Peter Wong

I'll never give EA 5 stars for their game because I think it is absolutely ridiculous to charge full price each year for what is essentially a large patch to the previous year's game. That being said, for those playing competitively online, this is not 'the same game.' Don't buy into that narrative. It was long overdue, but EA finally made significant strides to make the game feel more like hockey. Fewer crazy no look behind the back backhand passes through the neutral zone. Fewer players skating backwards into and around the zone. Fewer high danger passes connecting tape to tape when D are in good spots. Good skill gap created with the passing. Players can be bodied off the puck so you can't reload incessantly in the neutral zone, sometimes you have to dump it. It's a better game. Is it a rip off to buy it at full price? Absolutely. Is it the same game as last year? With regards to gameplay, absolutely not.