NHL 08

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:59 am

I was going to post some impressions, but Web pretty much sums it up for me. I can't wait for the game. I'm considering a pre-order, which is rare for me (only The Show, Madden, and Halo this year so far and the only reason I pre-ordered two of them was to get something on promotion).

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:02 am

I don't agree with Jrod very often but he's right...5 on 5 play when I have the puck is like I have a PP. I've got all day to cycle the puck between players without the defensive AI doing anything. That was a huge problem with NHL 06. If that's not fixed that's going to be a gamekiller for most people here...not me because all I want is a fun game but for the diehards here you better start praying that it's fixed or you are going to be majorly dissapointed.

Tim

kevinpars · Post by **kevinpars** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:12 am

The thing I disliked about the game last year was that you could not cycle the puck in the offensive zone - even when on the powerplay. So I liked the ability to do that - but agree that I hope it is more difficult on higher difficulty.

What I like about video game hockey is that it is the one game you can play without it feeling like it is necessary to make a 1-2 hour investment. Playing 5 minute periods, you can pick up and play a game pretty quickly. It is the one sport where i actually make it through a season or 2 playing every game.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:13 am

Guys....rememeber the demo is with ZERO SLIDER Changes!!!
Out of the box on Pro difficulty, this game is pretty damn good.
We still have 2 more levels to bump things up PLUS slider adjustments
to make.

Last year's game was great and now they added more defense
with the right thumbstick, better skating model, better framerate, less
"trickle" goals (I have only seen 1 so far), the ability to puch the puck into open space, better graphics. That's good enough for me. As long as the AI is more aggressive on higher levels, I will be playing the sh*t out of this puppy. Also, lets not forget most of these issues will be gone playing another human.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with the demo and will be getting the game on day 1...no questions asked. Unless some gamekiller money goal or glitch rears it's ugly head, this may be the sports game of the year and possibly the best video hockey game ever! 2K Sports sure has a lot to go up against

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:33 am

JRod wrote:
My biggest peeves is how quickly the CPU still looks to shoot. I could be standing right in front of them sprawled on the ground and they try to fire it in. There less quick than last year. We'll see what happes in the full version.

I'm just not seeing this on the demo. I played mostly as Ottawa, and Anaheim would pick me apart in the offensive end with their puck movement. I put a lot of time into the demo yesterday, probably too much, and I can't tell you how many times a Duck player was position perfectly for a feed into the slot, or readied himself for a one-timer from the circle.

The only times those chose to fire the puck quickly was in transition. Aside from that, when I had 2 or 3 guys back, they looked to set their offense up.

I thought this was one of the biggest improvements over last year's game.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 10:35 am

NHL is always a first day purchase for me...it's been that way since Aug 3rd 1991 when I bought the original NHL hockey game for my Genesis and yes I still have the receipt!

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:47 am

tjung0831 wrote:I don't agree with Jrod very often but he's right...5 on 5 play when I have the puck is like I have a PP. I've got all day to cycle the puck between players without the defensive AI doing anything. That was a huge problem with NHL 06. If that's not fixed that's going to be a gamekiller for most people here...not me because all I want is a fun game but for the diehards here you better start praying that it's fixed or you are going to be majorly dissapointed. Tim

And that's just how I explained it in my post, that even the game is on PRO, you can ultimately play with the sliders and judge the PRO level from there. What I'd like the CPU to do is to poke check and block pass more perhaps. I love how you can finally set up plays on your PP and look for an opening. It'll be interesting to see how the AI responds with the agressive slide tuned up and the player collision ON.

Again I don't think it's a problem for now, but rather a slider preference on default.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:59 am

Littman's pretty much said it in his interview. They want the demo to be used for preparation for the full version, to let gamers get used to the new controls, physics, AI, etc.

Now I think ultimately, when the game comes out, for many here @DSP, All Star will be more like a PRO level and Superstar=All Stars. I rememeber playing Superstar in 07 to have the AI challenge me more, but that's because 07 had more obvious AI problems.

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:19 pm

I'm not surprised that the demo would be on an easier level. They are looking to appeal to the masses, and hopefully also keeping us diehards happy with the increased difficulty and sliders.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:21 pm

I'm very happy after playing the demo. I liked what I saw from the AI and with a slider tweak here or there this game should be ace.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:48 pm

You can tell EA is proud as hell of this game based on the fact that the game isn't due for another 12 days and there's a demo out for it. Where was the Madden demo before release? Where was the Tiger demo?

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:54 pm

Sully wrote:
JRod wrote:
My biggest peeves is how quickly the CPU still looks to shoot. I could be standing right in front of them sprawled on the ground and they try to fire it in. There less quick than last year. We'll see what happes in the full version.
I'm just not seeing this on the demo. I played mostly as Ottawa, and Anaheim would pick me apart in the offensive end with their puck movement. I put a lot of time into the demo yesterday, probably too much, and I can't tell you how many times a Duck player was position perfectly for a feed into the slot, or readied himself for a one-timer from the circle.

The only times those chose to fire the puck quickly was in transition. Aside from that, when I had 2 or 3 guys back, they looked to set their offense up.

I thought this was one of the biggest improvements over last year's game.

Maybe it has something to do with defensive positioning which I just don't do very well. Which I can't seem to do very well. I want to skate in the slot taking away a shot. Often times I'll skate right past the net.

