Aright boys and gals, I'm sorry that my information is coming out now, and also sorry that the embargo dates for us were much later than say GAMESPOT and IGN.
Before I get into my analysis, my testimonial is on the website, heres the link:
EA SPORTS: NHL 09 COMMUNITY EVENT
Ok so, as youve all heard, DION PHANEUF is the official NHL 09 coverboy! Here are the international coverboy's as well.
Code:
Player Territory Team
Dion Phaneuf Worldwide* Calgary Flames
Alexander Ovechkin Russia Washington Capitals
Daniel Alfredsson Sweden Ottawa Senators
*with the exception of the countries named below
Now, I'm not gonna waste time and state things that are on the site already, or on other gaming sites. So don't expect a humongous post of information we already know unless I feel its necessary to add, and my apologies if I do state something you guys already know.
Checking
Ok so, as you notice from the feature list and first looks from other websites, the gameplay has changed alot! With EA starting to use the
EUPHORIA PHYSICS SYSTEM for the checking (
used by games like BACKBREAKER) for only SOME CHECKING ANIMATIONS! has given the checking a way better fix up. ****************
I noticed when playing the game that the WARPING / HOMING MISSLE checking was
totally removed! Instead you have to tap the analog stick at the right time, to nail the check instead of holding it down flying across the ice and making your opponent do a backflip into the boards. This also makes for great infront of the net defense. To be able to continually push the offense trying to screen the goalie or tip in a slapshot. You can have no movement but still be able to push players around.
The hitting engine also factors 'Vunerable states' like your back to the boards, using the one handing skill stick (which will be explained below) and more. These vulnerable states will also factor in the speed and position of each player (the hitter and the victim) to create the realistic hit possible.
It's definitely much harder to hit in this years installment. As I played, I noticed the difference right away, and it gave me a smirk on my face.
(HUGE POSITIVE)
Moving on,
Skill Stick and Controls
As we know already, and most of you are with me on this, HOW THE HELL CAN YOU UPDATE THIS THING, its so amazing already ... right? Well they did add plenty more. NHL 07/08 focused on the offense use of the skill stick! Well
EA and the hockey gaming gods came up with the bright idea to incorporate full defensive controls which also can be used for offensive advantages. The main one is the ONE HAND option. this can be used for many things like:
- ONE HANDED DEKES
- ONE HANDED PROTECTION (ALL INCLUSIVE WITH STIFF ARM and
PROTECTING MECHANICS, OH YEAH) for beating guys to the outside, or playing it safe.
Basically you would point the analog to 5'oclock in order to use the one handed option for protection (previously was just the puck on your backhand being useless).. and I believe theres a button set to the one handing for deke'ing purposes.
It's actually awesome, cause then you can pull the always mentioned forsberg move with the right timing. Speaking of moves, EA also briefly blurted out something about
"LEGENDARY SKILL STICK MOVES" which they have yet to elaborate about, so watch out for that.
In addition to the defensive controls, as you know they added
STICK LIFTING on the face button
which is awesome not only because its new, but because
the consequence of a bad stick lift is costly and totally your fault. (As opposed to the random hooking, where it can be so blatant but not a penalty, or a stupid hook becomes a costly penalty etc.)
The stick lifting is all about timing, if you lift the stick up properly, you can strip the puck and go about your business on the counter-attack. Now, have you miss-timed that stick lift, you can potentially high stick the player leading to a high sticking penalty or even as bad as a 5 MINUTE MAJOR!
Now don't be mistaken, not all miss-timed stick lifts result in a penalty, because you can either miss the stick completely or just not gain control of the puck at all. In one full game, I got ONE high sticking penalty resulting from a miss-timed stick lift! So it's random as well.
Onto poke-checking, they revamped this as well. The poke-checking is not a fishing rod mechanic anymore (Where the stick just flails out while you fish for the puck). It now has action to it, and it serves better for timing purposes and better break-outs. It's also harder to poke-check from behind to grab the puck like the previous games.
The poke-check is more a POKING action, the player springs himself forward, almost on his knee's bending down more for a longer reach. Imagine a short-handed situation, as Jordan Staal delivers a poke-check which also lets him spring past the defense for a short-handed breakaway, that's what they've changed it to. If you catch my drift. Furthermore, holding the poke-check button and moving the analog gives you the
full 360 degree poke-check which is new!
Goalie Mode
Not much touched on here, just all we know is that there are more animations, more desperation saves and apparently some harder screening mechanics in the first person camera.
(SOME REALLY GOOD POSITIVES TO THE GAME HERE)
The A.I, very important asset to the game. EA continuously works on the A.I because we know that this has been our nemesis, but gradually getting better each year. But there's not much information on this in the early stages.
Newly added in NHL 09 A.I wise is a totally revamped collision system. Players are a lot more aware of their surroundings, including the goalie, net, and other players of course.
We were also told that the A.I is trained by the EA hockey experts. They continuously play the game together, mapping out ODD MAN RUSHES, and defensive position and break-outs etc so the A.I adapts and notices the same situations in game and utilizes the experts information. In english, we were told that the 2 on 1 situations were fixed (whereby the players in 08 would not be in the perfect position for a one timer, or give and go 1-2 pass)
They also briefly mentioned that the defense was alot more aggressive and harder to get around.
Also, the fighting engine has been revamped, it's TOTALLY new which means this is the first time, the stepping stone into the new engine, but hope for it to be good in 09, and it will be added on to for future installments.
Hopefully this comes through.
