I’ve seen a lot of people saying things like “I think NHL 25 could really be a good game”. For your own sake, please lower your expectation.If you think about it, what do we even know about NHL 25?We do know we’re getting new game presentations, but only in rivalry games. Also, these presentations won’t be realistic, which is the only thing the community asks for.We do know player AI is getting an improvement. However, as seen in the gameplay deep dive, the AI players are still just skating around with no plan on the ice and it’s all just a big mess.Some people want an updated franchise mode, which actually will be coming this year, allegedly. We are less than two weeks from release day and still no news about the “new” franchise mode, which probably will just be a slight change in the menu.I don’t know what you think, but I’m pretty sure we can expect the same cutscenes in Be A Pro. For how long have they used these cutscenes? 5 years in a row maybe?These are just some of the reasons why you should lower your expectations on NHL 25. Myself, I won’t be buying the game. If we all don’t buy it, EA will get the wake-up call necessary to develop a game that is actually ok to play.

Why is it "players should lower their expectations" and not "EA should lower the price"??

Yes, but I do agree with TTZ_Dipsy and others that have mentioned the NHL 15 "vibe". For whatever reason EA seems to be playing everything regarding NHL 25 very close to the vest. No beta. The gameplay reveal was very short and light on details. The presentation reveal even more so. We're nine days out from the ( very expensive ) early access release and we still don't have any hard dates on when the franchise or HUT info is coming.It gives the impression that the dev team is struggling to get everything ready for the release date and can't commit to any information because they're not sure what's actually going to be ready. The only other option is that this is a deliberate marketing strategy. If that's the case, it's a failed approach.

I have bought each NHL game, even preordered each year. This is the first time since I can remember that I have literally NO HYPE for the new release. I know the NHL franchise hasn't been great, I am a Franchise mode player who dabbles in BAP (I put about 400 hours a year), and this year I feel like I will continue with NHL 24, or maybe even buy the best PS4 version to play. I just want full presentation and better record keeping. Oh and I DO NOT want to hear about a kid playing pond hockey......

fredrika97 wrote:EA will get the wake-up call necessary to develop a game that is actually ok to play.The game is okay to play in its current state. That said, the current marketing of NHL 25 does not seem to be exciting the fanbase. Of course, that's kind of always been the case but this year's lack of information is reminiscent of NHL 15, which was a sore spot for the franchise.

Agreed with the lower expectations. Anyone else find it interesting that we didn't get a beta? I can't be the only one thinking that....

