Bush Hockey League

Old Time Hockey is as bush league as it gets – from a desire to represent that mirrored by the size of V7 compared to the gargantuan EA Canada. It’s occasionally rough around the edges, but in ways that usually elevate rather than hinder it. Questionable design decisions aside, Old Time Hockey is great fun — a reason to invite a friend over, crack a beer and dive back into the good ol’ days.

While unpolished, Old Time Hockey offers a lot for fans looking for an experience outside of NHL.

Talk about a piece of media that can capably transport the player directly into the 1990s of ice hockey games, Old Time Hockey does exactly that. From the one-colour loading screens, to the sound effects, right down to the chosen font, Old Time Hockey is a fun yet flawed experience. In a time where many developers are looking back to the 1990s as inspiration for their games, Old Time Hockey stands out as one of the success stories.

As long as you’re not expecting a simulation heavy, photo-realistic experience, you should find something to enjoy in Old Time Hockey.

Old Time Hockey has all kinds of great ideas, and with a few more updates it might even get to a place where it lives up to what its creators intended to do. Right now, however, you're better off finding a way (legally or otherwise) of booting up Blades of Steel or NHL '94.

While there are some real qualities in OTH, the deficiencies in gameplay and relatively low replay value make it a hard sell even for the virtual hockey fan who is looking for a knock-down, drag-out, arcade hockey title.

Old Time Hockey is not a game we'd suggest for your own game library. The controls are cumbersome and the AI is not good enough. By the way, the OST is great.

Old Time Hockey by and large was a disappointing experience. On paper, it had potential to be a good game. But as a finished product it is disappointingly held back by wads of jank and unpolish, and a few too many half-baked features.

Old Time Hockey is not great. While it's not as bad as the 2016/2017 Colorado Avalanche, the game still has a whole collection of problems. Most of the elements of gameplay feel either unpolished or just poor, but the game's overwhelming charm and low price-point make it more palatable than it would otherwise be.

Whether it's laying out big hits or scoring satisfying goals there's some fun to be had with Old Time Hockey. It just takes too long to get to a place of enjoyment, and even then doesn't negate the underlying issues and otherwise lack of content despite a reasonable $12 price point.

What you’ll find in Old Time Hockey is a lovingly represented homage to the sport’s yesteryear that is soured by a paltry paring of modes and a challenge which a newcomer like me has found too steep. Take this score with a pinch of salt if you’re experienced and want to see something with a little more personality than the NHL license. Just don’t expect to sink much time into it.

Regardless of which mode you play, expect to suffer through several crashes. I experienced more blue screens on the PS4 than any other game I’ve played this generation.

Unfortunately, classic arcade flair and humor-filled story and loading screens can only carry a game so far. Old Time Hockey is definitely trying to fill a spot that hockey-fan gamers know exists, but the dragging controls and other in-game inconsistencies leave it far from the mark. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted to enjoy the game more than I did; I’m a hockey fan, and an alternative to the almost-identical yearly churnings from EA is something I’d love to get my mitts on. Sadly, it seems that Old Time Hockey spent more effort in trying to claim its niche than in doing it well.

Old Time Hockey is a slog that tries to masquerade as a pick up and play arcade hockey title. Throughout the main campaign you feel like you’re dictated to play in a particular way instead. The devs have done everything right with the presentation and the commentary yet slipped up in creating a fun game. Arcade hockey games from a decade ago, even two decades ago, laid the perfect foundations to build upon but it feels like the devs of Old Time Hockey wanted to dig those foundations upon and build a series of poorly signposted office blocks where the ice rink used to be.