by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze
Video Game Editor
After
playing a few games of NHL 2005, you start to notice something
odd about the way this game plays. EA Sports has always published
the most flamboyant hockey video game, but there are signs
they may be a little unsure of their identity.
Last
year, EA made it very obvious that they wanted to have more
of a simulation feel to the arcade style of the franchise,
and while the trend continues this year, it often feels misguided.
It
seems that no matter how hard EA tries to make their NHL title
more sim-friendly, it becomes harder to understand exactly
what they’re trying to achieve. The overall presentation
is still the best in the business. For years, EA has gotten
everything from players’ faces to lighting effects down
pat, but the gameplay continues to be a source of disappointment
in 2005 thanks to strange AI tendencies and an overbearing
focus on the physical side of the game.
Skating up ice seems to be just as difficult as scoring a
goal, and the reason for this is a barrage of body contact.
There’s no denying that physical play is a benchmark
of hockey and it needs to play a significant role in any NHL
video game, but if you’re going to try to be realistic,
hip checks shouldn’t be as common as passing the puck.
If some of these hits were attempted en masse in an actual
NHL game, players would put themselves out of position all
the time.
There
also seems to be a perspective issue with NHL 2005 in terms
of the size of players to that of the rink. It’s true
that players are bigger nowadays and that the NHL-size rink
may be too small for them, but you can’t help but feel
claustrophobic when playing this sometimes. The overwhelming
physical game is largely to blame because it becomes difficult
to generate plays through skillful skating and passing. While
there are some options to changing this, they simply don’t
go far enough.
This year also marks the first time EA’s NHL franchise
can be played on Xbox Live. The experience online runs smoothly
and efficiently, with several options for gamers to participate
through organized leagues and one-on-one play. The game’s
interface works very well with that put in place on Xbox Live,
so those who like to play online shouldn’t have too
much to worry about.
The
efficiency online is only good news for those who like the
arcade style NHL 2005 offers, and redundant for those who
want something more realistic. Having the best looking game
doesn’t translate to having the most realistic gameplay,
and that’s exactly what seems to go wrong with this
game. While it looks great, its appeal as a sim falls short
thanks to an endless supply of hip checks and defective AI
that ensures players aren’t where they should be.
NHL
2005 could’ve been worse than it is, but it does have
a functioning hockey game, albeit one best suited to those
who like arcade style hockey. But when EA makes it clear that
they want to have the most realistic hockey game on the market,
the issues seen in this year’s game are inexcusable.
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