NHL 20

 PlayStation 4
User Score
3.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 156 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 156
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 156
  3. Negative: 92 out of 156

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  1. jason2123
    Sep 30, 2019
    3
    Don’t like the commentary.
    Why get rid of eddy o. and doc Emrick?
    Chelsea Dagger is still not in the game.

    Fans and players want to feel like their really at that game and scoring a goal hearing that song makes it seem more realistic.

    NHL 19 and 20 both are disappointing Ea sports should consider cutting some of the bs out of these games and give fans and players what they want!
  2. Zante34
    Sep 26, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I feel like I paid $90 CAD for what other game companies would call a downloadable update. The graphics have been largely the same for 5 years of this game. Instead we pay almost $100 for a roster update with minor tweaks. I wish I could return this game. Not surprising from EA though.… Expand
  3. Fetta
    Sep 30, 2019
    0
    Same game! Adding things that no one cares about, be a pro not even touched again. Only HUT for money making purposes is focused on
  4. 1_Jones_10x
    Oct 24, 2019
    0
    Pathetic. Just Pathetic by EA. Graphics are still **** Everything looks plasticky and glossy. The ice looks like nhl 94. Most notably the crease. Players bodies look skinny. Graphics have gotten worse since nhl 16. EA is lazy enough to bring back be a pro untouched, and make world of Chels new eliminators mode worse bc you have to keep playing to stay in your tier. They Can't even add allPathetic. Just Pathetic by EA. Graphics are still **** Everything looks plasticky and glossy. The ice looks like nhl 94. Most notably the crease. Players bodies look skinny. Graphics have gotten worse since nhl 16. EA is lazy enough to bring back be a pro untouched, and make world of Chels new eliminators mode worse bc you have to keep playing to stay in your tier. They Can't even add all the equipment players wear like the bauer re akt 95 and 150 helmet. All they did was change animations for goaltenders and shooting. Goal scoring is basically cross crease cheese or spamming one timers from the point. Skating is no longer physics based and there is no momentum in strides. Deking is still horrible. You can't do c cuts or 45 degrees or stride dekes like before. Old gen deking was the best. Playing online isn't fun at all. Glitchy and Hut is pay to win again. Facescans have gotten worse. Last year, every new player had their faces scanned had messed up helmets with their hair glitching and it tilting up on their heads. Now everyones head is tiny. Franchise mode is a fail, slow as hell, and is so unrealistic. We can't even upload custom rosters or game strategies.The entire game is an arcadic mess with unrealistic goals, penalties, and AI. yet people call it a realistic game. Having a penalty every poke check and stick lift attempt isn't realistic. It's garbage. AI is horrible. Especially on the special teams. Everyone just runs the 1 3 1 trap because your own ai will just skate into them instead of swinging to get open for a breakout. The camera angles suck. Theres no custom camera options. This game was hardly innovated at all. I want EA to see why we despise them as a company. Their greed for just a simple game update is beyond despicable. I live and die for hockey, and what they have done is create a game for the beginners who don't know hockey and just cheese the game.… Expand
  5. ThisGameIsAwful
    Nov 24, 2019
    0
    EA has once again managed to make an awful game worse. They clearly have no clue what they’re doing with the series. The gameplay is worse than last years, and has been consistently getting worse since nhl 17. They keep adding features to the gameplay to try to make it more like real hockey that don’t work. I find it hard to believe that such an incomplete team can still have a job. TheyEA has once again managed to make an awful game worse. They clearly have no clue what they’re doing with the series. The gameplay is worse than last years, and has been consistently getting worse since nhl 17. They keep adding features to the gameplay to try to make it more like real hockey that don’t work. I find it hard to believe that such an incomplete team can still have a job. They all should be fired. The series is directionless, their quality is worse than the 2k games that got ran out.… Expand
  6. ayrten
    Dec 13, 2019
    0
    Legend says that there are 50 people in Canada that are very poor at gamedev and knows nothing about the hockey. All of them works for EA.
    Yes, the've managed somehow to add new animations, introduced defensive skill stick but it's not helping. And they did it because you have to do SOMETHING to resell same game every year.
    If you are an hockey fan then you'll play it - because there's    Legend says that there are 50 people in Canada that are very poor at gamedev and knows nothing about the hockey. All of them works for EA.
    Yes, the've managed somehow to add new animations, introduced defensive skill stick but it's not helping. And they did it because you have to do SOMETHING to resell same game every year.
    If you are an hockey fan then you'll play it - because there's no way to go.
    And thats whats this game is about - rip some money from desperate hockey fans. Once by buying almost the same game every year, and second from ingame store.
    Yest, that game is pretty much Pay-To-Win nowdays - if you want to be competetive in HUT you have to pay extra. And pay for almost every new event or youl'l have to do a lot of heavy grinding.
    Pretty example: one objective is to earn 1000000 squad battle points, for each win on highest difficulty you can earn around 2000 points - if you win and if you win by 5 or more goals an small little extra. Each match is taking at minimum of 20 minutes. So, you need to spend 1666 hours of battling hardest CPU to get 4 collectible.
    And you need to spend 9 of collectibles to get card with good stats like 89+ OVR.
    Yes - almost 70 days of constant grinding and you still can't buy single best card.
    Don't forget that you will spend a lot of time in auction house. So HAVE FUN.
