NHL 22 – EA Vancouver Hockey Review

over there The lowest common denominator connecting the NHL 22 and the Madden NFL seriesEven though they are two different sports. This is the transition to the graphics engine Frostbite And the relative consequences for a game that aims to welcome its novelty: if the simulation dedicated to American football still pays the price with technical issues highlighted in several editions, on the other hand Looks like ice hockey has survived the transition pretty well, without missing out on some uncertainty.

NHL 22 is A new episode of the EA Sports series dedicated to the North American Ice Hockey Championship, which arrives in Italy is certainly not full of high expectations given the low popularity of the sport in our country, but still ready to be welcomed by fans who certainly represent a group of players attentive and in demand on the new appointments of the franchise.

I started talking about The graphics engine because it is an introduction, at least from a commercial point of view, who wants to be the strength of the NHL 22, along with the debut of the system Superstar X Factor (Also taken from Madden NFL!): Two topics that would almost allow me to sum up this review in a few words, given that we’re faced with the only real game-changers of a game very similar to last year.

NHL 22 – Review: A visual improvement not yet seen

And to say that the expectations and premises were actually quite different: The debut of the Frostbite graphics engine was announced as the big change for NHL 22, Especially thanks to the launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X / S. The surprising aspect is that if they hadn’t told us, we probably wouldn’t have even found out we were in front of a new engine.

Keep in mind that the code provided by the developer allowed us to try out the game on PlayStation 4 as well, and there the “breakup” was already much more pronounced, especially in regards to global lighting. but, On the latest generation systems, the transition was less visible, almost imperceptible. Yes, the overall level of detail has definitely improved, but the feeling is to be back against NHL 21, with More problems.

It is located around Typical defects that can occur when switching to a new graphics engineHowever, there are greater risks to annual titles such as sports where deadlines are tight and the time available to solve these issues is shorter. In NHL 22 we find ourselves Facial expressions that are sometimes silly and even funny, some bugs related to augmented reality running different graphics, ice display not entirely surprising and other small glitches.

Nothing serious and it doesn’t hurt to look great, however, like I said, beforeNot having that fresh feeling that an updated graphics engine should give. Being one of the focal points of the marketing campaign that accompanied the game’s launch, it inevitably ends up leaving a bad taste in the mouth.

NHL 22 – Review: The Overweight Superstar X-Factor

The Superstar X-Factor is instead the other big pillar that EA Sports has focused on promoting NHL 22. This is a mechanic taken straight from the Madden NFL series and Fears Specific skills associated during matches with the best players in the league. These, in turn, are divided into X-Factor and Superstar players, with different characteristics.

Capabilities X-Factor players They are more specific and complete and can cover every aspect of the athlete; The Superstar playersInstead, they boast less critical improvements, focused on certain aspects of the game, such as better skew shots or faster agility when changing direction. Keep in mind that an X-Factor player can also have Superstar skills, to give you an idea of ​​his importance within the team.

Now, wanting to make a frank speech, It’s a novelty that fans of the NHL series have been waiting for and will surely welcome them with pleasure, given how well he did in Madden NFL 22. However, it must be said that here the execution still needs to be improved and it ends Ironically there’s an overweight in the overall economy of NHL 22’s fun show and… to a lesser extent in gameplay!

Yes, because it is precisely on the ice that the difference is felt less. Keep in mind that activating some abilities during the game may turn you around the score, if that’s okay, but In general, this introduction is not as decisive as expected Some players end up not giving the exact weight they should have. We’re having a delicate balancing act and EA Sports may be working towards it Refine this with corrections for improvement in NHL 23: However, it must be said that Superstar X-Factor, gameplay aspect, is a really shy novelty.

Instead of talking differently about it Affect all current game modes Which, unfortunately, receives no further news in NHL 22 and is a Superstar X-Factor to represent the only real variable compared to last year.

we take be loyal Like for example: We created our own starter with the goal of becoming an NHL star. From the point of view Turn on mode nothing changed at all: boring dialogues, progression between seasons that quickly end up being redundant, non-overlapping events etc. The only game changer he representsObtaining Superstar and X-Factor skills, associated with completing certain stages.

letter similar to Privilege mode, as the entire game system has practically not changed, with the strengths and weaknesses of previous versions andIn addition, in fact, from the X-Factor to target players who can bring obvious advantages to your team. And where it works best is instead chile world, where the occurrence of all abilities has significant effects on building an individual’s alternative self on the Internet, thus providing the greatest satisfaction.

The problem is that the file At the end of the show, there was a bit of obvious confusion, as if NHL 22 was the basis for demonstrating the incomplete generational transformation. Altogether: From a purely technical point of view, given the rhetoric taken on the graphic side, and in terms of new ideas, with an excessive discharge of responsibility for the introduction of the Superstar X-Factor, which obviously set aside the novelty study of all game modes, the same as NHL 21 in fact.

This is a shame because The playing side masters the game and it’s fun. In addition to offering different degrees of accessibility to adapt everything to the capabilities of the individual user, the more logical pace than last year’s version favors the feel of vivid games with the most realistic philosophy, with mechanics that They cleverly mix arcade and simulation.

The two available control systems also allow for some customization in this sense, although they remain Some flaws in collision management, and in general, in the behavior of artificial intelligence. In short, if it is difficult to criticize the gameplay in an excessive way, then it must be said that even here there are no interesting differences compared to NHL 21. If nothing else, fans of the series will immediately feel at home.

NHL 22 Available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.