The Jutin

The biggest problem with sports games is the fact that we have to get a new one every year. That can cause a game to feel rushed and unfinished, and you can really feel that in this game. Once again so much is recycled from the previous game, which makes it feel less like a new $60 game and a cheap $15-$20 expansion to the previous. If you really, really want to play this game, wait for a sale. And then there’s graphics. I’m sorry, but by now, this game should look better. It feels like every one has the same three expression and so much limited animation. I’m not a huge NBA 2k fan (mostly because I don’t follow basketball that much and I don’t care for the actual gameplay), but the last time I played one of their installments I was genuinely shocked at how much better looking players where. They actual move in ways that make them feel closer to actually being humans. This is probably one of the biggest victims of the rushed schedule. Give them more time and I’m sure that they can make improvements on it. However my biggest problem with the game is the glitches. Yes, most are minor and not a big deal breaker to the gameplay, however it just makes this triple a video game feel more like a unpolished mess. It can be visuals that don’t show up, character models freezing, or even the game freezing making it impossible to play, none of this should be present in a game this big. Ok, but what about gameplay? Honestly the gameplay is the only reason I give this more than one star. It’s fine. I found some fun out of it. You probably will too, the core gameplay is entertaining, despite being almost identical to the last couple entries. There are some noticeable changes, the puck is easier to lose on a pass, penalties aren’t as frequently called and easy to get, but none of this justifies the price tag. The x-factor feature is just there for me. I never really noticed it do anything spectacular or horrible. Which isn’t good because that was the feature that they were promoting the most leading up to the release. I don’t love the AI either, they can feel pretty stupid at times. Man, this is disappointing. I keep buying these games because I hoped it would change and because I love hockey and playing it in video game form. I think I’m done with these games for a bit, unless a big change happens. This game has no heart or passion put into it, and you can easily feel that. It’s cheap corporate product that only exists so EA and the NHL can make some more money. And yes I hear the argument, “All games are made to make money.” Well yes that’s true, but some games that are meant to make money are fun to play and shows how much the developer actually cared about making a product. Look at most indie games. You can see the love through inspiration from other games or the way they tell stories. Obviously there’s not much room for that in a hockey game, but there’s still ways to make this feel less corporate than it is.