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1. NHL 10 Review
   

   Player Chronicle -- Posted on May 12 2010

   By Andrew Gassen
   May 12, 2010
   
   I am not a hockey fan. I've never played hockey, I've never been interested in hockey, and before these most recent Winter Olympics, I've never watched hockey. EA Sports' NHL series has been a top seller and critically acclaimed for its last few iterations, but I was content to sit on the sidelines and play my Madden's and Halo's. After countless hours in Be a Pro Mode, matches (and subsequent rematches) with my roommates, and a little bit of rule research, I can honestly say I've got NHL fever.
   
   Gameplay
   Having never played or watched hockey, it may seem a little strange for me to declare that the gameplay is phenomenal. I've never even been on ice, but the players move as I feel like they should, with the exception of some occasional animation hiccups (I'll touch on those in a bit.) The players carry a weight about them that affects how they move, but after a few trips up and down the ice, it becomes second nature. In fact, the added weight and momentum increases the "Oh snap!" factor of a huge hit.
   
   The real fun come from the various "Aha!" moments throughout your learning curve. For a hockey novice such as I, it took some time to figure out strategy and attack plans, but the game rewards those who invest the time. The first time I scored on a one-timer I was as giddy as a schoolgirl. My first desperation save as Fleury during Be A Pro left me feeling like I actually made the save in real life. The sense of accomplishment from any of these tasks exceeds any emotion I've ever felt from another sports game, period.
   
   Graphics
   Visually, I'm torn. The presentation is very well-done. Little touches such as the pre-game displays, the rowdy fans behind the glass, and the various in-game cut-scenes add substantial atmosphere to the game. The presentation of the three star players after the game is a nice addition, also. After playing NHL 10, it was extremely difficult (and disappointing) to fire up NCAA Football 10 and play through with its lackluster presentation.
   
   Unfortunately, I have some issues some other areas of the visuals. I ran into several animation glitches in every game I played. Events such as player clipping, pucks traveling through defenders, sticks traveling through the net, "ghost hits," and questionable collision detection sucked me right out of the experience. The character models aren't too bad, but they lack the realistic pop of titles such as the NBA 2K series by Take Two. The jerseys stretch and warp in unnatural ways, and could benefit from a different rendering style. When the camera is pulled out, these are extremely minor issues, but as a man who appreciates eye-candy, I definitely notice them.
   
   Audio
   NHL 10 is the first sports game since NFL 2K5 that I didn't turn off the commentators. They actually add to the experience of the game, and I appreciate their coverage of the action. The sounds of the skates on the ice, the player collisions, and of the stick striking the puck are very authentic and satisfying to the ears. My favorite part of the audio, however, is the crowd noise. As a former collegiate athlete, I feed off the crowd, and NHL 10 doesn't disappoint in this regard. They seem to ebb and flow with the action of the game, and may quite possibly be the loudest crowd in video game sports. Overall, no complaints here.
   
   Conclusion
   I love NHL 10. I'm very picky with sports games, and maybe my enthusiasm would be less if I actually played hockey, but I have my NHL 10 disc in my Xbox 360 more than any other sports game. Despite my issues with the visuals, I wholeheartedly recommend NHL 10 to not only hockey or sports fans, but video game fans in general. Do yourself a favor and give it a go. Oh, and go Penguins!
   
   Rankings
   Graphics: 7.5/10
   Gameplay: 9.5/10
   Audio: 10/10
   Difficulty: Variable
   Learning Curve: Moderate
   Overall: 9.5/10

   
   

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