![]() The other big addition is HUT Rush, which offers fast, bite-sized games and rewards your prowess at pulling off fancy, stylish moves. The problem? My rival was goaltender Collin Delia. For instance, I thought it was cool when they gave my rookie forward a rival and told me I needed to outscore them in the upcoming game. It brought me back to a mode I had long abandoned, and it remains a mix of good ideas and poor execution. I see promise here and something for EA Vancouver to build off of in the new generation. The problem is picking the star options give you brand bonuses, which you want because it opens endorsements (the team option improves line chemistry). For instance, a teammate might ask you to attend his wedding and the star option has you saying you’ll go if there’s nothing better going on. To play the star role, you basically need to be a jerk. You get dialogue options that usually fall into “star” or “team” categories, but they feel too extreme. They save the mode from feeling too stale, since all your interactions with management and players are dry and one-note. It feels low-budget, with boring static images and limited voice lines, but EA Vancouver brings it to life with the help of broadcasters James Cybulski and Ray Ferraro, who comment on your progress and big moments. This update is long overdue, but it is still rough around the edges. The mode that has received the biggest upgrade is Be A Pro, where you create your player, interact with teammates and coaches, and try to make a name for yourself in the NHL. However, players are already discovering that sharp-angle shots are likely to get them. has made some strides, as I saw them come up with big saves more than in previous entries. ![]() I grew tired of their hesitation with getting the puck out of the defensive zone, or defensemen acting like they're forwards in EASHL. This is an improvement from last year, but they still struggle to recognize situations and take the effective action. is also exceptionally good at poke checking and taking men off the puck. I still hate how this aspect of real hockey is employed in the series, as I feel like even when I’m in a favorable position and poking the puck effectively, I still lose out more than win. is better at recognizing when to send someone over to help. Board battles still stand to be improved, but at least the A.I. This happens in a real hockey game, but it feels overpowered here if you don’t master it and your ability to protect against it, you don’t have much of a chance to win, let alone a chance to have fun. In single-player and online games, the puck felt like it was constantly changing hands due to this. Poke checking is also very powerful in NHL 21. It still amazes me that I can knock opponents to the ground with smaller players like Patrick Kane and sometimes a bigger power forward like Ryan Getzlaf can get pushed off the puck with ease. Sometimes players get a surge of momentum, allowing them to land hulking, unrealistic checks. Getting back to the basics, just like last year, checking is uneven. The no-move deke modeled after Nikita Kucherov is easier to complete, but they are all such high-risk that only the most advanced players will master them. Good luck pulling it off, though the timing is so precise I can’t imagine ever having the space and time to use it successfully in an actual game. For instance, you can now do “The Michigan,” a lacrosse-style skill move, where you raise the puck from behind the net and just toss it in on an unsuspecting goalie. However, as someone who plays a simpler hockey game, the new super-star-inspired dekes weren’t as valuable to me. It’s been interesting to see players use these to elevate their game on the ice and I appreciate that they add more strategy in how to get around defenders. ![]() You can also do a flip deke to create some space and fake-out opponents. I also like doing self-passes off the net and banking them to myself off the board. My favorite is the slip deke, where you can chip the puck ahead to yourself and slip past a defender when coming up the boards. Don’t expect fundamental differences, but new skill moves give you some new options on the ice. The overall gameplay from last year remains intact. ![]() It’s a step the series has to take, but it comes with its share of stumbles, never capturing the grace and poise it’s trying to emulate. This year, it’s providing more inventive options to dazzle your opponents, trying to match skill-players dominating the game today. Two years ago, EA Vancouver upgraded the skating and physics engine adding a burst of agility, responsiveness, and satisfying impact to better reflect this. Just like veteran players have had to adapt, so does EA’s NHL series. And the last few years, we’ve seen the speed, skill, and creativity surge as a more physical, grindy game takes a backseat.
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