NHL 17 Reviews
NHL 17 has improved on what makes the game great and thrown in enough new toys to keep players happy well into the spring
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.
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.
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.
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 winning tradition is back with 'NHL 17.'
NHL 17 builds on the solid mechanics of its predecessor while adding several new features such as World Cup of Hockey, a more beefed up GM mode, lots of customization options and the return of player classes to name a few. Some might feel the actual gameplay on the ice does not represent a huge improvement over NHL 16. If you missed out on last year’s game or are interested in a more polished version, however, then NHL 17 merits a trip down the virtual ice.
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.
NHL 17 delivers with low-key improvements on the ice, while a host of feature-rich game modes offer greater depth than ever before.
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
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.
Your decision to pick up NHL 17 will depend on your experience with the previous two titles. If you haven't picked up a NHL title this season or you stopped at NHL 15, you absolutely must purchase NHL 17. The game has been refined with loads of changes for both pros and novices, and the number of modes present, along with their depth, will ensure that this stays in rotation until the hockey season starts. If you already have NHL 16, then there isn't much of an impetus to grab the NHL 17 version. The extra modes are indeed nice, but you already have access to just about everything, so those additions might not feel that impressive. Either way, NHL 17 remains a solid game, and one hopes that the momentum continues into next year's title.
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.
NHL 17’s most promising features are held back by its reuse of old elements
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 brings a slew of changes and additions to its modes that will make fans happy, but the gameplay is relatively unchanged from last year.
NHL 17 is the best ice hockey game to date. There's still a lot to improve and EA tried to do so even this time, but in form of tiny steps. NHL 16 owners can wait until next year, but everyone else can be really satisfied.
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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 on-ice play hasn’t undergone a drastic transformation from last year, and outside of EASHL not many of the modes have long legs