(MEDIOCRE INFORMATION GIVEN)
BE A PRO (SUPERSTAR MODE - 1 Player)
Ahh modes, as you all know the
SUPERSTAR MODE is implemented finally! Basically
your epic journey starts in the AHL on the THIRD LINE. You play as good as possible each game (with a feedback rating system) to move up on lines, increase in playing time, and finally get drafted into the NHL. Furthermore, you then try to move up on lines in the nhl, increasing your playing time, becoming captain, receiving awards, winning the Stanley Cup and becoming a hockey legend.
The mode includes some awesome features that I was lucky to see. EA implemented a
3RD PERSON CAMERA which allows you to play the game stuck on your player, closer to the action like you're actually in the game. What else can happen while youre in third person, and when youre not currently on the ice playing a shift. Oh right,
YOU GET BENCHED. This is SO awesome, you are now in FIRST PERSON mode on the bench, watching the game as the camera (a.k.a YOU) follows the puck and the action. Being on the bench also allows your superstar to regain fatigue, and to show how you did on your last shift like, completed passes, shots etc. The fatigue G.U.I is sweet, it pops up in a nice corner while the game goes on and you can shut it off after you've read how you did to see the game before you get on. That all factors in to your overall score, the better you do each shift the more points you receive to make your player better.
(The attribute point system goes towards your regular skill sets like shot accuracy, speed, etc. were all used to it.)
To receive a pass, you simply press the trigger. If you're close to the puck carrier and you can receive the pass well, you're awarded a completed pass, and also the puck. If you make a ridiculous call for a pass, the A.I will certainly try and give it to you but it could be a costly interception or a stupid pass resulting to an icing, or offside; so be wise.
The be a pro mode also has a bunch of Heads up display graphics while youre on the ice. A stretching arrow to show how far out of position you are, which points to the direction you should be in, a red or green surrounding circle which shows completed or incomplete passing, and fatigue as well. To make a line change simply skate to the bench.
I played as PRONGER in the beta mode we tested and I was making awesome pinches and I actually scored twice. (ON easy though, which sucked.) But still it was sweet, and I had to skate back on defense, anticipating interceptions and break-outs, really fun. You can play as an existing superstar, or create your own for the full potential of the mode. If you suck it up in the NHL (had you made it there) you can get sent down to the AHL, or even TRADED! You have no control of managerial decisions. You focus on playing and winnings games.
If you chose to create a goalie, you generally become a starter in the AHL, but more is expected of you and you can also be benched if you become fatigue.
The game mode can either be watched fully (as you wait on the bench for shifts, between periods, or game [if youre a goalie]) or skipped.
I can't touch on some modes but I can say that there is no SEASON MODE, or PLAYOFF style mode. They did retain the Tournament style and obviously Dynasty is there.
International Teams
What most of you wanted for sure, it was REALLY brief, half a slide on powerpoint, so this is all I can tell you.
- Russian teams implemented
- German teams implemented
- Swedish league STRUCTURES?
- Finland league STRUCTURES?
- Czech league teams implemented
- IIHF rights?
Not sure what you can make of that, but that's all we got. Were also not 100% on the jersey's and arena's do to the crazy amount of sponsors and ads and stuff.
(I CANT STRESS HOW MUCH POSITIVE AND WIN THERE IS IN THIS SECTION)
I can't touch on all the online modes, but I've got some awesome news. There now is an
ONLINE PERFORMANCE TRACKER. This tracker shows all your online history, and information. It shows:
Single Play- Skill points
- Wins
- Overall Stats
Team play- Mostly played position
- Stats
- Team Play (Bad Penalties, Going offside all the time, anything that affects your OTP teams negatively or positively in game)
and obviously way more information to be shown in a nice graphically pleasing manner.
Also, to our online experience are video uploading!! No more capture cards and nasty point and shoot cameras or webcams needed! Straight from the game, to EA's website to showcase, comment, and rate sick goals, plays, and other legendary online worthy video material.
WOW.
(A++++++++)
As listed on EA's page,
the PS3 now has 60 frames per second in gameplay and 30 frames per second in cutscenes
(same as 360, obviously).
Newly added cutscenes, as seen in the video the dressing room intro's. We saw it at the EA studio, its sweet! The arena is dark with spot lights, and they come out of the dressing room lined up and start skating on the ice and stuff its wicked. Also, BE A PRO intro cut scenes are there, 3 stars animation is back for the end game, and also more mid-game cutscenes and goal celebrations too.
Custom Sound
OH HELL YEA this is in. They call it the
EA SPORTS MEDIA HUB. This hub allows your to change virtually every single musical entity in the game. Goal scoring, penalty, intro, goal horn, front end. EVERYTHING. Playlists and music can be chosen nice and fast and it has its own section in the G.U.I and its so customizable. By the way, this is for ALL TEAMS, AHL, NHL, etc! I believe it can be used for dynasty modes as well. All music can be transferred from memory cards and 360 hard drives.
EA has also added a Screenshot mode, no word yet if you can upload to the website, or if they have filters.
the NHL 94 control set was mentioned on the site, for the noobies and parents who want to play the game.
Interactive tutorials again for the new comers to the game, everyone is welcome!
Theres a whole bunch-o-stuff we can't touch on still so stay tuned! I hope I got everything, ask REALISTIC questions and i'll try to answer them to the best of my ability.
Thanks for reading, thanks to EA and thanks to TBN for the support! I hope to make it out next year as well, so we'll see how that goes.
P.S I apologize for bad grammar, or bad anything.. it's late :P
Linear Mode
