Favoring an arcade approach over a
simulation one, NHL 2K9 isn’t exactly the most realistic hockey title on the
market. This may prove to be successful in other scenarios, but it plagues NHL
2K9 from excelling. It failed to improve in areas that it struggled in years
prior. While many of the faults can be overlooked at times to enjoy the title,
it’s still doesn’t help erase the fact that it’s main competitor, NHL 09, is
league ahead in quality. Let’s examine where Visual Concepts went wrong with
this year’s game.
Game modes alone, there are enough
options for players to commit their time to but not many of them stand out. Many
of the modes are indistinguishable to last year’s game modes with the exception
of the Zamboni races that’ll show up as a mini-game between periods. The Zamboni
races are a nice diversion, but you’ll quickly tire driving around the Zamboni
and rather just get back to skating around the rink. There are also three vs.
three games on a mini-rink, four-on-four games on a frozen pond, and the regular
shootouts. They won’t hold your attention for too long as each has their
downsides; pond hockey has invisible walls, three vs. three games don’t allow
for much strategy and shootouts suffer from the same problems the gameplay has.
The franchise mode and season modes
do return, but with very little improvement. Both are deep enough that’ll keep
your interest for several weeks of time, but Visual Concepts needed tweak it a
little to keep pace with what their rivals have done. But, at least you can
expect to work diligently around the salary cap and contract negotiations to put
together the best team you can to reach the Stanley Cup.
One reason why the franchise mode is
a pain is that the menu navigation keeps players guessing on what to do next to
find the information they seek. Sure the menus are sleek and clean, but this
minimalist approach only goes so far when there are no indicators of what to do
to get to the next menu. The crucial information, such as the waiver wire and
other league news is hidden with the menus that it feels as if you are in
National Treasure with Nicolas Cage trying to find treasure.
There’s also a new fighting system
implemented though don’t expect to enjoy it as much as watching the real thing
on television. There’s no power behind the punches and the balancing mechanic
doesn’t simulate a real hockey fight as expected. I’m still waiting on the
ability to pull jerseys over my opponent’s head, goalies to come out of their
nets, and more havoc when it comes to fighting.
Another problem with NHL 2K9 is the
computer AI. Not only do they rush the net on offense, but they usually fly in
solo with one player and refuse to pass to their teammates. This makes it a lot
easier to concentrate on the player who has the puck and make them commit a
turnover. As for the defense portion, NHL 2K9 turns up the intensity as you’ll
never rid yourself of a computer opponent lurking around you but this doesn’t
necessarily mean it’s a good thing. With the computer opponents always hounding
you on the defense, one guy will always attached to one of your player’s hips so
if you can break away from them, you can easily get an advantage and score. On
top of that, the goalies will be giving away goals as if they’re providing money
to their favorite charity for letting the opponent score.
The last problem has to be the most
apparent one, the graphics. They’ve been barely touched up from last year as you
can easily tell from the jaggies. There’s also a lack of realism – a similar
trait for the entire game – with the authenticity of the players. Their faces
are ugly and their bodies resemble as if they are wearing full gear of a
football player. The only upside of the graphics are the playoff beards that add
some personality to the players. But this is hardly a reason to run out to your
local electronics store to purchase NHL 2K9.
Even with all those negatives, there
are a few bright spots for NHL 2K9 and the team at Visual Concepts. The controls
have been updated to where they have eliminated the messy R1 and L1
passing/shooting controls of last year. This should be a joyous occasion for
those who found it overly complicated and troubling. Players can now choose
among three different control options: basic, pro-stick evolution and hybrid.
The hybrid of course mixes the pro-stick evolution with the basic controls to
allow a fluid transition from using the button controls and switching to full
control with the right stick to deke your opponents. Oddly, even with the superb
controls, NHL 2K9 still doesn’t feel right when skating on the ice. It’s a
mixture of the speed and the response time from the game that ends up deterring
this game from feeling as if it was a natural experience.
The multiplayer has been revamped
and it shows significantly with full six-on-six possibilities. It’s more fun to
play with five friends rather than with five computer AI. Allowing up to 11
other players to join in on the fun, NHL 2K9 guarantees the experience that
every hockey fan has been wanting for a long time. Even better is that the
online options run smoothly and are basically lag-free. If there’s one reason to
pick up NHL 2K9, it’s for the tightly running online multiplayer and the chance
to play with your friends.
Review Scoring Details for NHL 2K9 |
Gameplay: 6.7
The streamlined controls help ease the pain, but the computer AI erases any
entertainment value NHL 2K9 had.
Graphics: 5.9
Ugly is putting it nicely.
Sound: 5.7
The play-by-play commentary needs to a tremendous amount of work done.
Difficulty: Easy
Concept: 6.0
Zamboni mode is a unique addition, but not enough was done to make NHL 2K9
distinctive.
Multiplayer: 8.5
Six vs. six online matches are highly amusing. The lag-free online is
possibly one of the best attributes of NHL 2K9.
Overall: 6.4
If you can overlook the disappointing realism and focus on the tight
multiplayer, NHL 2K9 may be worth a rental. But even with that said, there are
too many issues that hold back NHL 2K9 from being a worthy recommendation when
there are so many quality sports titles that released this fall.
