NHL 18

We will puck you: the new 18th iceage delivers the best NHL game for years.

While NHL 18 still features that pristine, refined gameplay with plenty of game modes to jump into, it still needs that special something to keep itself relevant with the changing times. Despite that, NHL 18 has enough to keep any hockey fan enthused for months.

It feels like deja vu when you’re playing an exhibition game in NHL 18 because it’s very very similar to NHL 17, but that’s not a bad thing. If you’re a fan of the NHL and you buy this release annually, this review isn’t going to tell you anything to prevent you from your purchase. If you listened to my review last year and picked up NHL 17, as a casual fan who doesn’t pick up every release, this year is probably going to be a skip. There’s just not enough of a change year over year. Threes is a fantastic new mode and a way to enjoy some arcade style hockey (and would be perfect on the Switch wink wink), but it’s just not worth a $60 investment for a casual fan. Die hards will have a blast with NHL 18 and Threes is just an added bonus to what is already a tight, feature packed hockey power play.

Personally, I am still not completely happy with how the gameplay feels.

A pile of news that does not change the basics but extends the game in a way you can easily find your hockey. It's not worth the cup, but it´s worth the presidential trophy. [Issue#278]

If not for the addition of a new - and surprisingly enjoyable - game mode, this iteration of the NHL franchise would've felt exactly like its predecessor.

The gameplay feels familiar, yet revamped to address some of the issues fans have with previous iterations.

The established ice hockey series overcomes itself with new NHL18. Players get a great deal of news, such as Skill Stick for defense, 3-on-3 game mode, or the ability to build their own team. Thanks to the extensive training blocks, you can simply absorb all these new features with existing ones. The NHL is therefore an ideal opportunity for new players to enter the series. Not to mention the fact that all fans must have it.

So, in the middle year of EA’s much-ballyhooed three-year redevelopment of the NHL franchise, things are coming along nicely. New players will have to work to get up to speed, as much as the game tries to help them out, but hardcore puck nuts will find themselves going deep into overtime with this one. The almost overwhelming numbers of ways that the game can be played means that it’s one that will definitely keep you going way past the finals.

Like most US-centric sports games NHL has a reputation as an acquired taste, but really it shouldn’t be. It’s a thrilling, accessible sim of a thrilling, accessible sport, with the varied online and offline modes you’d expect from an EA Sports game, plus a real slap shot to the back of the net in the form of Threes. Bring on the Frostbite engine and an equivalent to FIFA’s Journey mode, and EA might have a classic sports game on its hands. As it is, it’s still absorbing and a lot of fun.

NHL 18 may not win every scrum in the corner or go top shelf with every shot it takes, but it still shows enough grit and hustle to earn your respect. The new offensive and defensive tools are welcome additions on the ice, and the entertaining Threes mode could become a party staple for hockey fans.

I hope that EA prepares something big for next years’ ice hockey. Because otherwise I cannot really understand why the improvements and charges are just very marginal.

New dekes, revamped defence, and a breezy Threes mode - lots to enjoy, but the clock's ticking for a revamp. [Nov 2017, p.70]

NHL 18 is a good game, but I’m biased; even I know that there is little in it that’s new, and NHL Threes isn’t enough make it worth buying. There are great details that I love. The gameplay is fast and tough and takes work to master. But hockey is in danger. It’s in danger of falling behind baseball, football, and basketball in the gaming world, just like it’s lagging behind in real life.

EA Sports delivers a great hockey game that evolves to be more and more realistic every year. NHL 18 is entertaining, fun and a must-buy for all the hockey fans.

Not all of NHL 18's additions are equally successful, with the expanded depth of Franchise Mode overshadowing the flashy but unrewarding NHL Threes. The series continues to offer a good hockey simulation, and while the hardcore and those who play online will be satisfied, there's probably not enough here to make it worth the upgrade for casual fans of last year's edition.