An Icy Reign- NHL 11 Review

Few sports franchises have had a career as memorable as Electronic Art’s NHL series. Staring life as an untested rookie nearly two decades ago, the game immediately connected with players seeking a convincing simulation of the ice-based sport. Across the next three console generations, each iteration of the game exhibited steady improvement, adding elements such as a 3D engine (NHL 97), a dynasty mode(2004) and the ability to use the right stick for puck handling (2007). The release of NHL 09 showed the franchise on the cusp of its prime, as EA Canada was able to harness the power of now-gen consoles.

With last year’s NHL 10 winning twenty-two ‘sports game of the year’  awards, the Vancouver-based development team must have been hard-pressed to tamper with such a successful showing. Yet, NHL 11 remarkably improves upon its predecessor in several noteworthy ways. Beyond the inclusion of a Dynamic Season component  (a feature in NBA Live which allows actual performance during the season to influence your player stats), there’s surprisingly little room left for improvement in next season’s inevitable sequel.

Undeniably, NHL 11‘s most noteworthy improvement hails from the title’s revamped physics engine. Often precanned motion capture in sports games lead to tedium, as players see the same recurring animation routines. This year, every shoot, hit and puck deflection is calculated in real time, allowing NHL 11 to fully capture the unpredictability of the sport. Player collisions now range from faint contact to formidable checks into the boards, all dependent upon player speed, trajectory and ability. Now, skating, passing, and shooting feel startlingly lifelike and blend together seamlessly, allowing players to become fully immersed in each match. More importantly, the title’s on-ice fundamentals are deep enough to conceal nuances which only reveals themselves after extended playtime.

To accompany the enhanced physics system, EA Canada has added both dropped and broken sticks into the simulation. While shattered sticks occur with worrisome frequency, they do add an interesting wrinkle as players are forced to scramble across the ice to the bench for replacement wood (or, composite material). Witnessing a player crack his implement, and then frantically kick the loose puck with his skate is one of those wonderfully outlandish moments which nearly guarantees a review in the game’s versatile replay viewer. Face-offs have also been overhauled to allow for a variety of maneuvers- from adjusting grip, lifting your opponents stick, and adjusting your players position for the puck drop. With all these tactic elements, the game could have used a picture-in-picture close up, as used in the old 2K series.

Following the lead set by the FIFA and Madden series, NHL 11 includes its own adaption of the Ultimate Team component. Here, each game rewards the players with pucks- the game’s currency used to purchase packs of player cards. With this mode players formulate a burgeoning team, as new cards offer the ability to expand your roster, coach players, and maintain existing contacts. Ultimate Team’s sole downside is a dependence on micro-transactions if players desire anything more than a rookie team; pucks are given out fairly frugally by the title.

Last year’s Be a Pro remains relatively unchanged, with the exception of adding CHL teams into the Memorial Cup Tournament draft showcase. Unfortunately, the game’s otherwise-solid framerate can weaver in this mode, especially when players cross center ice or congregate near a goal. While both systems offered a graphically impressive recreation of hockey, the 360 version takes a slight visual edge over the PS3 iteration due to its anti-aliasing. Both systems feature exceptional commentary from Gary Thorne and Bill Clement, who offer some of the bestcalling around. Although phrases will repeat during a season, the speed and accuracy of their delivery should be a model for all sport games.

Whether players prefer to experience hockey looking through the visor of a budding rookie or tucked away in the general manager’s office, methodically steering a team toward Lord Stanley’s Cup, NHL 11 offers a multitude of entertaining diversions. Returning players interested in the maturity of the game engine will be delighted with the new physics system which meticulously recreates the complexities of hockey, while the Ultimate Team mode offers yet another way to keep players enthralled. Like the Montreal Canadians during the late seventies, the NHL series is enjoying one of the impressive dynasties in all of sports gaming.