by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze
Video Game Editor
Given the nonsense surrounding the
fiasco that is the NHL lockout, some diehard hockey fans can
at least create their own memories this season with games
like Gretzky NHL 2005. As corny as that may sound, it’s
the reality NHL fans face these days.
But
Gretzky NHL 2005 is much more ambitious than that. For starters,
it’s up against very tough competition in ESPN’s
and EA’s hockey titles, both of which are entrenched
in a battle to carve out the largest piece of the NHL video
game market. 989 Sports’ old NHL Faceoff franchise never
came close to matching its competitors, which is why there
isn’t much faith around this game — even if the
Great One’s name is on it.
But once the puck has been dropped
and the game is on, Gretzky 2005 actually plays better than
many might have expected, myself included. The overall mood
and atmosphere can be electric at times, and the replay cutscenes
are admirably done. In fact, the overall ambience is probably
just one step below EA’s game, which is a nice achievement
since its predecessor had no ambience to speak of.
The players move relatively smoothly
and team jerseys look great, but don’t expect player’s
faces to be a match because some are way off the mark. Jose
Theodore looks more like Mats Sundin when he has his mask
off, and more examples like this are everywhere in this game.
Another glaring problem is that everything seems to be backwards
in close ups of players after a whistle. Any player that’s
left-handed appears to be right-handed and vice versa. Same
with goalies; a goalie who catches with his left hand will
have his catching glove on his right hand.
Aesthetic issues like that don’t really bode well for
a game that has a lot of pressure to do things right in order
to impress gamers, but at least the gameplay shows more highs
than lows. The physics of the game are generally well done,
since you aren’t always able to land a big hit, and
shots will deflect off legs in front. Not only that, but a
player will have a tough time taking a shot in an awkward
position. Instead, he’ll dump the puck deep in the zone
if he can’t get a shot off.
Gameplay modes are pretty standard
except for a new one called Rivalry, which is a neat concept.
Since rivalries have been a bit of a rarity in the NHL over
the last few years, this is an idea that works. By playing
a series of games against certain teams, you can create a
heated rivalry that will see the intensity move up a notch
with each game. And of course, you can unlock a variety of
items, including the Great One himself.
Online play is a straightforward experience.
Nothing here really stands out as extraordinary, but at least
things run fairly smoothly, whenever people are actually online
that is. There seems to be a chronic shortage of gamers online
for Gretzky 2005, and I’m not sure it’s because
they’re sick of hockey.
With all that said, Gretzky NHL 2005
made some huge strides in the right direction by getting some
key little things right. It’s not a great game, but
it is a good one, and a significant improvement from the old
NHL Faceoff franchise. There won’t be any hockey this
season, so giving this game a chance is a much better option
than the two sides talking in a boardroom.
|
