NHL 07

"Great Additions But Still Missing The Key Items"

I always like to start off by describing my experience with games. I have been playing EA NHL games since NHL '95, and I can date it back to Blades of Steel for NES as well. I have come to expect the best out of the games when they come out, because EA puts a lot of effort into the Madden and NBA Live games.

Controls: 9/10
Wonderful and amazing controls were added to this game that were unheard of 10 years ago. Adding the skill stick was a great addition to the sport and truly just raised the bar. The feel as if you are actually moving the player, deking with the player, and doing the slap shot/one-timers are amazing reward after fighting so hard to get to the offensive side of the rink....now if only they can really refine it so it functions 100% of the way that it was intended it will be a wonderful asset that the ESPN 2k series doesn't have.

Graphics: 7/10
I'll be honest, I never buy these games for the graphics. Its about the passion of the game, and just playing it. However, for most people its a key thing they look for so I'll review it anyways. Just like any other EA game, the players have wonderful detail and the crowds are terrible. Often times you'll see them clapping in a loop over and over again. Attendence numbers you are told by your finance people doesn't reflect the in-game protrayal either. The faces on the players could be touched up on a little more for the next game after they are on their 2nd waves of sports games for the next-gen consoles.

Dynasty/Season Mode: 7/10
I am reviewing this, because no one buys a sports game just to play a few "quick matches." They are going to play at least one full season of this game, if for anything just the achievements. They added a lot over the years to these games than they ever did in the past. However, I would like to see some of the things you are able to do in NBA Live and Madden as well. They are very basic with what you can do as a GM (trades/finances/upgrades to your staff) and as Coach (Edit Lines, Progress Reports). The progress report area needs to be refined a lot for the 2008 season, as that will be the bread and butter of this game in years to come. To watch your players actually progress the more goals they score/assist the make and how many shots they stop. It takes far too long to watch a 88 player move to 90, sometimes taking an entire season just to see it, and that was with the MVP for that year on my team. I would rather see a "training camp" addition like they have for the Madden series or even a simulated training day on your off days where you can make your players run specific drills to help enhance them. If EA improves on this, they will put ESPN's game in a 6ft hole.

AI: 5/10
Like most EA games, either its too easy or its too hard. This is the exact same thing that every other one of their games seems to have an issue with. You are either scoring 10 goals a game (especially after you learn the skill stick) or your losing every single game and can never get a SOG. The plus side is that the game learns from your plays and what you do, meaning what you do one game might not work the next. Case in point...one-timers near the other side of the net with a short pass from the opposite side. Eventually someone will figure out how to work a decent AI into this and get rid of "skill level" all together.

Glitches: 3/10
This just upsets me to no end. Once again, EA drops the ball with a videogame (I know amazing right!) by trying to release it as fast as possible to get the most sales out of it before the season begins and let through a lot of glitches. Mind you some of these are minor like the announcer calling the game with the wrong score, but the farther you get into your season and the more heated it becomes for awards you begin to get really frustrated with it. Case in point, is when your goal scorer is going unassisted yet you watched him get the puck from two other people...you just lost out on 2 points for other players right there. Some other minor ones happen that are just more or less a PITA, but are survivable. I gave it a low ranking because EA needs to stop putting out games like this, I mean if your going to be the #1 sports developer in the world, you might want to put out a higher quality product.

Overall, its a wonderful game if you are a true hockey fan like myself. If you are looking for something that is better than Madden, you will hate this game from the get go. That isn't even including how difficult it is to learn to actually use the Skill Stick at first, as it is a challenge to learn it all without going back to "classic" controls.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/31/06