NHL 15 Reviews
As far as the new generation of NHL 15 is concerned, this package isn't nearly strong or complete enough to justify an immediate purchase.
The gameplay and presentation of NHL 15 are arguably the best we've seen in the franchise. The new commentary team of Emrick, Olczyk, and Ferraro really add to the in-game experience. Some AI bugs do exist and may frustrate players, but the true problem with this game is the lack of modes to justify the $60 price tag. It's unfair to call this game a beta, but with so many modes missing, even though some will be patched in, it doesn't feel like a completed product. The hardcore NHL fans will pick this up, but casual players may want to wait it out and see if EA can patch in some of the features that this game desperately needs.
The hardened NHL fan looks past visual achievements, and finds a hollow experience devoid of some of the depth that made NHL 14 so good.
Since EA has no competition as far as NHL games go, if you want a next-gen hockey title and you don't want to wait for next year, then you're going to end up buying this one. It's not a bad game as it is, and the promised additional features will be nice. There's plenty of replay value and deep modes to explore, if you're so inclined. The basic difficulty is challenging enough to keep you challenged for a long time, and the harder setting can be positively brutal.
NHL 15 is a missed opportunity and a bit of a mess overall. It feels unfinished, and is lacking fan favourite modes, making it hard to recommend to anyone but the diehards.
Its a graphical showcase, fueled by plenty of solid gameplay tweaks to an already amazing game and makes us wonder where the series can go once everything extra makes its way to the current generation via the announced updates. Even with that, it's still a bit of a letdown in terms of extra content, it's far from a disappointment and is best judged by those who play for the love of the series and sport and not those obsessed with extra bells and whistles.
The next generation jump for NHL 15 is far from a mind blowing one. It brings about fantastic visuals and more of the same excellent gameplay we have come to expect. Unfortunately, it really is just more of the same but with an impressive visual bump. Of course, the improved presentation is nice as well but it lacks that oomph needed to wow consumers. That being said, EA Canada has done enough to create a very recommendable hockey game, but they may have some trouble on their hands if they continue to provide more of the same next year.
Compared to previous efforts, NHL 15 falls incredibly short on new-gen platforms. Missing a swathe of modes, you can't help but feel that the franchise's debut on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 is something of a puck up. Disappointing.
NHL 15 may be a step forward in terms of gameplay and presentation, but it's a step back in nearly every other way. New players and those dedicated to the franchise will probably find something to like here, but everyone else will be left with a huge sense of missed opportunity.
I would not say that the game-play is drastically different when compared to NHL 14 from last year, but the game-play somehow feels much more lifelike.
NHL 15 proves how little EA Sports respects the intelligence of gamers, charging full retail price for a game that can't compare to last years offering. Even if this is the only hockey game for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it is not worth your time or money.
NHL 15 may not be as feature rich as its last generation predecessor. But what it does offer is the most visually striking hockey experience available. The strong core gameplay for which the series has been lauded returns with slight tweaks to the physics. Everything looks great, plays well and feels like the NHL hockey I love. Even the tricky teammate AI can be addressed via settings tweaks. Where NHL 15 disappoints, however, is in the trimmed features and modes. NHL 14's fully featured practice mode is now just a single skater on ice who gets to practice his shootout skills only. And that kind of change just seems silly. I mean, we're talking about practice, man. Practice. Not a game. Practice. Ultimately, I prefer a solid core gameplay experience to a wealth of modes built around dodgy game mechanics. And with EA's announced content update schedule, fans can expect to find more reasons to return to the title in the coming months.
It boils down to this: if you like hockey, you will probably like NHL 15. It definitely has enough gameplay options to keep a hardcore hockey fan busy for months. If you aren't a hockey fan, it's a toss-up whether or not you would like NHL 15, just like any other sports game. But I will say that NHL 15 shows a lot of movement in the right direction on the new platforms and is a strong basis to make even better games for years to come.
The new physics system, presentation elements, and graphics are definitely a step forward for the franchise, but the wholesale removal or scaling back of so many modes leaves you wondering how such a great series could struggle so mightily with the console transition.
I have always enjoyed EA's NHL games, and what there is of NHL '15 works. But, it's not what's there that's the issue, it's what's missing. And, for what's missing EA Sports needs to spend a lot of time in the penalty box.
NHL 15 is missing too much to recommend to anyone but the most ardent diehards.
In the end, NHL 15 feels like the skeleton of a better hockey game. Even with the missteps, the core game mechanics are solid and provide players with some fun hockey experiences. Those who don't care much for anything beyond this will be pleased with what's on tap. For those looking for the more involved modes the series has traditionally offered, they are either missing or watered down to the point that they feel like inaugural attempts rather than classic modes that have been tweaked for the better. The game will be patched to address some of these issues, but as far as what's on the disc or initial digital download, it seems like a step backward. With the groundwork already laid out, the hope is that NHL 16 will be a more complete hockey package. For the time being, NHL 15 just isn't what fans are looking for.
NHL 15 plays a great – if somewhat atmosphere-free – game of hockey, but the sheer amount of modes missing from the package as a whole mean that unless you become obsessed with Ultimate Team or enjoy playing severely limited career modes, there's very little to actually do.
NHL 15 is not very good. It's not whole. But I keep playing, because it's enough.
NHL 15 stumbles as it hits the ice on the new generation of consoles. Fans should wait for a price drop and a few patches, or just skip this year altogether.