[ad_1]
Time is of the essence in fast sports like hockey. A split second can determine whether a goalkeeper makes a decisive stoppage, whether a player scores a career-changing goal or whether a defender locks that threat before he can escape the shot. For many years, EA's NHL series has felt too slow and insensitive to make a difference, but it's starting to change. The drastically revised skating of last year has given the players a feeling of danger on their skates, and the NHL 20 increases the speed of the stick, making the timekeepers as effective as when they were introduced for the first time in NHL '94. This innovation advances the action on the ice, but at the same time, EA's stubborn refusal to improve and update some of its most popular modes prevents the NHL 20 from truly stand out. .
In recent years, even the most talented hockey superstars have had difficulty playing an NHL game unless the passes are perfectly placed at their feet and their poles are perfectly aligned. Even then, the animation of heavy scenes often resulted in a moaning sigh. NHL 20 corrects this with a welcome assortment of new animations that allow skaters in position to score to unleash shots from a wider angle. The change had the desired effect. Competitors early in the game seem more interested in scoring goals with non-point players than fishing for goal scoring. In simple terms, NHL 20 looks and plays a bit more like real hockey.
The goalkeepers are not always up to the task, but they are much more aware of the threats to the ice when the difficulty is high and they better deflect the pucks into recesses in the shelter of danger (and not in the crowd, as we saw all too often during the beta). Sudden shots that require quick reactions often leave juicy bounces in the crease, creating frantic shove for possession. From time to time, the pucks fall under the goalkeeper and do not have the awareness to cover it at the right time, resulting in weak goals that do not hold water. EA, if you listen, clean it with the first patch.
The EE must also take into account the physical appearance, an area of NHL 20 that currently has no nuance. Too often, when players collide, a giant check leaves the recipient on the ice – or they simply cut the gaze. The NHL would greatly benefit from a FIFA scramble system that allowed the strongest players to dislodge the puck from smaller and weaker players without knocking them out completely.
"
If the unique markers are the signature of the NHL 20, the help will go to the reworked presentation. Doc Emrick and Eddie Olczyk may be a legendary broadcast crew in real life, but their comments in previous NHLs have never captured their momentum. This year, EA replaces them with energetic play-by-play voices, James Cybulski and Ray Ferraro, who move from the bench to the role of color commentator. The duo offers a much more lively vibeole, although Ferraro does not feel as integrated in the show as it should be. And although EA says it's captured a lot more hours of play after match than usual, the duo is counting far too many dead micro moments, such as when a Rookie is sent for a warm-up solo or as a player. goes down the tunnel with a serious injury. Some Ferraro lines are also reused from last year; in one case, he even mentioned being on the ice rather than in the cabin.
The comment blends well with the reworked broadcast package. Each period ends with a highlight highlighting a great moment judiciously chosen, and the slo-mo dynamic cameras capture the game better than the previous system. I hope that EA will soon add a little variety, because even if these highlights seem much better, the sound effects and panning of the camera become tiresome after rehearsals. Showing the players' photos after the goals is also a good thing, even if it suggests that EA has not done enough to improve player identity. Seeing what a real-life player looks like next to his clearly inadequate model in the game shows how difficult it has been to make this part of NHL 20 authentic.
You can watch a complete part of the multiplayer mode 1v1v1 below:
Speaking of inadequacy, EA has also made the dubious decision to leave EASHL's competitive online mode largely intact. Little has been done to improve the charging system after its introduction last year and the terrible AI makes the mode downright unforgettable when you do not have enough friends online to fill a list complete. The defenders always join the race with a wild abandon, leaving your goalkeeper exposed to breakaways at every turn.
Instead, EA has invested in the development of arcade-based World of Chel modes, such as Ones and Threes, which now offer new outdoor rinks, longer tournaments and a wider selection of cosmetic awards. . The new weekly challenges appeal to tantalizing items like rare jerseys, but the rigid system requires you to play uninspiring modes like Pro Am rather than playing those that interest you the most. Placing the hardcore EASHL in the same space as with the arcade-based modes is a curious decision in this regard.
NHL 20 may not offer much to offer EASHL fans, but it is continuing the remodeling of the long-awaited franchise mode with a new coaching system that dramatically affects team building by giving each Organize eight coaches that you can hire and fire at will. As in real life, every coach has his own philosophy on how the team should play, which affects players who fit their scheme, career progression and chemical composition. their teammates. The complex system takes time to understand and has the potential to be something special, but for now, it's a confusing work-in-progress. Strangely, you can not hire coaches from other teams, which is the main way to run the coaching carrousel in the NHL. You must also pay too much for the coaches to sign up. Once you have provided them with all your information on how players fit into your system, they are out of date. Having to re-recruit each free agent to see how he / she joins your new coach deprives you of this crucial and early window where a new coach brings in players.
The coaching system needs work, but the franchise mode also benefits from many quality of life improvements. Player ratings and contract requests fluctuate based on their performance, you can trade expired contracts and the sim engine is much faster this year. The new trade search engine helps you find takers for the players you plan to buy. Overall, teams seem much more interesting for trading, although the search engine rarely works when you want to know what assets are needed to get the desired player from another team. The trade deadline is not as active as in the real NHL, although the post-season move is up. The screening system introduced last year is also harder to exploit this year.
Check out a full NHL 20 game in the video below:
Those who prefer to build their teams in Hockey Ultimate Team will not find much new in NHL 20 apart from a new card-opening animation, new legendary players and the Team Battles mode introduced for the first time in FIFA that allows you to compete with other players' teams. in offline matches for unique rewards. The improvements are good, but HUT still lacks depth found at Madden and FIFA.
The same can be said for Be A Pro, the NHL's career mode. EA did not add anything, even though he is desperate for a redesign.
Online Versus fans have alumni teams for every current franchise and some old ones, like the North Stars, though these formations seem hastily assembled without much foresight. A lot of big players are missing because of the licenses, which is an unfortunate reality, but the lists have bigger problems. Jason Spezza was an elite player for the Ottawa Senators, but he only has his current standings of 80. The Minnesota Wild's lineup oddly lacks the franchise's top scorers, Marian Gaborik and Mikko Koivu, although both are in the game. Ron Hextall is part of the Nordic alumni team, but he wears his Flyers helmet during games. These seem to be easy solutions.
[ad_2]
Source link