EA Sports NHL 16 is out now, right in time for the 2015-2016 hockey season. The latest game in the series allows you to choose between a variety of game modes, which we’ll describe in detail below.
There several options to choose from before you ever take to the ice. There's the “Play Now” quick match option that takes you right to the rink, along with two career modes, “Be a Pro” and “Be a GM”. There’s also “Hockey Ultimate Team” mode, which you might recognize as a carryover from FIFA, where you can build your own dream team by collecting player cards, then face off against other players online. And even in offline matches you can play against up to three other players, or join forces and take on the computer.
Whatever mode you choose, the actual hockey gameplay is more or less identical. Most of the game is players using the PS4 controller’s dual analog sticks – the left stick is used to move the player you have selected, and the right stick is used to take a shot at the goal, among other things. You don’t have to press any other button to take a shot, allowing you to focus all your concentration on a single, fluid movement. This makes for some very precise shooting mechanics. Various shoulder buttons are used to pass the puck or select other players, and the rest of the buttons are used for tactical controls and trick moves. For example, the Circle and Square buttons allows you to change your offensive and defensive strategies during a match, without having to open up the menu. This allows to react quickly to whatever the situation calls for.
Helpful tips and comments will appear directly above the head of the player you have selected (e.g. “good shot” or “nice pass”). This allows you to improve your own game and work on the skills you have trouble with. Overall, NHL 16 has done an awesome job of creating a hockey sim that really captures the fast-paced, action-packed nature or the game. It feels like you’re actually there in the arena. There’s precious little time to think while playing, and especially at higher difficulty levels, you’ll spend much of the game on the edge of your seat. It’s almost like you stepping into the skates of a real hockey player, and you really start to understand how the pressure to make quick decisions on the fly can lead to the kind of mistakes those of us sitting at home and watching on TV like to complain about.
And what would hockey be without the occasional fight? In NHL 16, you’d better be able to react quickly if you want to come out on top.
Be a GM
The Be a GM career mode gives you a wide range of tools to work with to support and improve your team during a season. The mode lets you control the whole team on the rink, putting the match in your hands at all times. After each period you have the opportunity to view detailed offensive, defensive, and team play stats, allowing you to adjust your tactics as needed.In the GM Hub you can check out a variety of stats and figures throughout the season, such as info on your current players and the ranking of other teams in the league, as well as team and individual morale and a calendar that shows upcoming matches. You can simulate games if you want, which gives you a chance to skip ones you know are going to be one-sided and boring.
Your club’s team menu allows you to recruit players and agents, and you can also manage the team’s contracts and budget. Another sub-menu allows you to micromanage your team’s starting and backup positions. If you need him, you can always consult your assistant coach for advice to help you make certain decisions. And in addition to adjusting your tactics, you can use injury and progress reports on your players to help you prepare for the next game and plan for the rest of the season. Oh, and you can also reassign the numbers on your players’ jerseys.
The League menu allows you as GM to design and shape the team strategy in detail. It lets you adjust offensive and defensive tactics separately, and even tie them in with certain situations. It also allows you customize the appearance and gear of every single player on the team, and you can save these changes to be used in other game modes.
Be a Pro As the name implies, Be a Pro allows you to design your own hero of the rink, giving him whatever name, appearance, and play style you can think of. All the positions are available, including goalie, and each one plays completely differently. I should also mention that you can even create female players and send them out on the ice. Once you’ve created your alter ego, you have two options: you can either pick the team you want to start with yourself, or you can be “drafted” onto a random team.
Compared to Be a GM, Be a Pro offers considerably fewer options when it comes to the influence you have on the team. All you can really do is check out your current lineup and train your player in specific skills, then keep an eye on his progress.
Of course, during matches, you will only be able to control your one player, which also means that if you get injured or suspended you won’t be able to play for a few games. And then the coach can always take you out of the game, in which case you’ll just have to watch from the bench. When this happens, you’ll receive immediate feedback from the coach evaluating your offensive, defensive or team play skills. If he does end up putting you back in the game, you can use the time to focus on making improvements in whatever areas he criticized you on, and incorporate any tips or advice he gives you into your game.
Overall, Be a Pro makes it a lot harder to control the direction of the game long-term, since you’re always going to have to keep an eye on your own condition and can’t go chasing after every puck. This means that you’re really going to have to think about how to make sure your player is in the right place at the right time for those game-changing moments.
Graphics
Overall, the individual arenas, the way players celebrate after scoring a goal, and the excitement when the teams enter the arena all look amazing, and they’ve done an awesome job of bringing the atmosphere of a real hockey match to the small screen. And the crowds only add to the realism, with each fan in the seats following their own pattern of behavior so that each time you look up at the crowd you’re bound to see something new. Every now and then, however, minor graphics issues pop up, such as when a player moves right through one of his teammates as if he were made of nothing but air.Sound The background music on the menu screens is pretty good – sort instrumental rock music with some classy orchestral sounds thrown in. It helps to create just the right mood for the action-packed matches that await you once the season starts. Within the matches themselves, especially during breaks in the action or after goals are scored, you can hear the kind of organ jingles you’ve probably heard on TV, which really adds to the authenticity of the NHL games. And the commentators, who appear in the flesh before the match actually begins, also do their part in contributing to the overall realism.
can I plz have a key
Looks like EA forgot about the PC players. Actually, there is no hockey sim for pc. Too bad...