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ESRB: 
Platform: XBox 360
Category: Sports
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Graphics 7.5 |
Sound 8 |
Gameplay 6.5 |
Tilt 7 ||
Overall 7.2
Author: Frank
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Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Sports
Features
Players 1-4 (co-op 2-4)
Online multiplayer 2-12 (co-op 2-6)
4MB save
HDTV 720p/1080i/1080p
Downloadable content
Leaderboards
Being that it is September; the early morning chill in the air reminds me that the hockey season is just around the corner. I quite like this time of year for I am a hockey nut. There are only two hockey video game franchises that really matter anymore and there are two giants that battle each other every year for hockey domination, EA Sports and 2K Sports. I had the chance to review NHL 2K9 for the Xbox 360. Columbus Star captain Rick Nash graces the cover this time around. So as I started to dig into the game one question remained: has the 2K series done enough to regain is former dominance?
Graphics
I have to be honest here, NHL 2K9’s graphics have not changed much in about four games. The game looks almost identical to the 2K5 counterpart aside from the obvious Hi-Def upgrade from the older last generation Xbox. All the players still have the stocky and blocky frame set with stiff animation. I was disappointed to see that the game still retained the out-dated visuals considering what EA has done with their product. That being said, for new and not so discerning fans of the game the visuals should suffice.
NHL 2K9’s overall presentation is still very good, with some great use of bright colors and solid textures. I noticed a few clipping problems and some occasional framerate issues (especially online) but nothing too terrible. I have one main concern though and this has to do with what seemed like frames of animation missing. An example would be something as simple as a skater turning. I would see him turn one way smoothly, but he would then abruptly turn a completely different way with a huge amount of ‘choppiness’ to the animation. While playing the game it may not be all that noticeable, but they exhibit this behaviour while drifting around between plays or whistles.
Technically the game runs pretty smooth on the Xbox 360. Supported HD output ranges from 720p, 1080i to 1080p, so depending on your display you get full HD no matter which way you go. Regardless of my criticisms of the visuals, NHL 2K9 it is a pretty good looking game, but I still can’t help but wonder when this game is going to get the visual overhaul to take it up to the next level
Sound
Commentating in NHL 2K9 is done by Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda. Although I have been a big fan of most Canadian commentators in the past (e.g. Harry Neal and Bob Cole) these two don’t do that bad of a job. During my first exposure to this duo I was somewhat disappointed. I thought they were far to loose and created an almost comedic atmosphere. It didn’t help matters much when Randy would shoot out one-liners with concerning frequency. It was almost like he got stuck in a stutter as on occasion he repeated the same line four times running. That being said as time progressed I found that the majority of their comments to be bang on and they manage to have a few time specific comments that will catch you off guard (e.g. during the playoffs).
The music included in 2K9 is a pretty good mix and it really helps add to the excitement of the game. From Bad Religion’s New Dark Ages to The Ramones’ Blitzkrieg Bop, all the music really mixes in with the overall presentation of the game. It seems that a lot of work went into choosing the music for specific reasons. In a recent press release that we here at GameBoyz put up on our site, Tim Rosa, 2K Sports’ director of brand and lifestyle marketing stated that they had “...licensed a few of the more popular hockey stadium songs, so when a player goes to the penalty box after a fight, gamers will hear tracks such as “Bad Boys” from Inner Circle or “Knocked Down” by Pennywise after a big hit, as they do in hockey stadiums across North America”. After some game time I thought this to be quite true.
Finally, what would an NHL game be without the sounds of the game? From the big hits, the on-ice banter to the reactions of the crowd when a puck rings off a post, everything one has come to associate with hockey is loud and proud in 2K9. I have to say that even the big hits managed to rock my home theater when I took the game home to play over the weekend. Anyone who is a hockey fan will definitely appreciate the whole audio presentation in 2K’s latest hockey.
Gameplay
2K Sports has made a very conscious effort in 2K9 to make control options very accessible to any level of gamer as there are three styles to choose from. Basic is the simplest. This is a throwback to the control schemes that were included in earlier versions of past NHL 2K games. Pro Stick Evolution is a more complex version that was introduced last year. It is a multi-button configuration that many said was a bit of a hindrance given that there were so many things to memorize or modify. I myself found it to be very cumbersome, and having a button that is used frequently mapped to the shoulder made it a very rough go. Finally there is the Hybrid control scheme that combines both the Basic and Pro Stick Evolution and it does so with positive results. The Hybrid scheme will no doubt be compared to EA’s NHL control scheme, as there are a lot of similarities. You control your player with the left analog stick while you shoot or deke with the right analog stick. You push the right analog for a wrist/snap shot while you pull back and then push forward for a slap shot. To deke you only need to do a simple tap of a button and then some slick thumb work with the right analog stick. Although I seemed to use the Hybrid scheme the most I did go back and forth to see if it controlled any better with the old style. I found that I tried more of my bread and butter moves with the older style, whereas the with the Hybrid style I was more free wheeling and loose on the ice. There will be fans of both, so try each of them out and get comfortable with the control scheme you like the most.
