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. Tsizzle2012
    Sep 17, 2012
    6
    From a 2003-present consistent EA NHL buyer, this year's version is quite a disappointment, but not a failure. The new skating system is decent, but extremely frustrating at times. The game has slowed down tremendously, and the momentum physics make it incredibly difficult at times to maneuver your players on simple passes and routes. As far as checking goes, body checking has improvedFrom a 2003-present consistent EA NHL buyer, this year's version is quite a disappointment, but not a failure. The new skating system is decent, but extremely frustrating at times. The game has slowed down tremendously, and the momentum physics make it incredibly difficult at times to maneuver your players on simple passes and routes. As far as checking goes, body checking has improved from '12, but stick-checking has taken a massive, giant leap backwards. Stick lifting is utterly useless, and poking is inconsistent and awkwardly animated.

    +Positives: Tons of modes, realistic movements (particularly shooting), rating system
    -Negatives: body/stick checking is VERY awkward, skating    … Expand
  2. aspentitan
    Sep 22, 2012
    6
    I've amended my score from a 8 to a 6 because after one short week EA decided they did not have enough faith in the new play engine and they toggled gameplay as close to last years version as much as possible. With that comes the horrid momentum engine which abolishes the whole meaning behind the stats of each player. So now players all feel the same again and the game is no longer hockey.I've amended my score from a 8 to a 6 because after one short week EA decided they did not have enough faith in the new play engine and they toggled gameplay as close to last years version as much as possible. With that comes the horrid momentum engine which abolishes the whole meaning behind the stats of each player. So now players all feel the same again and the game is no longer hockey. Avoid this game it is now no more than a roster change from NHL12 with slightly more animated goalies. My old review was as follows:

    NHL 13 is an extreme evolution over both NHL 11 and NHL 12. I must admit I got my wish they have decided to remove the horrid momentum engine from previous NHL's and just rely on stats of each individual player. When you crack open this game you can really feel the difference between the individual players, no longer are they all the same and controlled by some fake momentum engine which controls the big picture. Now, you are fully in control of building your "RPG" team, do you decide to go with quick and nimble players who will get pushed around or do you go with slow moving brutes. At least this year the game has allowed you to be in control of what happens on the ice and as a player strategy and vision will be key. EA has definately headed in the right direction and this is a must own. I'm not prepared to give this game higher than 8 at the moment however because the game does show some typical problems of EA rushing out games. I'm an owner of the Stanley cup collectors edition and it came with codes for packs, both codes say they were successful but packs are not anywhere to be found. You also get EA pucks for logging in daily and logging in today, the second day, free pucks are not given out. There also seems to be a bit of a problem with AI receiving the puck. For a rebuilt engine it is frustrating that some design remnants of past versions exist. Now that they made the players individual again, it was not necessary to keep some patch scripting from previous editions. All in all though this is a solid title. It stands out alone from any past version of NHL and I can tell you NHL 11 and NHL 12 in my house just became dust collectors, because this version EA succeeded in making gameplay the most important aspect and this year it is fully in the players control. You now can make a grinding team or an elite team which can skate fast but thats about it, or any type of team your heart desires. For this I am gratified towards EA. I always thought the game should be tuned by the players stats and go from there, and that is exactly what has been built. No longer will it be possible to make a player like Chara a dangling machine or St. Louis a powerhous checker. In this version the name on the back of the sweater will be believable. Hopefully balancing remains throughout the year but for now it does seem what I would expect and I am proud to say I am on board with this years similation (so far). Room does exist for improvement, it seems fighting is now gone (i could be mistaken) and the arenas look like a high school dance rather than a packed coliseum. But gameplay is key for my beyond anything else and clearly this game shines in that area.    … Expand
  3. Gamer_007
    Oct 7, 2012
    5
    NHL 13, is an ok game, but there is absolutly nothing fabalous about it, it just doesnt ring a bell, ther graphics arent so entertaining to me, it is alittle dissapointing because other EA`s sport games improved, like FIFA 13.
  4. Vodkaphile
    Nov 15, 2012
    5
    There are indeed some positives to draw from the latest installment of the EA NHL franchise - the skating is incredibly improved, a proper deke is extremely effective, AI goaltending is also greatly improved. However, the huge downside hits the people that like the physical side of the game. The fighting is still laughably done and incredibly unrealistic, the end-of-fight animations (allThere are indeed some positives to draw from the latest installment of the EA NHL franchise - the skating is incredibly improved, a proper deke is extremely effective, AI goaltending is also greatly improved. However, the huge downside hits the people that like the physical side of the game. The fighting is still laughably done and incredibly unrealistic, the end-of-fight animations (all two of them) are awful and (again) unrealistic, hitting is insanely horrible this time around with the new physics system not able to handle the old checking system (it's not uncommon to hit someone and have them bounce, tumble, or go airborne in a way that is physically impossible) and that's not to mention that hitting people to begin with is an experience comparable to catching flies with chopsticks.

