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Thread: NHL 17 - Game Impressions & General Discussion

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  1. #1
    Administrator cdj's Avatar
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    NHL 17 - Game Impressions & General Discussion

    With the game currently available on EA Access and in retail next week, use this thread for general game discussion.

  2. #2
    Anyone?

  3. #3
    Freshman Hank's Avatar
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    I have the game and I'm really enjoying it so far.
    Here’s a rambling, hodgepodge review of the game (played on Pro/Full SIM):

    There are still some legacy issues facing the series (docile teammate’s, body checks that don’t result in a turnover of the puck, or the downed opponent is able to get up and recapture the puck without much resistance).
    But overall, there are enough subtle changes in the game that I think this is the best hockey game EA has produced since NHL 2004 and NHL07 (my two previous favourite iterations in the series).

    There is more player separation (finally!). Players, both human and CPU, can no longer stick handle in a phone booth if the player has weak puck control attributes.
    The puck will go sailing off their stick if they try moves outside of what their DNA allows.

    Teammate AI has gotten smarter too. They’ll fill open spaces to provide more passing lanes. My most recent game against Edmonton, if I weaved around the offensive zone, my wingers would fill the gaps and provide passing options.
    And while I still think they’re too docile, I have noticed them hustling to hound puck carriers and covering open guys in the slot.
    The new tie-up feature works pretty good and is a welcome addition to helping on the defensive side of the game.

    Presentation hasn’t changed much, but they’ve added a few nice touches.
    I traded for Jagr in my franchise mode and on a comment was made when he scored his first goal in a Senator uniform. It was also displayed on the score bug.
    (BTW, Jagr looks exactly like his real life self. The likeness is insane).
    I’m also relocating the Sens to Baltimore (my first choice was Milwaukee but I burned that bridge when I demanded too much), and Doc and Eddie have made comments about the upcoming move often during games.

    The puck physics are improved as well. I’m seeing higher variety of goals. It’s still not as good as 2K’s IMO, but it’s much better than years past.

    Overall, I’m very pleased with this year’s game. More so than I was with previous iterations.
    To be honest, I loved – no, adored, NHL07. I thought that year’s game did a terrific job of creating different player types. Snipers felt different from playmakers, who felt different from grinders, etc.
    But NHL08 took a step back in that regard, IMO. And I never really enjoyed any of the versions that followed.
    In NHL17, I can see and feel a more exaggerated difference between player types. If I have the puck with Chris Neil, I want to pass it off to a someone with better puck control immediately. He’s great at skating in straight lines, checking and being a front-net presence and not much else (offensively speaking).
    I hadn’t felt that in a hockey game since NHL2K10.

    This could be the first time in a long time where I will be playing an EA hockey game for more than the first 2 weeks after purchase.

  4. #4
    Freshman Hank's Avatar
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    The area’s where I think the developers need to work on and improve are mostly within the Franchise Mode.
    As it stands, I never really feel like I’m part of a larger world where there are 28 other teams competing every night. It’s only my team, and the one I happen to be facing that day.

    In NHL2K10, there was a blotter where you could scroll through the various stories from around the league.
    It was really cool reading about how Kovalchuk scored a hatty against the Rangers, or that Henrik Sedin was injured in a game against San Jose.
    2K’s games have always done this well and it helps the gamer feel more immersed in the universe.

    NHL17 has added a few things that help, such as mentioning when a player has hit a milestone, season goal totals, if a player scores for the first time as a pro or with their new team.
    But overall, it’s still pretty disjointed.
    I have no clue what other teams in the league are doing or if someone was traded, or who’s leading the league in goals.

    In NHL2K10, the main hub has all this on display.

    In the year of our Lord, 2003, 2K released NFL 2K4 which had a weekly wrap-up show complete with commentary and highlights.
    This was done on the PS2. The freakin PEE. ESS. TWO!!!
    How or why has this not been reproduced on the PS4?!?!?! There is no way anyone can convince me that a game and console, from 13 freakin years ago is able to do things today’s consoles can’t.

    Adding a weekly wrap-up show would do wonders to immerse someone into a franchise mode.
    As would a running blog/ticker showing scores, updates, info, etc.

    This also includes more commentary and stat overlays displaying what other players are doing around the league.

    I know that requires resources, but seeing what 2K is doing with dynamic commentary in 2K17 is crazy. And proves that it’s possible.

    I’m well aware that the NHL team at EA has fewer resources (probably a lot) than the 2K team, but I still think they could have added more than what they have over the past 10 years.
    Has the commentary and world immersion really changed that much since NHL07? Not that much. If anything, it got worse when they swapped Bill Clement and Gary Thorne for Doc Emmerick and Olczyk.
    Doc is great in real life, but both sound so stiff in the game. I’d love it if they brought Thorne and Clement back at some point.

    The other thing EA needs to do better in this series is incorporating the various leagues into all aspects of the game; mainly BAP and Franchise mode:
    - Work to get to the NHL. Maybe that route starts in the ECHL, moves overseas to the Swiss league, or KHL, before getting a shot to return?
    - Start your coaching career in the CHL before moving up the ranks. Again, perhaps Europe and Russia are destinations you have to traverse through before getting offered an NHL job.
    - Being offered a job coaching a World Cup team. What about World Jr’s?
    - Losing players to the KHL.
    - Expansion by the CPU. Perhaps every 10 years, the league will move to one of the cities offered in relocation? Now you have to work with an expansion draft.
    - The ability to restore Franchise saves from one iteration to the next, ala The Show (long, LONG, overdue).

    FIFA offers so many of these options, why not the NHL game?
    Again, I know the obvious answer is a smaller dev team, but I ask anyone who’s played the NHL series over the past 20 years to look closely and see if the off-ice options have changed that much?
    Especially when it comes to commentary and league immersion.

  5. #5
    Thanks for the review Hank, do you think it's worth spending the full price to upgrade from 16 to 17? I really enjoy 16, from other reviews I've read online it seems like 16-17 isn't a huge step up, right now I'm on the fence, leaning more towards waiting for a used copy of 17.

  6. #6
    Freshman Hank's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by gigemaggs99 View Post
    Thanks for the review Hank, do you think it's worth spending the full price to upgrade from 16 to 17? I really enjoy 16, from other reviews I've read online it seems like 16-17 isn't a huge step up, right now I'm on the fence, leaning more towards waiting for a used copy of 17.
    If you're still enjoying '16 and you don't care about the relocation stuff, then I'd say wait till you can find it used or discounted.
    IMO, there is enough little upgrades to the gameplay, as well as the 100-point sliders to have warranted a full purchase. (However, I had a 20% off E3 Amazon discount when preordering in June).

    If memory serves, I think '16 was $40 by Christmas. Might be a nice gift to yourself come December.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Hank View Post
    If you're still enjoying '16 and you don't care about the relocation stuff, then I'd say wait till you can find it used or discounted.
    IMO, there is enough little upgrades to the gameplay, as well as the 100-point sliders to have warranted a full purchase. (However, I had a 20% off E3 Amazon discount when preordering in June).

    If memory serves, I think '16 was $40 by Christmas. Might be a nice gift to yourself come December.
    10-4 thank you sir.

  8. #8
    Hall of Fame steelerfan's Avatar
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    I'm enjoying Franchise Mode in this game. I'm still tuning the sliders a bit but I'm getting decent results and good goal variety.

    I'm only 4 games in (1-1-2) with the Penguins but I think I'll be able to enjoy this game for the full 82. It's been a few years since I've done that in NHL so it'll be fun to get back to enjoying this game.

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