Refreshing, but...
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the game. I think there have been several strides in the right direction here. I don't have much to complain about.
The ICE-Q is great, but feels slightly dramatic. It happens at some of the worst times and at times where it's not necessary which can be very frustrating. But it's great not seeing your own players run into each other every few seconds. I also love the skating improvements specifically at the blue line and it's even better when I can transition that into the skill-based one-timers. The presentation is nice, snow on the pads and jerseys are a nice touch...overall, it's pretty good.
But, the aggression in the game is next level. Regardless of how much I tweak the sliders, the opposing AI are relentless. My AI Teammates never win puck battles along the boards, can rarely connect passes due to the opposing AI's ability to intercept any and all passes...basically the slides being 50/50 or even is an astonishing advantage for the opposing AI. It's also frustrating when the opposing AI mirrors all of my movements when trying to shake off opposing AI. It feels like my player is a magnet for the opposing AI. And lastly, the goalies are still terrible.