Why you should lower your expectations for NHL 25

DannytheTemp
Seasoned Newcomer
2 months ago
Why is it "players should lower their expectations" and not "EA should lower the price"??
- NeonSkyline21
  Seasoned Vanguard
  2 months ago
  Huh? That's just straight-up illogical. Why would they lower the price of a AAA sports game? You may not have realized that video game pricing, especially at the AAA level, is pretty much a convention. The only thing that would cause EA to lower the price of one of their sports games is if a minuscule number of people purchase the game at launch. In that case, they might discount it heavily.
  Lowering your expectations seems like the obvious thing to do after so many years of minor innovation and failure to meet the community's vocal expectations. Do you know what my expectations are? "A hockey video game that allows me to play against other players in 1v1 online versus play." That's it. I don't expect much else at this point.
Bahamuta
New Adventurer
2 months ago
I have bought each NHL game, even preordered each year. This is the first time since I can remember that I have literally NO HYPE for the new release. I know the NHL franchise hasn't been great, I am a Franchise mode player who dabbles in BAP (I put about 400 hours a year), and this year I feel like I will continue with NHL 24, or maybe even buy the best PS4 version to play. I just want full presentation and better record keeping. Oh and I DO NOT want to hear about a kid playing pond hockey......
- NeonSkyline21
  Seasoned Vanguard
  2 months ago
  Welp.. you're DEFINITELY going to be hearing about that "pricey pond hockey" my friend. I apologize sincerely.
KidShowtime1867
Hero
2 months ago
fredrika97 wrote:
EA will get the wake-up call necessary to develop a game that is actually ok to play.
The game is okay to play in its current state.
That said, the current marketing of NHL 25 does not seem to be exciting the fanbase. Of course, that's kind of always been the case but this year's lack of information is reminiscent of NHL 15, which was a sore spot for the franchise.
- NeonSkyline21
  Seasoned Vanguard
  2 months ago
  EA Sports seems even quieter than normal this time around, which I can't take as anything but troubling. Confident teams talk about their games.
  I've vowed never to pre-order a Battlefield game again after 2042 (go figure... another EA mess) but even EA DICE seems to be confident in their pipeline this time as they've talked about doing community-wide playtests starting during the beginning of 2025 (which is at least many months before the game's release date).
Nammer604
New Traveler
2 months ago
Agreed with the lower expectations. Anyone else find it interesting that we didn't get a beta? I can't be the only one thinking that....
- NeonSkyline21
  Seasoned Vanguard
  2 months ago
  It screams "we're not confident in our game" to me. Confident teams show their game. Lots.
- admiral745
  Seasoned Hotshot
  2 months ago
  I have asked about the lack of Beta many times. All video games do Betas, it acts as a test run to hammer out flaws, also drives excitement, so weird not to have one. Seems like they have a reason, but none seem like good reasons.
Justianhael
Seasoned Novice
2 months ago
Microtransactions rule everything in the gaming world ..everything ..that is all the developers focus on is how to get players away from modes where there are microtransactions ( make ch5çel menus confusing and slow for example) and put new features and quick easy menus in HUT to attract players there to make money..Be a pro will never get revamped. I'm sure in 10 years it will still be pricey pond hockey ya got there in the opening scene. It's all about getting players to the micro transactions game modes instead of developing a good game. Once you see that and look at it like that you will see all the little tricks companiesz pull.
- NeonSkyline21
  Seasoned Vanguard
  2 months ago
  I wouldn't exactly put that on the devs. That might be a producer thing/publisher directive. I can guarantee you the rank and file who are actually programming the game/creating the art assets/etc abhor that their work is a glorified casino at this point.
TTZ_Dipsy
Hero+
2 months ago
I'm getting 15 vibes from this so, Goose, I wouldn't recommend that; $500 American dollerydoos is too much for any one game, let alone NHL lol.
- EA_Aljo
  Community Manager
  2 months ago
  We're not starting over with 25 as we did with 15. That game obviously didn't have the features we have now as a lot has been added over the last 10 years. I of course can't go into specifics for 25, but this is not the same situation as 15.
  - PlayoffError
    Hero
    2 months ago
    Yes, but I do agree with TTZ_Dipsy and others that have mentioned the NHL 15 "vibe". For whatever reason EA seems to be playing everything regarding NHL 25 very close to the vest. No beta. The gameplay reveal was very short and light on details. The presentation reveal even more so. We're nine days out from the ( very expensive ) early access release and we still don't have any hard dates on when the franchise or HUT info is coming.
    It gives the impression that the dev team is struggling to get everything ready for the release date and can't commit to any information because they're not sure what's actually going to be ready. The only other option is that this is a deliberate marketing strategy. If that's the case, it's a failed approach.
jlnhl2001
Rising Novice
2 months ago
I’m now convinced that “realistic” to you guys means the experience you’d get by actually going to a game in person rather than a real TV broadcast.
- Bruins063
  Seasoned Traveler
  2 months ago
  tbh it should be the combination of both
GooseGaggler
Seasoned Rookie
2 months ago
All your complaints are valid. I can't disagree. The teammate AI somehow just got broken somewhere along the line.
I am excited for NHL 25, though, and I'll tell you why.
NHL games were my go-to game for decades. I bought the genesis cartridges from NHLPA years up until 94, when I switched to the far superior PC versions. I eventually bought PS3 and PS4 consoles specifically for NHL games.
The product from 15-17 were so bad that I just quit. I didn't understand how the game could degenerate from 14 on PS3 to the new generation so much. 3 years in a row of terrible added gameplay "features", aspects of franchise mode no longer making any sense at all (I'm a franchise player), and, despite leaps in graphics capabilities, it seemed like fewer and fewer players actually looked like the real life player (I was spoiled by PC NHL in which almost every player had their IRL photo mapped to the in-game sprite).
I don't know that there's a more disillusioned life-long fan than the one who just ignores the franchise for 6 releases.
All that being said, when NHL 24 came to cloud gaming I decided to try it out. It's brought me back. The gameplay gives me the old "anything can happen" vibe, that I had found lacking for years. Custom League is the greatest thing to happen to franchise focused players. It's not perfect, but I find it to be greatly improved on the years that drove me from the game.
There were things I hated about 24, no doubt. AI teammates playing like atom level house-leaguers, creation zone still hasn't improved nearly 10 years on (all I ask is that if you're going to make us use logos designed by 10th grade art students, you have a play-by-play name that matches it in some way), AI GMs in franchise mode over-value their players in trades by about a million percent... I won't go on...
I'm on the very edge of buying a console so that I can get into NHL 25 properly. I don't know if 25 will ever come to cloud gaming on Game Pass, and I don't want to wait 8-10 months to dig in.
- NeonSkyline21
  Seasoned Vanguard
  2 months ago
  I can't fathom how offline-only players play with NHL24's AI teammates. They are incredibly bad at playing offense. Especially when you player-lock. No cutbacks at the half boards, no creation of space, etc etc. It's a struggle to watch.