Cold as ice
I am not a hockey guy. Most years I avoid reviewing these games simply because I don’t know enough about the sport to deliver a solid take on it. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy these games. I spent countless hours playing NHL games on Super Nintendo and Genesis, as well as a healthy amount of NHL 98 on PC Lan with friends. That is one of the big reasons I wanted to check out this year’s game; well that and the fact that every now and then it is good to see how these things shape up with casual sports players. NHL 21 looks and feels great, but I found myself confused at the abundance of modes and menus, and the remake of NHL 94 is still not available as of the time of this writing.
For the purpose of this review I reinstalled last year’s game to measure the differences. Right off the bat the games feel similar. What I do like about NHL 21 though is how it sets the expectations right out of the gate. Letting players pick and choose their style of play, even down to pinning the modes they are interested in to the main menu. It was a nice accessibility feature that someone like me, who hasn’t played in years, can jump right in.
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, PC
Price I’d Pay: $49.99
One of the things the game does to confuse casual players though is the wording. Sure, if you know hockey this all makes sense, but for the uninitiated I was confused. Labeling the new skill moves with things like “Michigan Style” just made me chuckle before being extremely confused. Still it explains them in context through the helpful tutorial. Besides, jumping in with simplistic controls is great. Made me feel like I was playing the classic games from the 90s. Yes, for those that want the simulation style that is here too, but making it playable by anyone of any skill is extremely appreciated.
There are simply a ton of modes in NHL 21. A four by four square is the main selection, and while each column is labeled by a header, it was still a lot to take in. I jumped into the career mode which, like all other EA games, is packed with difficulty and slider options. I could set it to rack up 40 goals a game, or slowly tone it down as I got more comfortable with the controls and rules of the game. There are a ton of things to keep track of, or simply ignore. I love being able to navigate my way through things or take the time to handle them all. That is how sports games should be handled.
The Be A Pro mode seems to have received the most attention from last year. Having been disappointed with the similar offering in Madden this year, it was neat to see how their other games handle this mode. While NHL still feels generic, there are more impactful moments. The commentators really relish in your big accomplishments and the dialogue feels less forced than EA’s NFL offering. Still there are rough edges throughout the entire mode. It was a neat diversion, but one I quickly fell off after a couple hours.
There is a ton more here including 3-on-3 arcade modes, quick play, online options, and of course a card-collecting mode where the money will roll right in. Even with someone like me being limited in my knowledge of the sport, there was a ton here to keep me interested. I really wish the remake of NHL 94 was available at the time of this writing, as it was one of the main reasons I wanted to tackle the game this year.
Visually the game is great. Animations look good, the frame rate holds up, and the on-ice action is a sight to see. I loved the little details in all the stadiums. The commentary also holds up with some truly dynamic play-calling. I can’t comment how similar it is to last year’s game as I simply didn’t play enough to notice repeated lines. EA has done a great job at making the NHL feel impactful though and I had a blast playing through each mode. Cannot wait to see what it looks like on the new consoles.
NHL 21 feels like an incremental step up from last year’s game. What I enjoyed is that even with my limited knowledge of the sport I could hop in and have a great time. I really will come back once the NHL 94 mode drops into the game. Those classic games were great even if I had no clue what icing was. For those looking to upgrade it might not be revolutionary, but this year’s game sure is a lot of fun once you get past its shortcomings.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
