When I was in Grade 4, way back in the mid-80s, my teacher said to me "don't wish your life away". Even today that still has plenty of meaning. And with hard work, education, etc., if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. Of course, I digress. And now, back to the topic of conversation.
Although the base game is still there, in its current state, the roots of the game are missing. What I mean by that is, even though we can still virtually play the game of hockey, it doesn't feel fun, or has us enjoy the engagement of either competing against the CPU or other human players. There's just too many variables that detract from an experience of spending hours playing a game that we should be enjoying, but end up either getting incredibly frustrated and/or deleting the game from our console. In my experience, of which is strictly my opinion, here's what needs to be changed:
1. No more Chel bags that have a majority of nonsensical hockey "gear". The NHL has 32 teams, and there's numerous companies that have branded hockey gear. It shouldn't take leveling up to P5 to get a full set of the team jerseys, hats, etc., that you're a fan of, cheer for, etc. And that's especially true for the short shelf life of this game.
2. Online matchmaking. This has been absolutely ridiculous, for at least the last several years. For example, my 20K RP shouldn't be matching me with 16 or 17K, or up against 24 to 30K. Also, I shouldn't be matched against couch potato teams, especially when paired with a random teammate or teammates. In EASHL, my opponents are a team, just look at their RPs and levels, while my team has a bunch of randoms that aren't even close to their RPs and levels. It's a fricken crap show.
3. I have not been a fan of the "X Factor" stuff, since its inception. In fact, both my player and goalie characters don't have any of this attached to them. I don't need a flashing light or indicator informing me that I made a save, skated by another player, etc. And personally, they're useless and constitutes enabling, because if you're good at this game, none of that stuff is necessary. Skill > crutches.
4. Bring back the pre-NHL 15 online lobbies. From my view point, either there's something wrong with the current lobbies, there's not enough of a player base, cross play failed, or all of what has been mentioned are contributing factors as to why the current EASHL lobbies are hit or miss for a full 3v3 or 6v6 game.
5. Outdoor rinks shouldn't always be an EASHL only playing surface. Also, enough with the bland jerseys. Why these changes were made, makes absolutely no sense to me. If some people were complaining about the previous indoor rinks, and NHL jerseys, that wasn't the majority. And even today, despite numerous posts about bringing those expected scenarios back, the minority still trumps the majority.
6. Although I've already referenced Chel bags, there has to be something done about the amount of goalie helmets/masks when you earn a goalie bag. I don't often get awarded a goalie bag, but when I do, a majority of it is goalie helmets/masks. And at this point, nearing P2-20 (I've had this game since launch, which shows how much time that I've put into this mess), I have far more Chel "gear" than I do actual branded hockey gear, clothing, etc. Of all the action and role playing games that I've played, including those from Ubisoft, Naughty Dog, and so on, this is by far the worst of them, especially when it comes to targeted gear and clothing. It's not possible in this game, because we don't have an option, and we're forced to accept random stuff that'll never get used. There's no store, no vendor, or anything else to fast track having your character showing the gear and clothing that you want on them. Although this is a bit of an exaggeration, the current system is archaic.
Ultimately, though, the fun factor is missing from this game. What I've mentioned above, at least from my view, is also what makes a game enjoyable and a pleasant experience. Furthermore, and personally, I've been gaming since the mid-80s, and I'm fully aware of what to expect from a game. At the end of the day, when I put my PS5 into rest mode, if I'm not looking forward to tomorrow's adventure in gaming, then the game isn't worth my time. Unfortunately, NHL 23 fits into the latter.
