NHL 17 Reviews
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.
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.
The actual affair of playing hockey is more exciting than it's been in years.
NHL 16 saved the franchise from utter ruin, but NHL 17 shows you just what developers who love hockey can do when given ample time to work on a product. This year’s result is polished and bursting at the seams with care and love. With more modes than you can shake a stick at and niggling bugs of the past destroyed — I couldn’t find a single glitch over a marathon play session while preparing for this review — this is the best version of NHL to date. Grab a copy, some beers and a friend and show each other what you can do.
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.
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.
The NHL series' gameplay continues to impress in NHL 17, but with only incremental upgrades, it feels like a game we've played before.
EA Sports has three different sports titles under their belt.
NHL 17 is a solid return to form for the series finally adding back many of the features that were removed at the start of the generation, but it never does anything to take strides forward.
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.
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.
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.
NHL 17 is a piece built for the true hockey fan that understands the game’s makeup. Those fans that have been with the franchise for a lengthy period of time and truly know the game of hockey will fall in love with this title from day one - the casual fan, probably less so as they won’t notice much of a difference between NHL 16 and 17. Plain and simple, the game delivers.
When all of these modes sit on such a solid base of good hockey gameplay, it’s easy to have fun however you choose to approach NHL 17.
NHL 17 delivers with low-key improvements on the ice, while a host of feature-rich game modes offer greater depth than ever before.
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.
NHL 17 is a game that overwhelms you with variety of play as well as feedback aimed at making you a better, happier player. Outside of a collection of new game modes including Draft Champions, Franchise Mode and the World Cup of Hockey, everything here is largely the same. The game still looks great. Still feels great. And most importantly, it still plays great. Little refinements throughout yield small but noticeable improvements on the experience.
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.
The best hockey series ever gets even better. More to see and more to do – and it’s all great fun thanks to solid gameplay and attention to detail
NHL 17 is only held back by a few issues, but they rear their ugly head during every single match. Both player selection and poor teammate AI could be improved by patches, but right now they make every match become frustrating in spots. It’s incredibly disappointing to see a game that gets so much right also proceed to get a few important things dead wrong. There is still fun to be had, especially in the Be A Pro mode, but the action on the ice isn’t nearly as satisfying as it should be.