Anyway there was a few interesting things I saw while surfing the game menus.

Oh what does vision control do or mean. That's two years this game has had vision control and it seems it does nothing.

- There's a slider for AI learning.
- There's a few presenation features that are locked out that would be nice to tinker with.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:59 pm

JRod wrote:Oh what does vision control do or mean. That's two years this game has had vision control and it seems it does nothing.

- There's a slider for AI learning.
- There's a few presenation features that are locked out that would be nice to tinker with.

Turns your defender backwards to focus his vision on the incoming offense instead of skating forward. Or a defenseman while handling the buck and setting up the rush...skating it backwards while seeing your forwards begin the play, etc.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:16 pm

TCrouch wrote:
JRod wrote:Oh what does vision control do or mean. That's two years this game has had vision control and it seems it does nothing.

- There's a slider for AI learning.
- There's a few presenation features that are locked out that would be nice to tinker with.
Turns your defender backwards to focus his vision on the incoming offense instead of skating forward. Or a defenseman while handling the buck and setting up the rush...skating it backwards while seeing your forwards begin the play, etc.

That's it. What a fancy name for having your player sakte backwards.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:47 pm

JRod wrote:
TCrouch wrote:
JRod wrote:Oh what does vision control do or mean. That's two years this game has had vision control and it seems it does nothing.

- There's a slider for AI learning.
- There's a few presenation features that are locked out that would be nice to tinker with.
Turns your defender backwards to focus his vision on the incoming offense instead of skating forward. Or a defenseman while handling the buck and setting up the rush...skating it backwards while seeing your forwards begin the play, etc.
That's it. What a fancy name for having your player sakte backwards.

No, it's more than that. It works on offense too by keeping your player square with the net when you have the puck. It is vision control.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 4:27 pm

Love the demo. I think I will slow the gameplay down a bit but it plays great. Working the puck around in the zone is fun as hell. I can't wait for the full version.

Sudz · Post by **Sudz** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 4:36 pm

i dig it....

i got destroyed in my 1st game.

can't wait for the final version

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 4:46 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:
JRod wrote:
TCrouch wrote: Turns your defender backwards to focus his vision on the incoming offense instead of skating forward. Or a defenseman while handling the buck and setting up the rush...skating it backwards while seeing your forwards begin the play, etc.
That's it. What a fancy name for having your player sakte backwards.
No, it's more than that. It works on offense too by keeping your player square with the net when you have the puck. It is vision control.

Maybe I'm thinking it was a feature like Madden's vision. I don't know. To me is was a fancy name for facing the right way.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 5:49 pm

JRod wrote:Maybe I'm thinking it was a feature like Madden's vision. I don't know. To me is was a fancy name for facing the right way.

Yeah, EA is guilty of doing that. Vision control was a little-known and under-utilized feature of NHL 07. It will likely go unused by many in 08 as well. I always thought it was great.

vader29 · Post by **vader29** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 5:55 pm

tjung0831 wrote:NHL is always a first day purchase for me...it's been that way since Aug 3rd 1991 when I bought the original NHL hockey game for my Genesis and yes I still have the receipt!

Nerd

Hockey games have by far gotten the most play time from me over the years dating all the way back to the Activision Ice Hockey two on two game that was on the Atari 2600, I also probably played a few hundred games of Blades of Steel on the NES. I ended up playing 3 full seasons and part of another with last years game and this years game is going to be great with being able to play both the NHL and AHL seasons at the same time.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:05 pm

Not mentioned much, but I thought the play by play commentary is well done too.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:32 pm

10spro wrote:Not mentioned much, but I thought the play by play commentary is well done too.

EA Canada hit a Home Run with Gary Thorne and Bill Clement. The audio sounds convincing and alive. The only thing I wish EA would add is the ESPN Hockey Night intro music when they had broadcast rights.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:35 pm

Rodster wrote:
10spro wrote:Not mentioned much, but I thought the play by play commentary is well done too.
EA Canada hit a Home Run with Gary Thorne and Bill Clement. The audio sounds convincing and alive. The only thing I wish EA would add is the ESPN Hockey Night intro music when they had broadcast rights.

Or the HNIC music for that matter. Either way.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:50 pm

vader29 wrote:
tjung0831 wrote:NHL is always a first day purchase for me...it's been that way since Aug 3rd 1991 when I bought the original NHL hockey game for my Genesis and yes I still have the receipt!

Nerd

Hockey games have by far gotten the most play time from me over the years dating all the way back to the Activision Ice Hockey two on two game that was on the Atari 2600, I also probably played a few hundred games of Blades of Steel on the NES. I ended up playing 3 full seasons and part of another with last years game and this years game is going to be great with being able to play both the NHL and AHL seasons at the same time.

Intellevision hockey is where it all began for me...me and a friend would play that for hours on hours and we kept track of stats with a notebook.
I had the Activision game as well.

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:06 pm

Well, so far I suck, just played the demo 2 times.. 0-0 with shootout loss then a 2-0 loss. I'm by no means used to the control yet... especially defensive control.

But just this one period demo has reeled me in. The smoothness overall is a huge factor, the sound is really engaging, and the animations are very nice. For example I can't believe how accurate they have nailed Jason Spezza's pre-faceoff behaviour and the skating styles of some of the players. I'm amazed at the level of control on the right stick for stick control.

I've already paid for the game, so I'll get it as soon as EB does.