EA Sports NHL 11

[dave1927p]

what do you guys think of EA's NHL 11? The CHL lisence is great but all they seem to be focusing on is online dynasty this year, which i absolutey hate. IGN just did a preview and they said, "NHL 11's Ultimate Team Hockey League should provide playability far beyond the standard franchise mode (which is still included)"

that's the stuff that gets me mad. EA is focusing so much on online play and just ignore the huge holes in both Be A Pro mode and Dynasty. BAP could be something so great what with the CHL, AHL, and european leagues all in the game but they continue to just focus on making an mmo game or something...and an unrealistic one at that.

[archibalduk]

The introduction of the CHL is great news but ever so long overdue.

I share the same frustration as you - they're spending too much time perfecting the online play each year whilst neglecting other aspects of the game. I really wish they would spend some time overhauling the basic gameplay so that it is as much fun to play as NHL 04 was. This is what the EA FIFA guys did quite recently - they overhauled the basic game engine and the result was a much more fun and realistic game. However they only really did this as a result of the PES series becoming much more popular (and better) than the FIFA series. The difficulty is that NHL doesn't have that same competition any more.

Broken sticks seems to be the big feature this year. It's cool to see something like this introduced but the cynic in me makes me think that we'll be seeing hundreds of broken sticks per game!

I used to be a huge EA NHL and 2K NHL fan but of recent years both have been a disappointment to me. I really feel they both need to follow FIFA's lead and devote a whole development cycle going back to basics.

[Calv]

With the CHL in next season, it means there'll be at least 2 brits in

[archibalduk]

Has anybody tried the demo for NHL 11? I quickly played one game and was quite impressed. It feels more like a simulation of hockey than it did in NHL 09 (I only ever played the demo of NHL 10 so I cannot really compare it to that). Apparently EA has introduced a new physics engine which is supposed to make the game more realistic. It still feels like you can skate circles round the opposition - but perhaps I was playing it at too low a skill level.

From looking at OperationSports.com it seems that the demo has received quite good feedback. It's still not enough to tempt me to buy it though. As has been said before, EA is spending too much time working on the online features rather than improving things such as Be A Pro. I may well consider buying NHL 12 however!!

[dave1927p]

Has anybody tried the demo for NHL 11? I quickly played one game and was quite impressed. It feels more like a simulation of hockey than it did in NHL 09 (I only ever played the demo of NHL 10 so I cannot really compare it to that). Apparently EA has introduced a new physics engine which is supposed to make the game more realistic. It still feels like you can skate circles round the opposition - but perhaps I was playing it at too low a skill level.

From looking at OperationSports.com it seems that the demo has received quite good feedback. It's still not enough to tempt me to buy it though. As has been said before, EA is spending too much time working on the online features rather than improving things such as Be A Pro. I may well consider buying NHL 12 however!!

yeah, i played the demo and it was pretty good. However i always thought the gameplay was great. When i have a buddy over we always try and have a game or two of nhl because it's a lot of fun and it seems the additions just add to it but ye, single player is a joke ... so i might just stick with NHL 10 and wait for a good deal on 11 before i get it.

Remember the CHL have been intregrated in BAP but if you can't simulate without getting demoting i think it's all pointless. And i hope they added the team name or citry name in the player stats pages/draft info. I've been asking for that every year on their forums since nhl 07 and so far nothing; it's such a simple thing and makes a huge difference..but they just don't listen ...i bet they added it to online this year...so maybe they added it to offline as well?

[archibalduk]

Yeah multiplayer offline has always been a blast - even when you're on the same team playing against the AI (in fact this has always been my favourite way of playing it). But unfortunately I don't really have that opportunity to do so any more and so I rely solely on offline gameplay (although I did enjoy playing the odd exhibition game online). So until they sort out the offline play, I'm not going to both shelling out any cash for an NHL game.

Having said that, I just watched this preview video on YouTube and I must say that the prospect of being able to play in the CHL is a really big pull for me. The NHL is far from the be all and end all and so it's nice to see some other NA leagues final make it into the EA NHL game. I'd really like to see them introduce the other major NA leagues (e.g. ECHL, UHL, etc). The EA FIFA guys are able to include hundreds of teams so why can't the NHL guys include a few more?!

