Ice Hockey has always been a sport that would lend itself to gaming. Fast, frantic action that is highly competitive. Requiring technical skill but also allowing for brute force with bone crunching body checks. It has all the ingredients to be a winner. Unfortunately for 8 years now though EA has been the only game in town.
With this dominance, this knowledge that if someone wants an Ice Hockey game in their life they have to pick up your game, has it made the team over at EA Vancouver rest of their laurels? Let’s break it down and take a look under the hood.
NHL 19 comes packed with the signature polish and attention to detail that you expect from EA. The players, despite wearing masks can be easily identified and even the crowd feel more faithfully recreated than in most sports games. The ice, benches, boards and nets are all expertly detailed. If you switch to broadcast camera (which I recommend), it really is near impossible to tell between the game and a real match.
That brings me on to presentation. Very little has changed this year, but while that could be seen as a gripe, there really wasn’t much they could improve on. Pre-match introductions and game build-up are as good as ever. The only minor graphical hitch I have noticed so far is players coming together for a start of period face-off and when the camera comes in close the ice appears ripped up, as if the guy in charge of the zamboni had spent the break at the bar. Then once the face-off is over and the camera switches back out the ice is magically transformed. It is minor, but one worth noting.
I am a casual Ice Hockey fan. I watch less than I would like to on TV due to the awkward times it airs here in the UK and I go to a few games a season of my home team The Glasgow (formerly Braehead) Clan. Because of this, I find myself hard pushed to accurately judge the commentary. In the moment it sounds good, logical and varied, but I am usually too focused on not receiving another tripping minor or my next breakaway.
The soundtrack as always is on point. This year features artists like Panic! At the Disco, Bishop Briggs, Arkells and Parade of Light. It’s a varied list that will keep you entertained as you sift through the menus of your favourite mode.
Like with FIFA 19, EA Vancouver has done an excellent job in giving the player a wealth of modes. Staples of the series like Franchise and Be A Pro are here with minimal but nice updates, like in Franchise Mode you now have a more in-depth scouting system that lets you send scouts out to scour individual teams or regions. A new system called “Fog of War” is also introduced which hides players stats requiring each potential pick up to be vetted by the scouts.
Threes returns for the second year and remains one of the best ways to spend your NHL 19 time. In-case you are unfamiliar the mode features teams of 3 squaring off against each other in a more fast paced style game with scoring multipliers. Even inside this mode you have the option to play an exhibition, online, or take on circuit mode which has you playing teams and getting a star rating at the end of each match to unlock harder matches and unique items.
New for NHL 19 is “World of Chel” which is an online hub that allows you to compete in EASHL, drop-in games of Threes and two new additions. ProAm has you take on various NHL legends in challenges of increasing difficulty. The highlight however is Ones. This is a new online only 1v1v1 mode where you and two other users battle it out against an AI goaltender. Locations include ponds, lakes and half rinks. Throughout these modes you can unlock a whole host of clothes to make your character stand out.
Ultimate Team is also present and accounted for. I dabbled in the mode briefly, but it just doesn’t seem as big a deal in NHL as it is in the likes of FIFA. This is likely in part due to the popularity of each game.
Real player motion makes the jump to NHL 19 after featuring in other EA Sports titles. This adds a new layer of realism to the way each individual player moves and reacts on the ice. Collision physics are better than ever with body checks feeling really satisfying. Connecting hard in open ice requires good timing but when you connect head on you can feel the impact through your controller and it often results in that opposition player retreating to the bench.
Aside from granular updates like this not a lot has changed from last years iteration. This may leave some hardcore fans frustrated at not seeing more changes, but gameplay is one of the main strengths of the series and tearing apart a winning formula would be foolish. The real player motion sounds like a gimmick but at the stage we are it with sports games now more realistic animations and transitions can make a real difference to how the game looks and feels.
Much like with FIFA 19, EA Sports are offering pretty much the ultimate Ice Hockey package here. Not only is the gameplay the best it has ever been but new modes have been added once again to give the user as many different ways to play as possible. The absence of a story mode like Longshot or The Journey is disappointing but given the sales difference between NHL and Madden/FIFA it is not surprising.
EA is the only show in town when it comes to Ice Hockey. Given this fact it is just as well the game is so good and continues to innovate in positive ways each year. Hardcore fans may be disappointed in the lack of blockbuster new additions but various new game modes and the real player motion are more than just a slogan for the back of the box. Threes in particular is something that could pull in non Ice Hockey fans with it’s easy to pick up, no rules, fast paced action and I hope it does.
NHL 19 is fun, frantic and deserves your time. Even if you haven’t picked up an NHL before, give this a chance and see what you think. You may be surprised.
Reviewed on PS4. This game is also available on Xbox One. Review code provided by the publisher.