Another year, another opportunity for gamers around the globe to bash the EA Sports NHL franchise\u2026or is it?<\/p>\n
For what seems like forever, fans have clamored for a game with consistency and realism, attributes that can be tough to obtain even with today\u2019s technology, especially when creating a game that features action as fast and fluid as hockey.<\/p>\n
From the quality of gameplay, to specific game modes, cut scenes, and the ever-popular Hockey Ultimate Team, the game just feels\u2026 better. In just a few days of playing the latest edition of the longest-running hockey video game franchise, I\u2019ve noticed substantial improvements from both NHL 24 and 25.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s my review of NHL 26:<\/p>\n
What I love<\/p>\n
Be a NEW Pro<\/p>\n
For close to a decade, I held the belief that the \u201cLive The Life\u201d mode that came out in NHL 14 was the best version of the Be a Pro franchise. After years of the same unengaging cut scenes and interactions, substantial upgrades in NHL 26 certainly give it a run for its money. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
First, you get to start by playing in the semifinals of the IIHF World Junior Championship, a chance to make yourself a top prospect heading into the NHL Draft. If you\u2019re a junior hockey fanatic like yours truly, you can also play in the Memorial Cup. Then, you go through the grind of trying to make your NHL team out of camp.<\/p>\n
As a former player, the new cutscenes before the game, away from the rink, when you win the Stanley Cup, and more, bring a sense of realism that I honestly miss. The impatience you feel waiting in the hallway before stepping onto the ice, the intensity of the lights hitting you when you\u2019re at the podium during new media scrums \u2013 you get to honestly act like a pro.<\/p>\n
To become a true NHL superstar, you must be strategic about how you continually improve your abilities on a day-to-day basis. On top of that, it\u2019s not as easy to light the lamp. Even when playing on Pro difficulty, I found myself focusing on playing my position rather than trying to score a hat trick every game to maintain a high play grade across all fronts.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Also, I got wrecked into the bench in my first shift in the NHL\u2026so I had that going for me.<\/p>\n
The artificial is intelligent<\/p>\n
Speaking of difficulty, the enhanced ICE-Q 2.0 has led to the CPU learning how the game is progressing in terms of flow. Sure, there are still tendencies and patterns I picked up on when either rushing the puck up the ice or setting up defensive coverage. However, when you think you have the opposition figured out, the individual players, bolstered with their detailed attributes using official NHL EDGE technology, find ways to exploit any mistake you make.<\/p>\n
I used to be able to throw long passes up to a streaking forward in the neutral zone. While that\u2019s still something you can do, don\u2019t expect to have the puck after a defender reads the play and takes it away from your player.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
All in all, the new enhancement to player abilities, particularly the intricate details on the expanded X-Factors<\/a>, makes every player (at least on NHL teams) unique. Whether it be the wicked release on Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> captain Auston Matthews\u2019 wrist shot, the overpowering speed of Edmonton Oilers<\/a> star Connor McDavid<\/a>, or the physical, yet effective, style of Florida Panthers<\/a> forward Matthew Tkachuk, each individual ability is even more noticeable from a gaming standpoint than we have seen in recent years.<\/p>\n Goaltenders play like goaltenders<\/p>\n I was a goaltender, so I am the biggest critic when it comes to how the goaltenders have looked and moved in the series since NHL 2003. I have been supportive of the strides EA Sports has taken in making goaltenders act in every game situation. <\/p>\n