NHL 17 Reviews
NHL 17 marks another step forward for the already great franchise, and is easily the best hockey game to date.
Like Madden before it, EA’s hockey team has done a great job with NHL 17. It doesn’t quite have all the innovative features that the football game does, but it has more than enough to recommend to hockey fans.
NHL 17 continues in NHL 16's tradition, providing a solid and customizable hockey sim experience, but not all of the new changes work as well as promised.
The winning tradition is back with 'NHL 17.'
All in all, NHL 17 continues the overall trend of the series, but brings some much-needed new content that builds on what’s already there. Teams, players, and arenas can be customized to your heart’s content, or you can simply dive in to a variety of different styles of interacting either online, solo, or with local co-op. NHL 17 is available now in the PlayStation Store for $59.99.
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
NHL 17 is more like the previous entry in that fun will mostly take a backseat to simulation/realism and the problems that entails. There is fun to be had when the cons keep to themselves but it happens a bit too much. However, all the customization and game modes will keep you busy for a very long time. Especially if you need to take breaks because you grow a little frustrated. In the same vein as those who enjoy racing simulators, sports fans will enjoy the latest entry into EA Sports' series but it will be another year that greatness wasn't achieved once again.
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.
NHL 17 is a very good hockey simulation game. It’s gameplay works well, it contains a plethora of well executed modes, and has a stable online experience. Sadly, some issues with the menus and on-ice trainer, along with long loading times, can cause frustration, especially when new players are still trying to understand the NHL 17’s controls. While newcomers may be a bit off-put by the game at first if they don’t invest a lot of time with it,those who stick with the game and fans of the series will have a great time, even though there are still a few things that need to be improved on in the future.
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.
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
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.
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.
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 delivers with low-key improvements on the ice, while a host of feature-rich game modes offer greater depth than ever before.
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 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.
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.
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 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.