EA Vancouver knows what this year’s going to be and they’re making sure people know that the NHL series doesn’t just update the roster and repackage the rest. We were granted an early look at what NHL 22 has in store for hockey fans out there and color me impressed by the additions and upgrades for this year’s title.
Let’s get into it.
FINALLY. Next-Gen has arrived on this current-gen without forgetting last gen
It took me 10 minutes to think of that subheading. Anyway, the biggest noticeable change when you start the game on your next-generation system is how pretty it all looks. The inclusion of the Frostbite engine brings in some of the most gorgeous visuals and atmosphere that this series has seen since it took a giant leap from the Sega Genesis to the Sega Saturn. Ray tracing now graces everything on the ice, and you won’t find a more realistic look outside of tuning in wherever the hell NHL airs on television. The models of the players have been reimagined and improved. Reflections on the ice, ice degradation, and the lighting really shine through the demo that we got to see in action. EA Vancouver demonstrated the old vs. new during our session and the difference is night and day. The visuals will bring fans closer to controlling a television experience, which is impressive considering last year’s title looked quite solid too. If what they showed us was truly running off next-generation hardware, and not just a PC (that happens during E3s) then this will go down as one of the bigger leaps between the series’ games.
Two other points of visual improvement include the crowd, which are now far more involved in the action and seem to let you know how much they love you and how horrible you can be when the time is right. I’ve always been a big believer in atmosphere, so the crowd really stood out in the demo and added to the gametime/crunch time/intense atmosphere that every sports title should strive to achieve.
Another point of interest, and this is big in Madden, as well as real-world sports such as the NFL, is how AR is applied to in-progress games. While I honestly wouldn’t call it ‘AR’ because you’re not putting augmented graphics on top of reality, I get the concept of what Vancouver was trying to achieve. It’s neat to see stats and such with player faces come up on the ice or graphics appear on the ice in real-time. It certainly improves the visuals a bit and makes them more tantalizing, but it’s far from a point of interest when compared to everything else. It’s more like the cherry on top of an already visually yummy cake.
It should be noted that the difference between the current generation (PS5/XB X|S) will be obvious. You won’t get the bells and whistles with the last generation systems, which is fine because you’re probably going to get the same type of gameplay and that is more important. The devs were open and honest about this, which is a relief considering how some devs tend to gloss over the generation comparison.
You’re a Superstar, that’s what you are
The gameplay for NHL 22 is injected with a mode called Superstar X-Factor, which is broken down into two categories – Zone abilities and Superstar abilities.
Zone abilities focus on providing game-breaking abilities such as seeing a shot through screens and making it happen. While we didn’t spend a helluva lot of time on zoning abilities, they seem like they’re something for everyone, kind of like enhancing a player in Madden. I was a bit confused by this category, but I think I got the gist.
The Superstar abilities are a bit more grounded and focus on the already established real-world abilities of NHL stars. During the presentation, the devs gave the example of Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy’s ability to be a contortionist as it relates to his goalkeeping skills. This ability category focuses on what makes players great and enhances those individual player skills for gameplay. It’s kind of like Ray Allen in NBA 2K8, where his three-point shooting was off the charts good, so you could always count on him to hit a three-pointer when needed. Okay, 2K broke Allen’s ability and made it too high, where it was borderline cheaty. Regardless, you get the idea and intention.
So meta
Another focus on this year’s gameplay was with meta. Gameplay meta was thrown around a few times, as well as scouting meta. I’m assuming these are connections between decisions and how the game carries and grows with you. It makes sense on the surface, but I would have to see this in action in the final product to fully comment on it. Just know that this was a big part of the presentation.
Other odds and ends
Other items of interest that were shown were as follows:
– Multi-season storylines
– Ability to build an X-factor player
– Live chemistry meta
– Inclusion of the Seattle expansion
– Player growth and development benefit across all modes
And those were the highlights of the presentation. Honestly, and I’m not a dedicated hockey fan (Go sharks!) like our writer/NHL reviewer Ben Branscum, the game got me excited to see it in action. When it hits the real world Ben will get it reviewed and give you a more complete breakdown. Just know that it looks like this year’s title is going to have a lot of improvements.
We’ll be back with more in the next month or so.
