NHL 21 Reviews
While it holds up some similarities to NHL 20, there is enough to go into the rink, lace up your skates, and hit the ice.
EA's NHL 21 is a success thanks to its improved story mode, exciting new skill moves, and excellent controls.
There’s no denying NHL 21 is a tight little package — in fact, it’s been years in the making (click that and thank me later) — but that’s because EA Vancouver is doing everything it can to refine a polished hockey game year-on-year. NHL 20 introduced or improved most of the items that feature inside this, so unless you’re super into single-player modes like Be a Pro, you could get away with buying it instead of this. If you’re into multiplayer, well, you have to upgrade; I don’t need to convince you. I’m ultimately rather pleased with NHL 21, but still have to throw some shade at EA for choosing not to support this on next-gen consoles in any way. Boo.
EA Sports NHL 21 delivers a well rounded package with a great selection of modes and various enhancements to core mechanics.
NHL 21 is another strong entry into the series’ history. It delivers a new strand of flavor with Be a Pro, maintains quality on the ice, and makes franchise mode more enjoyable. However, the limitations in customization and the subtractions to HUT keep NHL 21 from being the series’ ultimate edition.
I’m not old school like the coaches and GMs that still make up a large part of the NHL, but I’m old school in that I grew up in the 80s and 90s and value hard hockey played the right way over flashy dekes you might see once a season. I love dekes as much as the next person, but not at the expense of solid core gameplay. EA Vancouver tried to sell dekes, cosmetics, and the idea of being a superstar, but what resonated with me, an old-school hockey guy, were the core gameplay improvements.
Whilst the gameplay changes and additions to the game modes are welcomed, NHL 21 feels more like an update than a brand new game.
The added physicality on both ends of the ice and the demand for skill-based gameplay makes NHL 21 the closest thing to real hockey in series history.
In a year that likely not see any more hockey at the NHL level, it's nice to see that NHL 21 is allowing us to indulge our inner superstar. There may not be a ton of other huge innovations, but the enhanced take on Be A Pro alone makes this installment worth investing in. If you're looking to only dive into the season mode, this may be more of an off-year, but for everybody else, it's high-time to return to the ice with vengeance!
NHL 21 has taken the best of what has been offered this generation in the series and sprinkled goodness on top.
NHL 21 provides more of the same, and with the uncertainty of the real world season, even less of what few changes fans come to expect of yearly releases.
The last game of the NHL series on the current generation of consoles is, from the point of view of a newcomer to the series, very high-quality entertainment
Review in Slovak | Read full review
The choices that you make can have an effect on how you look to your teammates, upper management, and to your fans. Before long you will be drafted to the NHL where you start seeing the big bucks come your way. Money in NHL21 is used to buy temporary amenities for your character which boost your stats or give you ability points. Ability points are used to boost stats such as Top Speed and Endurance permanently.
There is no doubt that this is a good game.
Review in Greek | Read full review
For many NHL franchise players, the career mode has never been the reason to pick up the game, so it's easy to live with this lackluster story. The other game modes in NHL 21 are as good as ever. You may not be a big hockey fan, but if you enjoy sports games, it's hard to do better than this.
The best of the series but with little improvements over its predecessors, NHL 21 is a respectable hockey send-off for modern consoles. Per prior, NHL still looks and sounds great, but remains hampered by AI and identity shortcomings.
NHL 21 doesn't feel like a huge leap from last year, but EA Vancouver makes strides in addressing long-known issues and sets a better foundation for the next generation
NHL 21 feels like an incremental step up from last year’s game. What I enjoyed is that even with my limited knowledge of the sport I could hop in and have a great time. I really will come back once the NHL 94 mode drops into the game. Those classic games were great even if I had no clue what icing was. For those looking to upgrade it might not be revolutionary, but this year’s game sure is a lot of fun once you get past its shortcomings.
Just another season.
NHL 21 is the best hockey game around by default – but it seldom genuinely stands out from this generation's pack.