The 2K series of NHL games of past have set the bar in terms of what simulation style hockey was all about. As I am a fan of the simulation game the previous versions managed to have just the right feeling in terms of putting the realism into the game. However this year it seems that 2K9 is a lot more arcadish. This fact alone really had me worried. I hoped that 2K9 was the game where the development team would make changes where it was needed. They did make changes but they went the other way and made it more arcadish.
From the default setting I found the game to be quite fast, in fact it felt faster in this setting than any other time in the games history. It was something that really caught me off guard. Right away I tried to tinker with the speed settings but I could not crank it down anymore. After some gameplay though I grew somewhat accustomed to the speed. To add to this arcadish feeling of speed 2K has also included a turbo button again; something that I really think takes away from the realism. I found that I could hold down it down way too much as it was quite generous in this area. Sure, the sliders adjustment can be tweaked in this area, but I think the turbo button is something that still needs work.
Another reason for feeling that the game is too arcadish was the end results for each game that were quite high scoring. I could rack up quite a few goals in any given game, on pretty much any skill setting too. I cranked up the settings to pro and still was able to score 11 goals in one game. Don’t get me wrong, I had to work at it, but the fact that I was able to do this more then I should have been able to was a little disconcerting. I attribute some of this to that computer AI, from the defensive moves of the computer opponent to the inconsistent goaltending. It is not nearly as smart as I have seen in the past. For example, the goaltending used to be a highlight in this game. Even though there were exploits, should you have played like a real team and/or a real player it could be tough. However this year the goaltending is suspect as they just don’t react nearly as consistently as they have in the past. They allow too many suspect goals in (e.g. floaters) and this is not indicative of what has been produced in previous versions.
Many of the modes from last year’s game have returned, from franchise mode to ‘quick play’ mode. So there is no need to rehash these as there is enough here for any one who wants to play. There are also some mini-games for those looking for a break from traditional play. You can play some old school pond hockey, you can play a little 3-on-3 in a mini rink, or you can drive a Zamboni to test your ice cleaning/driving skills. My son and I had a blast trying to complete the Zamboni game. You start the game with three minutes on the clock and you basically try to clean the ice surface. It is way tougher than it seems as the Zamboni likes to slide to and fro. It also tends to leave gaps along the way if your driving is irregular and it is these gaps that count in the end. The slivers of missed ice are needed in as the percentage clock tracks and counts up the your percentage score. So far I’ve only been able to clean 97.5% of the ice.
Along with the single player game 2K Sports has added the usual online modes. It’s here that the 2K game shines in the face of EA’s product. Up to 12 players can hook up for some online madness, with each player locking into a specific position. This mode forces you to work as a team, so playing with people whose game style you know really does become beneficial. During play you earn points (and lose them too) based on your performance. Once you decide to go online you can create a user avatar, hockey based of course, and you are able to enlist in weekly team tournaments hosted by none other then 2K themselves. Of course there is also support for online leagues and given how much time and effort 2K Sports has put in this area in the past, it is once again a well-implemented feature.
My time online was always fun but not entirely without issue. I quite love the online environment; pitting my skills against another human being instead of computer AI is where the excitement lies. That being said, getting online is a breeze but finding a suitable opponent can be a bit of a crapshoot. Regardless of rating you are always at the mercy of what kind of player your opponent is. They can range from the enjoyable to the annoying. The latter is those who are always trash talking and exploit abusing losers. Of course you can always leave the game or leave appropriate feedback where needed. Technically my online experience was pretty much lag free allowing for some pretty intense and hit-filled games. A really good rule of thumb of mine is to find a group of online players who play hockey and the way I do, and do not exploit some poor AI or money play for high scoring games. Playing in a group like this will keep you and your online experience more entertaining for longer periods of time.
Conclusion
NHL 2K9 seems to take a step or two backwards in their endeavor to make some changes to the franchise. Outdated player models combined with some pretty cookie cutter run and gun gameplay really hurts their effort. I think the sim orientated gamers will be very disappointed with the more arcade like play. On the flipside though, the more user friendly and accessible style of play should attract more of the casual gamers to the world of virtual hockey that they may have not explored before. In the end NHL 2K9 still offers enjoyment and that is what counts here.
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