out on the series or always wanted to give it a shot is quite strong, so if you’re in that boat, NHL 19 may be what you’ve been waitng for.
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