Same Old Game
Part of this is on me. I get my hopes that at some point EA will wake up and realize there is a passionate fanbase for the NHL series and they will actually take time and consideration in making a good game. But alas, here we are again with the same old junk year after year. Take this as you will, maybe you love the current state of the game.
I'll start with the positives, few as they may be.
New Scoreboard - I personally appreciate this. Last years was way to flashy, distracting and didn't offer much to the gameplay. Having it simplified at the top like a classic sports broadcast is a nice touch
Skating - I think the skating sees alot of improvements in this years game. The positioning of players is more noticeable and the flashy edge work and dodging of skates/sticks/etc is very fresh. Doesn't change the gameplay a whole heck of alot but its really nice.
Menus - While still not the best of any game out there, im very thankful the menus appear drastically faster and less bloated, especially online play. Less navigating, more playing is always better.
Franchise rework - Although most of it is visual, the new hub is extremely nice. Very similar to the menu point, less bloat, more play is always preferred.
HUT - While its not my personal favorite game mode, seems like they made some nice tweaks and people are enjoying it for the most part. Don't want to speak ill of it having not tried it
There are a few more positives from 24 but lets talk about some very obvious glaring issues:
Pressure System - Get this the F* out of the game. I have not seen one positive review about this since you implemented it, and 25 is the worst version of it yet. While not a fan at all, the end of 24 was at least bareable, albeit still annoying. But now, A simple big hit or fluffy shot will give them full pressure. Have you watched a hockey game in your life? Has a week shot from the point that gets deflected into the corner a REALLY HIGH PRESSURE scenario? Commmmmme on EA. pretend you know the sport for 5 mins.
Be A Pro - FIVE, FIVE YEARS of the same garbage crap. I refuse to believe there is too few players playing this game mode to justify not updating it AT ALL for 5 years. This is just lazy and pathetic. Its not even new voicelines, its just the same "OUR SCOUT UP WATCHING POND HOCKEY FOUND A NEW RISING STAR". Enough. Please do something different with it my god
World of Chel - Just redo the whole thing. The menus suck. The hockey bags suck, the store is slow and rarely works properly. The Loadouts are by far broken and the worst thing you've added to any game. I love playing against a 5 foot nothing guy who has 99 speed, can dangle and shoot, and can throw those lovely hip checks that you are so in love with. Really makes unique and fun gameplay when everyone does it.... While we are at it, thanks for removing group size matching and regional matchmaking. 120ping against people across the country is fun.
Announcers - Nothing against the people themselves, but my god they could be the worst choices for a hockey game. cebulski reading cheap, poorly written jokes year after year is endlessly annoying. I'd love not to mute them for one version. Whoever wrote "THEY ARE OUT HERE PLAYING D&D. DUCK & DIVE HAHAH" needs to look at themselves in a mirror.
Goaltending - As someone who has played goaltending from the moment it was added, the last 3 years have been awful. I ended up refusing to play last year because of how dogwater it felt to get scored on by the same 3 shots because your animations make zero sense. Now 25 has somehow outdone that with the AI goaltending. Please watch or at least PLAY your game for 10 minutes and tell me how the AI for goaltending made it into the game. The goals are week, boring and the same burst of speed past a defensemen to beat and utterly out for lunch goalie is ruining almost EVERY game, offline or online.
Ice-Q - ummmm. we did create something new here right? Because you sure hyped it up. Somehow the AI, specifically online got even worse. EVERY, and I mean EVERY play is a breakaway because your defensemen get stuck on the blue line trying to navigate the new skating you gave them. NOBODY gets into position for any sort of play. I'm lost at what is different from last year? Sure, I might be able to blow past D-men as McDavid, but Cody Ceci? I can literally take any slow dman, skate with speed burst and get past everyone for a breakaway almost every single time I try, and this is on Superstar BTW. Feels like there are no difficulties when every single play is the same.
Price - This is useless to bring up but whatever. Every single triple A asking for 89.99 for a base game, or X amount more for early access is getting exhausting. If I didn't have a discount I wouldn't have gotten this game, but granted I make content for it, I felt inclined. But NHL 25 is beyond a joke. Should you buy it, that's up to you, but please watch some reviews/videos for it. It is VERY much a "DLC" vibe from NHL 24. Not alot changed, its a bit flashier, but its the same exhausting issues that the last few versions had. I'm in Canada, and the Deluxe version is 139.99 Before tax. What you get is 7 days early, a handful of garbage customization for Casual Online Skater, and some HUT stuff (which as mentioned before, I, Nor alot of people don't even play). EA should be ashamed of this price. It is far from worth, and far from an improvement of 24.
Having said all of this, I hope your experience is better than mine, and near release, they make some much needed changes. At this point, I cannot recommend this game to anyone, let alone feel inclined to play it much myself. I have once again fallen for the hype they overpromised, and very very strongly under delivered. There's always next year right? (A hopeless leafs fan)