Hopefully when 2K Sports' NHL series comes back in October next year it'll provide some stiff competition for EA. 2K will have had two years to redesign their game so I hope we'll see something revolutionary. Something like this might force EA to spend some time working on their offline gameplay...

[dave1927p]

i'm pretty upset right now, and i hope i'm wrong but according to (my interpretation of) the youtube video you ONLY play in the Memorial Cup with your BAP and not get drafted in the CHL then play 2 seasons or even 1 season. When they said they were intregrating the CHL that was my impression so i feel mislead... If that is the case i refuse to buy this game (new).

Not only that but they just added 5 for 5 trades and RFA/UFA. RFA is a great addition (that should of been added a long time ago) and 5 for 5 trades is okay but simply not nearly enough in my books.

Words cannot describe how disappointed i am; but after all these years, i shouldn't be surprised so i guess it's my own fault for believing in EA again....i won't make that mistake again. :@

Ye, archi i agree with you about 2k. I think it would be cool if 2k brought out a game with a player mode only. (and of course a "play now" regular style) Put focus all on a Be a Pro type mode for 1 year. I think that mode could potentially be a full game - just not one that comes out every year...maybe every 3-4 years.

[archibalduk]

NHL 11 seems to be receiving some very positive reviews. I've noticed Operation Sports and Game Spot have given glowing reviews. It's not enough to tempt me but I'm certainly going to be checking out NHL 12 and 2k12 next year!

Here are some snippets from Game Spot's review:

The Good
Lifelike action on the ice in virtually every way Accurate, realistic controls Hockey Ultimate Team adds a CCG flavor to an online/offline fantasy league Great new frills like all of the CHL teams and the Memorial Cup tournament Be a Pro mode lets you start a future superstar in junior.

The Bad
Still a few small concerns with the on-ice AI Expect to spend some cash to compete online in Hockey Ultimate Team.

Artificial intelligence has also been noticeably ramped up in NHL 11. Players seem to know what they're doing this year. Positional play is still absolutely vital to cover attacking forwards. As in the previous two games, you have to have some working knowledge of hockey to play the game effectively at the default difficulty level. Get out of place by trying to throw big hits or by cherry-picking, and the computer-controlled squad will make you pay. Teammates are also smart. They set up good breakouts now, so you spend a lot less time bottled up in your own end than you did in last year's game. Power plays and penalty kills are also effectively run. You can play locked to a position as though you were playing real hockey and not be frustrated, because the AI passes the puck astutely and uses you most of the time when you get open. That said, it's not perfect. Computer players still hold onto the puck a little too long. So at times players don't shoot when they clearly should, they ignore a linemate in the open, or they stickhandle longer than would be advisable, causing them to miss out on great scoring chances. Don't let this scare you off, though. The issue isn't too bad, and players pull off at least three brilliant moves for every time they wreck a scoring chance by dithering.

Be a GM mode has been improved this year with tweaks to the AI and the addition of unrestricted and restricted free agents. These changes make for a better management sim, although the CPU still doesn't seem to understand the salary cap. Teams will frequently refuse deals that they flat-out have to make to get under the cap, and the game itself will step in and stop trades in the summer that would result in a club going over the cap, even though teams in the real NHL are allowed to exceed the cap by up to 10 percent in the offseason.

[batdad]

Interesting tidbit on NHL 11. They accurately predicted with simulation that the Canucks would win the president's trophy. Secondly, they have done each round of the playoffs as the round begins, with updated rosters and line combos (in series injuries and coaches decisions not accounted for) but they have got ALL but one series correct so far. The only mistake was Detroit-San Jose. EA had the Wings winning Game 7, not the Sharks.

BTW--For you Boston fans, EA has the Bruins winning tonight, and a Canuck-Bruin final. They were off in # of games in a few (Canucks were to beat SJ in 6, not 5) but it is amazing that they have been correct so often. For so many issues with the game...it has still been very accurate.

[batdad]

EA Sucks. THey got Game 7 of the SCF totally wrong. Plus there was no riot video.

[Danny]

EA Sucks. THey got Game 7 of the SCF totally wrong. Plus there was no riot video.

No but Battlefield 3 is gonna have a Vancouver map