![]() ![]() Meanwhile, it was evidently considered a higher priority to show a wider variety of hats being thrown onto the ice by fans when a player on the home team manages to notch a hat trick by scoring three goals in game. It’s yet another head-scratching example of a worthwhile feature being removed from the game, leaving you with a limited set of visuals prior to the drop of a puck that fails to set the scene as well as games in the same series did half a decade ago on last-gen consoles. The new arena light shows and national anthems look nice, but they aren’t able to impress if they can’t be seen most of the time. ![]() The issue is compounded by the bizarre decision to remove an option that previously existed where you could toggle between full and condensed presentation depending on your personal preference. The fact that EA went so far as to hype the pregame arena theatrics and intros in NHL 23 by including them in its list of new features only makes it more disheartening to find that many games in modes seem to begin with little to no fanfare at all. The new last chance animations being introduced in NHL 23 that can have players diving to shoot or pass a loose puck happen rarely enough that it feels pretty satisfying when you are able to pull one off successfully. In trying to break down a defense, you might need to cycle the puck more often now and look for small passing windows that can create some space for your players in the slot. Even when you do get those passes through, it’s no longer as much of a guarantee that a one-timer will be able to beat the goalie because they will often react quickly enough to absolutely rob you of a goal. Defensemen are pretty savvy at ensuring you can’t slide any cross-crease passes to teammates at the side of the net, intercepting them routinely to end scoring chances. ![]() AI defenders and goalies both show a little more awareness than they have in the past and will force you to dig deeper into your bag of tricks if you want to find the back of the net. ![]() You might think that it would be easier to score on offense now that defenders can’t spam the defensive skill stick without fear of repercussions, but that’s not exactly the case. In general, NHL 23 rewards good positioning and anticipation above all else when on defense, requiring you to keep yourself between attackers and the net and know when to best utilize tactics like the poke check, body check, or stick lift to force a turnover. Though the speed penalty for using the defensive skill stick might be slightly too severe, it’s a welcome shift towards realism that you can’t lean on the mechanism as much to bail you out on defense. You’ll now suffer a major reduction in skating speed when using the defensive skill stick, meaning if you’re not careful and get stuck holding out your stick when the other team is coming into your zone on a rush, it will be much easier for a forward to breeze right by you on the way to the net. When you’re playing defense, you’re liable to notice a big difference when using the defensive skill stick to attempt to knock the puck off an opposing player’s stick. This doesn’t mean you won’t still see the occasional occurrence of a stick missing a puck that it should probably hit or a player failing to react to a nearby puck, but these are thankfully fewer and farther between now. There have been further refinements to the game’s physics, just as with the last few years, that translate to less instances of pucks going through players’ sticks and bodies. The addition of some timely animations in key spots help to smooth out the way that players behave and react to the puck and other players around them. The biggest changes to NHL 23 this year can be seen and felt during a game, even if they may not initially grab you when you play a game or two. With that in mind, let’s get into my NHL 23 review. Fortunately, the subtle but impactful adjustments that have been been made to the on-ice action help to temper my disappointment by making this the most realistic and fun depiction of hockey that the series has produced in at least a decade. Without any new game modes or massive changes to the existing ones (beyond a notable change for franchise mode), you’re left with the distinct impression that this new release is closer to an update than a brand new game. This is the case with NHL 23 in many regards, which is destined to have those who invested even a moderate amount of time into NHL 22 experiencing a strong sense of déjà vu a lot of the time. While you’re probably hoping to see the kind of unmistakable upgrades that practically leap off the screen, it’s more likely that you’ll end up having to squint real hard to spot any differences from the prior title. By now, sports video game fans have become fairly accustomed to seeing the slightest of improvements one year to the next from annual titles. ![]()
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