For the first time in a while, I was excited for the newest NHL game. When the trailer dropped, promising some exciting improvements to the gameplay and presentation of the game,I really hoped this would be the first legitimately good NHL game in nearly a decade.
However, the one thing I did not consider is that it was an EA game.
I want to be fair to the development team for NHL 24. This is their first game with a new head of development, and they intended to bring back a lot of things fans have wanted. However, with the little time they had for “NHL 24,” many of the promised additions must wait for next year’s edition.
Starting off with the good, the gameplay and presentation is a massive step up compared to “NHL 23.” The gameplay feels much more challenging and realistic out of any NHL game ever released. It is a great mix of simulation-style gameplay, with that fun and fast movement and a great feeling of the grit of an actual NHL game. They added a whole new pressure and exhaust system which actually gives advantages that feel so real. When you’re playing on home ice and the pressure is at its maximum, the crowd gets so into the action. The sound from the TV alone makes it feel like a volcano of noise is about to go off in the in-game arena. The exhaust engine is also amazing, as you can really feel the players getting tired as they spend more and more time on ice. When they get hit, you can feel the wind getting knocked out of them with how they control. In previous games, the players would get a little tired but nothing noticeable. Now there is an actual strategy for changing your lines and conserving ice time.
That is about where the good ends for me. I am a completely offline player in terms of “NHL 24.” I do not play Hockey Ultimate Team, which is a pay-to-win card game where you buy different players and make a lineup with them. I also do not play World of Chel, which is all your online fun, such as EASHL, which is an online league system where you can compete for a rank (and now offers a battlepass). These modes got updated and, from what I’ve heard, it has been a nice upgrade to these modes. Unfortunately for me, the offline modes have received no maintenance in a very long time. Even if EA promised some quality-of-life improvements to franchise mode this year, these changes are poorly implemented. Franchise mode is playable, but when there are these little mistakes, like teams only signing 30 players, or teams not having enough goalies, or lines not making sense, it is just inexcusable when in “NHL 23,” this was not happening.
I’ve rambled on long enough, but the last thing that needs to be addressed is the awful ratings EA hands out every year. For some, it might not be a big deal, but for someone who wants the game to be as realistic as possible, having players who barely make the NHL as 83 overalls, is just bad.
Just like EA, I won’t touch Be a Pro, the “NHL 24” career mode, at all, because it has not been changed since “NHL 20.”
