One that adds a creative spin with arcade hockey, but also structures it based on battle royale trends. A solid sports game with top-notch player animations and presentation, but the same single-player modes as last year. Maybe PS5/Xbox Scarlett will give the developers more tools to take gaming AI and physics in directions none of us could ever imagine. They also can't really do anything about that, as sports themselves don't really change by their very nature. Why not put some of your limited development time into a fun new mode instead of the usual stuff? The developers must know that sports games have a reputation for being stale. It's sad to see single-player stuff get ignored in favor of more cosmetics and a battle royale. All of the new seemed to go towards the updated broadcast package and World of Chel (the hub for hockey battle royale). Speaking of using resources, Be a Pro wasn't changed at all. At least it incorporates an already-existing game rather than using resources to shove in a new battle royale mode. It's not revolutionary, but it's pretty fun. You can also earn more cosmetics by completing weekly challenges. This mode puts up to 81 people together for a tournament of Ones or Threes, with last man/team standing as the winner. Both of these can be played in a new mode called Eliminator. There's also Threes, which lets you squad up with two buddies. ![]() NHL 19's Ones, where three players all play hockey against each other, is back. You'd think NHL 20 would be safe from the current battle royale craze. For the most part they offer a challenging obstacle and, like the player models, react more realistically than ever. There are still instances where they let the puck slide under their legs, but these are rare. NHL 20's goalies are mostly as smart as they should be. On the other, dumbing it down too much is no fun. On one hand, the computer can't use its full reaction time, or players would never score. AI goalies must be a tricky thing to program. At the very least, they can be used to set up reliable one-timers. I might even go so far as to say that AI teammates can be trusted to pick up the puck. It brings the game another huge step closer to the real thing. Players are actually focused on the puck and react to it quickly and in a way that makes sense. EA even went out of the way to animate certain well-known players with their real-world shots. Everything about them - the way they skate, the way they shoot, the way they interact with each other - feels like they downed a can of Red Bull. The player models may be the same old thing, but they've picked up some new moves. NHL 20 would do well to put focus on revamping the players. ![]() The face on the 3D guy celebrating rarely looks even close to one in the photograph. This is especially true when the real-life pictures flash onscreen after a player scores a goal. Even though it's to be expected, NHL 20 seems to have it worse than others. ![]() Sports games have a history of re-using models for players who continue from season-to-season. In some ways, the new broadcast calls attention to just how dated the player models are. Not everything about the visuals is upgraded, however. I for one never get tired of seeing my shots replayed in epic slow-mo. This isn't exactly a new thing in sports games, but the presentation here is the best it's been for the NHL series. You'll often get recaps of your more impressive feats in between the action, shown through angles that make it look like a real cameraman was looking in on the ice. The way information is relayed visually was completely reimagined, providing more dynamic highlights. EA calls it "Revamped Broadcast" and that about sums it up. The most impactful changes NHL 20 makes to the series are those of presentation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |