It can take some time, but the progression system of NHL 09 is one to be reckoned with that still stands up today. Its about positioning, learning the movements of the AI, and learning from your past mistakes. Its not about being the star player out on the ice, nor is it only about scoring the most goals (which, I mean, is of course the point but its not that easy). As much as you might want to be, you sometimes have to sit one out and direct your team from the sidelines. Along with responsive and crisp controls, you were also forced to not be on the ice at all times. What I truly loved most about this installment was that it kept/added some strategy to playing each game. Its easy to get sucked into the immersive Ness of this world based on this idea alone.
By today’s standards, this game still looks and feels pretty good overall – for 2008, it looks fantastic.
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Its also interesting to note how many changes were made to finer details of the game because of the NFL and NBA 2K series in terms of teambuilding/management.īuilding off of NHL 08, you’ve got a lot of free reign to design your character on their path towards the Stanley Cup. Like many of the games that come after, specifically and NHL 10-14 and NHL Legacy, the ‘Be a Pro’ mode has been updated to a great degree and really showcases how far game design has come in the years before. Like most sports games, the primary modes of NHL 09 have you build your team or your player, battle your way through lower leagues, and finally reach the majors with the hopes of bringing home the Stanley Cup.
It’s a refreshing experience that can earn respect even today. It might not be the absolute best nor perfect experience in the realm of hockey video games, but it manages to hit all of the desired aspects without trying to revolutionize a formula that works. Its crisp controls, neat aesthetics, and overall fun gameplay give it that bit of charm and character that many games today lack. NHL 09, despite being one of the ‘earlier’ releases in the series, still holds up incredibly well by today’s standards and can easily be returned to time and time again. However, that has not stopped developers from creating some of the most fun, interactive, and visceral hockey game experiences out there.
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NHL 21 is set to arrive in October 2020 for PS4 and Xbox One.Professional hockey in video games hasn’t quite been the juggernaut in the same way that other sports have been. The forced delay and limited platform release are unfortunate, but hopefully mean EA is just dedicating even more time and effort into delivering a great product. Video game delays in the pandemic are not a new issue, so while NHL 21's delay is frustrating to dedicated hockey fans, it's not exactly shocking news. NHL 21 won't be available on Xbox Series X or PS5, either, which is a confusing decision for some, especially as the release date has been pushed from September to October. Many people were confused and frustrated about why EA has seemingly abandoned NHL PC releases. Conversely, on the tweet denying the PC rumors, many comments were negative, and one person even said the possibility of a PC NHL game was the most exciting news the NHL franchise had come up with. Some people said they'd waited a long time to play a new NHL game on PC, and a few people even said they only have a console to play NHL games on. Some comments on the original tweet expressed doubt that a PC release of NHL 21 could ever be popular, but most of the comments were in favor of playing on PC. GameStop is struggling as a retailer in the pandemic, and even well-off businesses make mistakes sometimes. It looks like the retailer simply substituted PC for PS4 on accident, which comes as a disappointment to the people who responded to the tweet expressing excitement to play a new NHL game on PC. However, the possibility of error was always present and acknowledged by the OP given that the product listed Xbox and PC as being available, but not PS4. The possibility of NHL 21 being a PC game started when an NHL esports commentator found GameStop's listing and tweeted it online. RELATED: Big Nintendo Leak Reveals Canceled Hockey RPG
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Some of the confusion comes from a mistaken product page GameStop posted for a PC version of NHL 21, which brought some fans' hopes up despite the series not being released on PC for the past several years. An EA Sports dev tweeted that the pro hockey game won't be available for PC, adding another disappointment to the NHL franchise's mixed success. NHL 21 is delayed and will only be available on PS4 and Xbox One, which may be a letdown for PC gamers now that EA is officially confirming there won't be a PC version. Many hockey fans look forward to the yearly NHL games, which are the most popular hockey video games, so the issues with NHL 21 have been a big disappointment to many.