Franchise Mode is Unplayable

The game is so obviously rigged against you that no amount of amazing plays on offense or defense will prevent you from losing. It’s as if you’ve pre determined the outcomes of games.

99% of the time, icon passing literally doesn’t pass to the button I press. I can not tell you how many times the 1-3-1 power play (which the teams never set it up on the ice correctly to begin with) is worthless because my icon passing doesn’t work. I’ve hit the X button to pass for a one timer across the ice, and literally hundreds of times now the pass just goes directly towards the net. Nearly 100% of the time I try to pass to the open man in front of the net from BEHIND the net, it’s a saucer pass to the point. And when I WANT to pass to the wide open point man from down low, the player passes to the person in the front of the net who is, by zero definition of the word, open for a pass. I’ve used icon passing for breakouts where the player literally passes to the wrong player. 

Now, back to how you can just tell the other team is going to score:

Multiple times a game my controlled players have literally responded like an opposite poll of a magnet to a puck. The game itself, has programmed my player to be unable to retrieve a puck for the sake of not being able to. Multiple times my player reacts the SAME EXACT WAY to the computer players. They just stiffen up with the puck and it has become a feature of gameplay that you have programmed into the game that makes contact with another player impossible. Then that player takes some weird shot that goes in. 

For whatever reason, you’ve given computer players the world’s greatest hand eye coordination. It is IMPOSSIBLE to clear the puck on a penalty kill unless you use that terribly designed puck flip mechanic that 9 times out of 10 doesn’t have enough strength to clear the zone ANYWAY because players are able to leap into the air to catch the puck. Also, when using the skill stick to shoot the puck down the ice, why on earth did you program the game where they ALWAYS shoot the puck DIRECTLY AT A PLAYER? 

I will, by every metric of the game, dominate the opposing team. And they will score 3 goals on 6 shots against an X Factor goalie regardless of how many people I body check to the ice. Not to mention, how many body checks do I need to land perfectly before my player takes possession of the puck? I’ve laid people out, and somehow, someway, they can seemingly take their time getting up, and STILL get possession of the puck that’s been at my players feet for 5 seconds? 

Your team is lazy. I’m aware enough to understand expectations of the NHL game every year. I’ve been buying them since 2006. This is the first game I’ve purchased where I sincerely, whole heartedly regret it. Don’t put out these elaborate, exciting posts about “we’ve listened to your feedback” anymore. It’s purposely deceptive. You’re leaving out the part where you’ve listened and made the absolute bear minimum adjustments to the game. 

I love the game of hockey. Maybe it’s time your team decides to love it again too.