The calendar has turned a page, and the leaves have begun to fall. As such, it’s time for another season of National Hockey League play. The preseason is almost finished, so the puck will drop with meaning very soon.
To complement this budding season, EA Sports has released another annual instalment of its games based on the League. This one is unsurprisingly called NHL 25, and it’s out now for those who wish to get a head start on the on-ice action.
Last year’s entry was a tough one to score, because — while it took several steps forward — its hitting mechanics left a lot to be desired. As someone who hits a lot, it was very jarring to me. This, as well as some health issues, led to it being my least played NHL game in many years, if not overall. Thankfully, NHL 25 improves upon that, although it doesn’t bring the old system back. It’s easier and more natural to hit, but you still have to line guys up and use momentum to deliver the hit.
It’s pretty clear, from the start, that this was the first NHL game built from the start for current-gen consoles. The result is the sharpest, nicest looking and best presenting game in years. Never has this series looked better, or featured more physics systems.
As you’ve likely heard, NHL 25 is built on Ice-Q; a new, logic-driven system that allows players to respond to contextual, on-ice events with more accuracy. Combined with Next-Gen Vision and Reactive Actions, the players were promised to be more lifelike than ever before. The result is a game where the AI is smarter, defends better and reacts with more realism, be it a defensive play or a last ditch effort save by a goalie.
There are also better, Skill-Based One-Timers, and they’re fun to pull off. I actually scored my first goal with one.
The game certainly does play better than it did before, and it does feel more realistic. Thus, if you skipped last year’s then this is certainly a better point to jump back in. It’s more refined, less unpredictable and more fun to play.
Add-in an updated Franchise Mode, with better menus, improved information delivery, and new elements like contract clauses and no trade agreements; a new Wildcard system in Hockey Ultimate Team, which lets you create a team with salary cap restrictions, with a limit on players from one team or nationality, and more. The menus have been updated, the gameplay is better and new conversation prompts improve the art of making negotiations, making promises and putting players on waivers.
All of the experience you earn playing HUT (Squad Battles, Rivals and Wild Card) are tied into the same progression system, no matter whether you play online or offline. This is referred to, simply, as “the new HUT XP Progression System.” That’s an improvement for sure.
Lastly, it’s important to talk about the bettered World of CHEL playlists, and the Grudge Match System, which tracks matches played between rivals and goes overboard when they meet. New rivalries can be developed, they’re tracked online and offline, and whenever they come up the presentation is boosted. It adds to the realism of the experience.
Overall, NHL 25 is a marked improvement over what came before it. If you prefer added realism, you’re in the right place. While the hitting still doesn’t feel as great as it used to, I need to accept that they’ve gone in a different direction, and respect that, which I do. It’s noticeably better than it was last year, though, so that’s good.
That said, I’m disappointed by how little has changed in my most played game mode: Be a Pro. Year after year, it’s mostly the same. It still even opens with the same, dated and boring, cutscene showing your created player’s agent standing on the steps of a cabin, as he talks to host James Cybulski. I was hoping I wouldn’t see it again, but there it was. Furthermore, even though Ray Ferraro (unfortunately) hasn’t been in the game for a couple of years now, his dialogue is still used during conversations about the rookie in-between games.
Presentation-wise, this is definitely a step up, and feels truly current-gen. The animations and physics are the best they’ve ever been, and things are more unpredictable as a result. The game plays better than it did last year, and it looks better too, with improved player faces, added details, a better replay camera and enhanced Grudge Match presentation. The boards are still digital, too, and show things during games, as do overlays on the ice.
There is still room for improvement though, including better introductions and changes to Be a Pro. Please, EA: get rid of Taylor Mackey, the agent.
James Cybulski and Cheryl Pounder return as the commentators, with Pounder providing the colour that Ray Ferraro used to. A number of the same lines return, which is fine. Pounder continues to be a good replacement for Mr. Ferraro, but I do miss him being involved. He’s the best in the business, and difficult to replace.
At the end of the day, NHL 25 is a marked improvement over what came before it. It plays well, and is a better representation of the unpredictable sport than last year’s outing, without doubt. However, there are still upgrades to be made.
This review is based on the PlayStation 5 version of the game, which we were provided.