NHL 2K8

"I tried this game...AND YOU SHOULD TOO!!"

NHL 2k8 for the XBOX 360 is a outstanding game for any hockey fan. Before this game I was not a hockey fan, but it has changed me.

Graphically this game does pretty good with me. The bad is that the face designs are not legit, but when your about 25 feet above the ice you wont be looking at the face as much as you will be looking for a open guy to pass to. The crowd looks like any other sports game, lame and the same. Blocky people that do pretty much the same thing. The good is that the crowd does react to some of the things you do on the ice, like a big hit a goal and a penalty they will shoot up and cheer. Also if the ref doesn't call a penalty a fan will yell THATS ICING every now and then. When it comes to hitting if you hit a guy near the boxes they'll flip over into them, hit them hard enough on open ice and their helmet will fly off and wont be back on till the play ends ( you can also kick it around if you please.) Lighting in this game is amazing. When the home team comes out a wild display of lights will display. The animations on the ice are mind boggling. In the beginning of the game a great paint job will be on the ice. But by the 3rd period, there will be so many scratches on the ice you can tell what path one of the players took before scoring that game winning goal.
Graphics 9/10

Sound is good and bad in this game. The bad is that the soundtrack is lacking songs that get you pumped up. I can't tell you how many times my friends and I have heard "come on feel the noise" in the last 3 days. The commentary also repeats itself a lot in the game depending on what players you are using. But the actual sound while you are playing impresses me. The slaps of the stick on the ice, the crowd yelling at you and the glass and boards having human bodies slammed up against them sounds very good.
Sound 6/10

Game play is at first complicated but once you get the hang of it you will have a fun experience. The new special moves they added to the game can be a pain in the neck but after a while of figuring them all out they are really cool.Learning Curve about 2 hrs.
Game play 9/10

I highly suggest trying this game out. It truly is a try before you buy game so get out there and rent it!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/21/07

Game Release: NHL 2K8 (US, 09/10/07)