NHL 17 Reviews

NHL 17 is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
IGN
Top Critic
8.4 / 10.0
Sep 12, 2016

NHL 17 offers such variety that it’s easy to recommend to many players. The continued focus on accessibility and on-ice training fits the series well, and added depth to the EASHL keeps long-time fans like me coming back. The franchise mode finally gives the GM/owner mode a reason to be played, and even Draft Champions, while a bit simplistic, provides a motivation to interact with the Ultimate Team ecosystem. Most importantly, the hockey presented on the ice is dynamic and fluid, and it serves up an excellent version of the fastest game around.

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7.3 / 10.0
Sep 13, 2016

The on-ice play hasn’t undergone a drastic transformation from last year, and outside of EASHL not many of the modes have long legs

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Polygon
Top Critic
7.5 / 10.0
Sep 23, 2016

NHL 17’s most promising features are held back by its reuse of old elements

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Mat Paget
Top Critic
7 / 10
Sep 8, 2016

The NHL series' gameplay continues to impress in NHL 17, but with only incremental upgrades, it feels like a game we've played before.

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USgamer
Top Critic
Sep 8, 2016

NHL 17 has some real strengths, but it still feels like it hasn't quite made it out of the previous generation. The gameplay is strong but increasingly dated; the feature set feels haphazard, and there are lots of niggling quality-of-life issues. It feels more and more like the series is stuck in a rut, and it's hard to say where EA Canada should take it next. For now, NHL 17 is another decent outing, but the next step remains elusive.

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Sep 9, 2016

The game's overall presentation is solid, with the commentary and action cutscenes always making you feel as if you are a part of the heated battles and help keep the game flowing and relevant. There are few things I could say I wish NHL 17 had, mostly because it has them all. There’s no doubt EA has taken pride in bringing a well-balanced hockey simulator that's simple in delivery but complex in execution and something everyone can enjoy.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2016

When compared to NHL 15, NHL 17 is miles ahead; when compared to NHL 16, it's incrementally better. That's the EA Sports way. There are some new features and improvements, but nothing mind-blowingly innovative. That's perfectly fine. There's a good hockey game at the core, and a lot of options on the periphery. That's all we ever wanted.

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Forbes
Top Critic
8.3 / 10.0
Sep 10, 2016

With some new depth, the already strong NHL series has remained solid. The product on the ice is great in almost every aspect, but the feature set could still stand to add layers.

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VG247
Top Critic
Sep 8, 2016

NHL 17 has some real strengths, but it still feels like it hasn't quite made it out of the previous generation. The gameplay is strong but increasingly dated; the feature set feels haphazard, and there are lots of niggling quality-of-life issues. It feels more and more like the series is stuck in a rut, and it's hard to say where EA Canada should take it next. For now, NHL 17 is another decent outing, but the next step remains elusive.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2016

If you’re looking for an authentic NHL game with excellent gameplay and plenty of modes, this is definitely the game for you.

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Sep 12, 2016

While last year’s game was coming off its very disappointingly bare bones predecessor, NHL 17 already had a very solid foundation to build upon at the start and is one that will be enjoyed by most any fan of the sport.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 15, 2016

NHL 17 has improved on what makes the game great and thrown in enough new toys to keep players happy well into the spring

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80 / 100
Sep 9, 2016

Few games execute as well within their actual play as NHL, and that continues with in the newest installment. There’s a lack of girth around the main game, with Draft Champions and Franchise Mode feeling like copies from previous EA Sports games. But at the same time, the on-ice play has never been better, the on-ice trainer is improved further and adding in net battles was a smart move. While it disappoints slightly, NHL 17 is still a must-play for hockey fans.

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Sep 9, 2016

The latest hockey video game from EA Sports finally gets the series back on track, with NHL 17 giving fans almost every thing they could ask for from the series.

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8 / 10
Sep 27, 2016

The mentioned faults do knock NHL 17 down a little, but it would be harsh to do anything other than praise what is a very different and much improved game to last year. New modes, impressive tweaks to the AI to make things more competitive, and that stellar in-game presentation that does a darned good job of simulating the real thing mean that there's more than ever for the puck nuts to get their teeth into this time around.

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ZTGD
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Sep 28, 2016

NHL does a good job of improving on several key areas from last year’s game without feeling like a completely fresh coat of paint.

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83 / 100
Sep 14, 2016

If you haven’t played EA’s NHL series yet, then you need to get NHL 17 now. It is an astoundingly-detailed, immersive hockey game that has something for every type of player to love. - See more at: http://cogconnected.com/review/nhl-17-review/#sthash.wAetawyS.dpuf

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M3
Top Critic
6 / 10
Sep 15, 2016

It has been a fact for a couple of years now that EA Sports NHL series is in need of a big renovation. The graphics is starting to look dated, the physics isn't nearly as good as PES or FIFA and the AI is unbalanced – particularly the goalie part. NHL 17 is still a pretty decent game for the hockey fans, but it's hard to not feel a bit disappointed.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2016

NHL 17 has everything in place to separate itself from the other sports titles with only a few cracks in the ice keeping it from a perfect slick.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 15, 2016

NHL 17 is surprisingly easy to jump in and out of even in the mode dedicated full season and career modes. Its simple controls for beginners and unobtrusive tutorial system make it a very accessible game that still has a lot of depth.

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