NHL 13

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 69 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 69
  3. Negative: 12 out of 69
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  1. TheMarker_1
    Dec 5, 2012
    0
    Looking for a great present for someone this holiday season? Well look elsewhere because NHL13 is a complete waste of $60 and whatever it costs to fix anything that you broke because you were infuriated by this awful game. Now, I know what you're thinking, "Is this really a bad game or is this guy just exaggerating because he got mad at it once or twice?" Fact is, it really is a badLooking for a great present for someone this holiday season? Well look elsewhere because NHL13 is a complete waste of $60 and whatever it costs to fix anything that you broke because you were infuriated by this awful game. Now, I know what you're thinking, "Is this really a bad game or is this guy just exaggerating because he got mad at it once or twice?" Fact is, it really is a bad game--a terrible game, and I'll tell you why. Every year EA Sports spares every expense to make a new hockey game. Each game has a gimmick, something slightly different from the last version that makes it "better". This year's gimmick was a more realistic skating engine that was intended to simulate real skating physics. I bring this up because this was the ONLY improvement from last year. Now, what makes this game bad after EA took a big step in the right direction with a realistic skating engine, is the all new luck factor that EA put in the game. The luck factor insures that the team that plays worse will have a much greater chance of winning than the good team. For example, the team that tries to set up great plays will always be stopped by the goalie, that is if the defensemen don't stand them up on their way into the zone. On the other hand, the bad team walks past the computer defensemen and takes a bad shot that magically goes in. I can't tell you how many times my team has lost a game because the other team walked around our defense and scored on a shot that their goalie saved only minutes ago, or because they scored on a floater from the blue line. Also, the hitting is like something taken out of Batman when Batman hits Bane with all his might and doesn't even scratch him, while Bane sends him flying with the flick of the wrist. Constantly in this game I've gone full speed (my speed is 90 by the way) at a guy and didn't even knock the puck away when I hit him, and then he brushes past me and my guy literally flies up in the air and lands on his head. I could go on and on for hours about how bad this game is, but for the sake your wallet and the safety of anyone around you while you might play NHL13, just trust me when I say to avoid this at all costs.… Expand
  2. philcarbo
    Sep 26, 2012
    1
    Bugs, bugs, bugs! Bugs everywhere! This IS NOT hockey!
    The game is broken and EA as the nerve to say it was designed this way. People pays good money and they've got the right to expect at least a game that is working. How metacritic and IGN came to a score of 85 in their reviews tells me I shouldn't trust these sites much before buying a game! Thanks to metacritic tough for having a User    Bugs, bugs, bugs! Bugs everywhere! This IS NOT hockey!
    The game is broken and EA as the nerve to say it was designed this way. People pays good money and they've got the right to expect at least a game that is working. How metacritic and IGN came to a score of 85 in their reviews tells me I shouldn't trust these sites much before buying a game! Thanks to metacritic tough for having a User Score. Where to start?

    The menus are terrible. Not only don't they look good but they're slow. Speaking of slow, simulation takes so long you'd think it will never end! You'll need at least half an hour to simulate off-season in Be A Pro. New goalie animations are great. The thing is not every goaltender has the skill to pull them off. Well, not in this game... any 45+ rated goalie can make those saves. Also on perfect plays, the goalies always finds a way to stop the puck... but a soft wrist shot from the blue line and you get a goal! The new Ai. Opponent CPU's will almost always predict the play you want to make. On the other hand, your teammates have absolutely no idea. You can tell about one minute in advance when the opponent CPU will score a goal... They get in the zone, your teammates will instantly become stupid and will not want to touch the puck. Now the opponent CPU will make perfect passes in your zone for about 20-45 seconds, will shoot and will score. You will have no control over this. No matter what you do, you'll never get the puck back until they score. Be A Pro has always been an exciting mode since it was introduced in the game. Imagine making your place on an NHL team and become a legend! Now imagine that scenario in real life : you're on the first line, you've scored 20 goals and had 7 assists in the first 4 games of the season... Amazing isn't it? Not for your coach who will send you a message saying that your stats aren't good enough and puts you on the 2nd line. Makes sense to me! Not. Still in Be A Pro. There was a bug where when you simulated your **** you'd always get back during play, never at face-off time. EA fixed the problem with the last patch... now you never get back on the ice during play, always at face-off. Thank you EA.