    I cant count the amount of times I simply bounced off of a player when hitting him at 100mph awkwardly as if the game couldn't register what had just happened, not to mention using the hip check button to deliver a check to the groin of an opponent with your face is more effective tenfold than using the actual hit button.

    The stickplay is also weak, poke checking is weak, lifting sticks is near useless, and the game still suffers from cape syndrome - where you get the puck anywhere near the net and 5 players and the bench too are draped on you like a cape, making you unable to pass, shoot, or do anything until Zdeno Chara hulk smashes you into the ice and injures you for 8 weeks.

    One-timers are still clunky and near impossible on classic controls, and the animations on most players that aren't A-level are hilariously inaccurate.

    Overall the game has much, much room for improvement, but the fact that certain systems of the game that are hurting have been unchanged for years shows EA is content to let the franchise stagnate into mediocrity.    … Expand
  5. tbagurdrumset94
    Nov 8, 2013
    7
    NHL 13 continues EA's slow progression to the "perfect" hockey sim. There are lots of great ideas here that were executed in a less than stellar fashion. Good stuff first. As usual, Be a Pro had me hooked; it's always been my favourite part of the series and it's at its best here. I've never felt more in control of a goalie's saves than I did in NHL 13. The Goalie controls use a fantasticNHL 13 continues EA's slow progression to the "perfect" hockey sim. There are lots of great ideas here that were executed in a less than stellar fashion. Good stuff first. As usual, Be a Pro had me hooked; it's always been my favourite part of the series and it's at its best here. I've never felt more in control of a goalie's saves than I did in NHL 13. The Goalie controls use a fantastic anticipation system that goads a player into shooting on an slightly open part of the net... before I snatch it away with a quick glove or blocker save. Very satisfying. Be a GM mode is as solid as ever, and never really needs to be changed, in my opinion. Now for the not as good. The skating system is good for the most part, but there are a few weird physics issues with the boards and other players in general that pulled me out of the experience. Hopefully they refine that. My biggest disappointment with NHL 13 was GM Connected. The menu interface was clunky and slow, and I was actually unable to join another league after my first one ended... not sure what happened there.

    Also, EA needs to change the playoff celebrations. Winning the cup and winning the first round shouldn't have the same animation; there should be a different animation for each round of the playoffs.    … Expand
  6. Papuniitti
    Jun 16, 2013
    7
    First of all the true performance skating is horrible and unrealistic and it takes a really long time to stop the player. The second thing is the bugs, when you hit someone they start to fly and then bounce on the ice. It looks pretty funny but it still is a major bug. Third thing is that the goalies make ridicilous saves by jumping to the puck in a split second and it gets annoying whenFirst of all the true performance skating is horrible and unrealistic and it takes a really long time to stop the player. The second thing is the bugs, when you hit someone they start to fly and then bounce on the ice. It looks pretty funny but it still is a major bug. Third thing is that the goalies make ridicilous saves by jumping to the puck in a split second and it gets annoying when you get loads of onetimers in a single match but none of them go in. The best part of the game is the GM-mode, but it has a little thing that seems to annoy lots of people. I am talking about the simulation time, it is annoying to just sit and wait the game to simulate from the draft to the start of the season. Last time i played the GM-mode the simulating from the draft to the regular-season took 30 MINUTES! I hope EA would give a about the quality of the game not the amount of money it makes.… Expand
  7. Michaelb
    Sep 4, 2013
    7
    The game has excellent controls and a wide variety of game modes, but many technical glitches, a few poor design choices and at times questionable a.i keep this game from reaching greatness.

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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