NHL 22 Reviews
NHL 22's various arcade modes have their charms, but it's an uneven installment that puts the focus in the wrong places.
NHL 22 relies on its superstar talent, and it's not impressive enough to give the gameplay the new life it so desperately needs
NHL 22 on current-generation consoles is the best NHL experience that has released in some time.
NHL 22 is enjoyable, but feels very similar to last year despite using a new game engine. Too much focus has been put on implementing Superstar X-Factor abilities and little else.
NHL 22 doesn’t feel like the next leap forward for video game hockey. It barely feels like meaningful DLC.
This should have been NHL 22's coming-out party. Everything was in place for this to be a transformative season on a fresh new platform. Unfortunately, the next-generation jump feels more like a stop-gap solution than a proper evolution. If you already have last year's installment, I would be hard-pressed to find a legitimate reason to make the jump. Hopefully, the next outing will focus on bringing a more innovative offering to the rink, because lord knows this time around isn't going to set the stadium on fire.
NHL 22's gameplay is substantially unchanged from its predecessors. The Frostbite engine brings a breath of fresh air to the graphics, but the gaming experience does not differ dramatically from what has been seen in the past. The result is a fun and full of game modes title, which however would need an update in the game mechanics to be able to take it one step further.
Review in Italian | Read full review
NHL 22 does an excellent job at bringing back old arcade-y mechanics and blending it with today's simulation quality presentation in a way that works together rather than against itself. Some modes could still use a refresh, but the core gameplay of NHL 22 shows that the NHL series is really hitting its stride with this release.
With NHL 22, EA's long-running team finally gets a brand new game engine, providing better physics, graphics, and animations. As usual, we also get a variety of game modes that make most people happy, whether it's realism or party games that attract. What we do not get, however, is a sufficiently refreshed sense of play. The improved physics helps, but does not shake off all the old flaws. That said, NHL 22 is an excellent hockey game, although several long-standing problems still exist.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
I can’t see the NHL franchise reaching the heights of its mid-2000s glory years anytime soon, but at least we have the Frostbite engine in there to start building upon. It took far too long to arrive, though; it’s here now. And while I can see the potential for it to one day have this series feeling exciting again, I don’t see that happening for a long time. But, hey, it’s the only hockey game in town, so I guess I’ll see you on the ice.
At this point, consumers are likely well aware of whether EA Sports' NHL franchise is something that appeals to them, and NHL 22 won't change that. With that said, for the series faithful or someone that skipped out on NHL 21, there's a lot to enjoy in the current-gen polish that the Frostbite Engine and the more powerful hardware bring with them. At the end of the day, NHL 22 is the de facto hockey gaming experience and the energy that went into refining the current product was not spent in vain.
NHL 22 surprises by making its debut on a new console without removing any of its modes, but those who played NHL 21 may find this version a little too familiar. X-Factors on paper should be a game-changer but are mostly underwhelming. The switch to Frostbite does massively improve the fidelity of the rink – even if character models still look downright demonic – but should that really be the biggest change to the game? The ultimate question is: can the price increase be justified on the PS5? And given how little really has changed from last year to this year, the answer has to be a “no”.
NHL 22 finally brings the series into the next-gen: the beginning is encouraging but we are still far from that magnificence that had characterized the EA series for long periods in its first thirty years of life.
Review in Italian | Read full review
It's odd that it took EA this long to bring their flagship Frostbite engine to their NHL franchise, but now that it's here in NHL 22, the wait was certainly worth it, as the game has never looked or played better.
Making a debut on new hardware has its pros and cons, but for NHL 22, the overt emphasis on Superstar X-Factors was a huge gamble to take that did not pay off. If this is your first NHL game in a while, then there is a solid foundation in NHL 22 with various game modes that can appeal. For fans who are hoping for more, however, it is disappointing to find little to no improvements despite all the hype, just like a draft pick that turned out to be a lemon.
‘NHL 22’ really takes a big stride forward in the franchise. Having it on a PS5 is a big part of what makes the difference in some ways. The haptic feedback really gives the game another level. NHL games have gotten stale in years past (15-18 come to mind in some ways). Over the past few releases, EA Vancouver has taken it to newer heights and this is a leap in a great direction. I haven’t been this excited to try and run a franchise into the ground because I have no idea what I am doing, or go pro and take on the greats for the cup.
Hockey is a sport that’s very confined to skating on a set rink with a standard 5 vs 5 player configuration. NHL 22 brings all the different styles the game can be played with superstar abilities tailored to the different hockey niches all gamers can appreciate.
NHL 22 delivers some good moment-to-moment hockey along with a needed visual upgrade, but the franchise feels tired and worn out.
In the grand scheme of things, I’d say that NHL 22 is a skip overall, though long-time hockey fans will certainly find enjoyment. And hey — just like NHL 15 before it, this is one of those years that means double Achievements/Trophies because of its cross-generation release. Quite honestly, though, I’d prefer cross-gen play and one Achievement set instead, and that’s a lot coming from Mr 600,000 Gamescore over here. It’s very likely that the matchmaking problems I’ve encountered have been exacerbated by the lack of current-gen console availability; while the Xbox One version is near identical to Xbox Series X in terms of gameplay, I’ll stick to playing the prettier-looking one.
We finally have a truly next-gen sport title, and it's amazingly NHL 22. A complete overhaul to everything about the game and series makes for the best hockey title in decades. Even with its faults, this is a must-buy for hockey fans.