Watched someone play NHL14 today and something I noticed..........everything in the gameplay of NHL 26 looks and feels clunky.
From the skating animations, stick movements, hitting, passing, goalie animations, collisions.......sad to see how the series has fallen so hard. I used to play NHL games for HOURS on end. Now after 1 game I find it a chore.
"More complex" Another word for worse lol. Series has gone downhill so fast. NHL games used to be fun. Now it's all silly gimmicks and crappy, clunky looking gameplay that isn't close to realistic ha.
Lots of us have fun with the game. If you're not having fun, then maybe take a break?
I have to admit that it took some time to get adjusted to the new gameplay after NHL 14. But in comparison the movements you are able to so is worth it.
But the balance of fun and realistic gameplay is tricky to manage.
"More complex" Another word for worse lol. Series has gone downhill so fast. NHL games used to be fun. Now it's all silly gimmicks and crappy, clunky looking gameplay that isn't close to realistic ha.
I did exactly that an played NHL 14 after not having fun with NHL 24. Than I tried 25 and played a bit with the gameplay sliders and started to love it. Other than tweaking the gameplay a bit really liked the far better skating and stickhandling which NHL 14 feels very much outdated at.
But the BAP mode was superior as you could play a full Junior season before draft and your draft rank changed over the year
I’d suggest actually going back and playing NHL 14. At first glance it feels smooth, sure but once you get your hands on it, you start to appreciate just how many layers of nuance have been added to the gameplay engine over the past 12 years.
NHL 26 is significantly more complex than ’14, and a lot of the perceived “downfall” of the series stems less from genuine gameplay failures and more from the increased responsibility the modern game places on players. That said, lingering bugs and a stale presentation certainly don’t help.
There are absolutely legitimate concerns out there, but there are also plenty of players who struggle with or simply don’t want to adapt to the added demands on both sides of the puck.
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