• Posted September 12th, 2011 at 17:25 EDT by Adam Dolge
• 5 Comments

(continued from previous page) ...to level up your rookie and progress him through your team’s ranks. Nonetheless, I found the camera needed a bit of work, but it just takes some getting used to.

Be a GM could have used a bit more upgrading. You’ll see the benefits of the player traits in trading, but the automated trading side of the equation is a bit weak. There is little consistency to negotiations and trading, and as the years go by, player skill levels get a little out of hand. This is the one mode that needs a bit more refinement. The other standard modes, including playoffs and tournaments, are relatively unchanged but still quite solid. Rounding out the other modes, the online EA Sports Hockey League and the Hockey Ultimate Team card modes are slightly improved. For instance, you can now play against user-created teams when an opponent is offline in HUT. You can also change skills, relying on your instincts before each game, in EASHL. The changes are relatively mild, but they work quite well to continue to refine these modes. Be a GM and the online modes could use even more work, but they are still solid.

The presentation is good, but not outstanding. The animations are terrific and the reactions from the crowds in the arena are again superb. I will say that the players don’t look as good as other sports games, but they certainly don’t look bad. One of my personal favorite additions in NHL 12 is the Winter Classic, which allows you to play outside in the snow. It looks fantastic, but after a few run-throughs, there isn’t any reason to play it again.

Overall, NHL 12 is a great step for EA Sports, and a solid improvement upon last year’s installment. While the upgrades are mostly under the hood, they will be noticeable to diehard hockey fans, which will get a kick out of continuing their ultimate fantasy teams online and playing in a Winter Classic. But for anyone that has taken a break from an NHL game in the past year or two, NHL 12 deserves your attention. With rich, responsive gameplay, robust modes, and a polished presentation, NHL 12 wins yet another faceoff against the (lack-of) competition. It will be hard to top NHL 12 as sports game of the year, but we see to say that every year.