    Poke-check. The number one weapon of this game is the poke-check. Since the new skating system makes it almost impossible to hit the puck carrier, there had to be another to get that puck loose. This other way is the poke-chek. And it works well. Too well in fact. It works when you're not even in range to touch the puck. It works through other players bodies. It even works through the net! So yes, if you want the puck, don't try to hit because it won't work. Don't try to lift the stick because you'll get a penalty 9 out of 10 times. Poke check! It always works and you'll get a tripping penalty about 1 ou every 50 poke check you make. Online matching system.
    Amateur clubs who just started playing can end up playing against high rated elite teams. Reminds me of that South Park episode where the South Park Pee-Wee team plays against the Detroit Red Wings.    … Expand
  3. petrynewborn
    Oct 31, 2012
    2
    The biggest problem with this game is the EA servers, they are totally overloaded if you live in Europe. Also has frame-rate issue with PS3. Not loading well on the machine and that gets really annoying. They probably tested the game much more on XBOX
  4. Charade
    Sep 18, 2012
    1
    Avoid at all costs! Easily the worst edition released in years. I've been playing it often hoping I'd get over it's flaws but it's impossible. The game play is much slower - just turning your player feels like a chore, handling your dman in your own zone is extremely frustrating - you're better off just standing in one place as a defensemen instead of moving into the corners where you'reAvoid at all costs! Easily the worst edition released in years. I've been playing it often hoping I'd get over it's flaws but it's impossible. The game play is much slower - just turning your player feels like a chore, handling your dman in your own zone is extremely frustrating - you're better off just standing in one place as a defensemen instead of moving into the corners where you're guaranteed to be blown by..I cannot stress this enough they have butchered this aspect of the game, one click boost is a bad gimmick, stick lift is useless, poke checking has changed a bit but I've gotten the timing down, etc. Some positives: goaltender movement and reactions have improved IMO, players automatically skating backwards is neat...that's all I can think of. I'm a hockey fanatic and have gotten EA NHL titles every year so it's not like I'm just entering the series. This is a TRASH title, EA.… Expand
  5. Cardinal
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Its disgusting that EA is allowed to release this product. They've taken NHL12 and made it worse. And NHL12 was bad to begin with. A total cash-grab, Don't listen to the journalists because they must've been bribed, no one in their right mind would have given that game an 8, to give it a 5 and above is just wrong.

    Lets hope that 2K gets another chance to make a NHL game, because with    Its disgusting that EA is allowed to release this product. They've taken NHL12 and made it worse. And NHL12 was bad to begin with. A total cash-grab, Don't listen to the journalists because they must've been bribed, no one in their right mind would have given that game an 8, to give it a 5 and above is just wrong.

    Lets hope that 2K gets another chance to make a NHL game, because with this on the market a new NHL game with better features is long over due. Its sad because us who love hockey is stuck with this horrible abomination. Don't buy it, buy it pre-owned or borrow it, hell, steal it. Dont give EA money for this garbage.    … Expand
  6. 2ksnipefest
    Jun 22, 2013
    3
    Graphics 9. Controls 2. Presentation 8. Fun 2. The controls are awkward and clunky. When you skate around it is slow. Hockey is fun and fast and this game gives hockey fans insulting content. Winter classic mode is the only good moment of the experience. Not worth more than $20.

Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best PS3 Game of 2012
77
#77 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
58
#58 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Armchair Empire
    Nov 10, 2012
    75
    All in all, NHL '13 is another solid game as we would come to expect from EA Sports; some areas for improvement that I would like to see personally but otherwise not a horrible way to spend the lockout.
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  2. PSM3 Magazine UK
    Oct 23, 2012
    91
    Think pinball FIFA and you're halfway there. A fast, frantic sports sim, with simple controls that belie hidden depths. [Dec 2012, p.104]
  3. Destructoid
    Oct 10, 2012
    85
    NHL 13, at its most basic level, is just fun to play when you get right down to it, even for someone who might only watch hockey during the playoffs and Olympics, or not at all.
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