    Thats for HUT. Outside HUT there's still plenty of bad thins.
    Still, for years, 30% of time in game you'll be watching cutscenes - and most of them can't be skipped. Watching the same crowd every single faceoff makes mi sick.
    Pass Assistant should be be named "random pass disruption", learning how its works was an disaster when i was learning. I play mostly without them because sometimes closest player is one on the bench and you'll be passing nowhere.
    A lot of gamepley is directly connected to the animation system - even passing and changing players - and it's very unnatural.
    Yupe, the game is extremly unfriendly to all new players. Controls are instane if you play for fist time, ingame tutorial teach you almost nothing. Matchmaking sux as hell. I'm getting bored after scoring 5 in first period but most thinks "lets see if i can make 20:0", because 80% of players are playing this game for decades.
    I've started with NHL 15 and NHL 20 is last for me, unless game will be totally redesigned.    … Expand
  7. frazzefraz
    Dec 13, 2019
    1
    Nhl19 when its was new. Why not listen to the gamers. EA will nerver learn about there misstakes. I think they hate there customers.
  8. TakemymoneyEA
    Jul 3, 2020
    5
    The same game as previous. I love this game but please do smth. I think you need upgrade franchise mode
  9. Jay_Maple_Leafs
    Sep 26, 2019
    0
    EA puts little effort in improving the NHL series mainly because they don't need to because there is no competition and they know you'll buy it anyways since they are the only hockey game on the market.
  10. Mark7173
    Nov 2, 2019
    0
    Game is ridiculously stupid now. **** goals , blow outs... horrible . And please put it back to team play with the pro teams not like this stupid pond hockey crap !!!!
  11. MrDoom1986
    Nov 17, 2019
    0
    Same old stuff... ea making this a bs game as always. Skipped the last 3 years of hockey hoping they'd actually make it fun. Just a stupid pay to win game for HUT. Yay!!
  12. Zach_22
    Dec 18, 2019
    2
    Same old **** copy paste cash grab. For the love of god ea please give us connected franchise back. But since you guys dont listen to the community I doubt itll be back next year.
  13. Nixsonbee
    Dec 21, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I would like to say that this year nhl20 is beyond no good due to give and always and lack of the player being in the spot I set up and passes and 90%of the time gives it up to the opposite teams player and with saying that I am u happy and will not be buying my more of these games from ea sports
    Hope u find the tuen up you guys need to fix these **** game **** you ea sports    … Expand
  14. Muckedu
    Dec 26, 2019
    2
    Games slower then last year with passing and skating with noticable downgrades. Last year was actually good. It's a dont buy. Stupid game.
  15. Astar1
    Oct 1, 2019
    0
    The exact same game as last year and the year before and the year before. Come on EA!!!!
  16. Killstrike
    Sep 14, 2019
    4
    Avoid this game. I’ve put 12 hours into it and I’m going to switch back to playing NHL 19. The new scoreboard is terrible, the new play by play is terrible, and the new franchise mode is terrible. It’s just all around terrible.
  17. Lurch80
    Sep 27, 2019
    0
    A lot of things wrong with the game for one if you played one nhl game you've played them all only thing different is the roster .....penalties are one sided if a team is on a losing streak they are 100% going to beat you no matter what the dynamics of the game is absolutely **** zero is my rating for this hunk of junk
  18. Froudes
    Sep 11, 2019
    0
    Not much has changed from 19 few new menus new scoreboard. Goalies are a little better. Would like to see EA put more effort into improving the gameplay
  19. mikas
    Sep 13, 2019
    4
    Are you serious? Its NHL 19 with another color menu, new useless score line in the bottom of the screen and new voice of commentary. Nothing else. The same ugly menu and interface, same ugly jersey choice and ridiculous camera view after referee stops the game. I am so dissapointed, this is a spit to face of old NHL fans. GTFY EA.
  20. DrummBumm
    Oct 26, 2019
    2
    Very much like last years with a few new features added in. Again, the NHL 20 community is one of the cringiest out of any game community. The lack of common sense has dropped down to an alarming rate when playing drop-ins. If there was some sort of matchmaking system where I could play along with people that are capable of making normal decisions, this game would probably be rated an 8.Very much like last years with a few new features added in. Again, the NHL 20 community is one of the cringiest out of any game community. The lack of common sense has dropped down to an alarming rate when playing drop-ins. If there was some sort of matchmaking system where I could play along with people that are capable of making normal decisions, this game would probably be rated an 8. But, nope. Faceless selfish, cowards ruin this one.… Expand
  21. kaitgamer
    Sep 13, 2019
    9
    The gameplay is MUCH smoother and much better than last year. It's difficult to see it when others are playing and the graphics in general are not improved. But when you play the game you can feel it.. Shooting and receiving passes are the most improved. It feels much more solid on the puck and there are a huge number of new animations that make the gameplay feel better than last year.The gameplay is MUCH smoother and much better than last year. It's difficult to see it when others are playing and the graphics in general are not improved. But when you play the game you can feel it.. Shooting and receiving passes are the most improved. It feels much more solid on the puck and there are a huge number of new animations that make the gameplay feel better than last year. The modes havent changed much. The CHEL mode is just as much fun and the HUT mode seems to give you more packs without spending actual money. Be a Pro mode is boring, and franchise mode is pretty dry too but its better than last year as trading is easier and you can see what other teams will do. The gameplay is the thing here and it plays a great game of hockey.… Expand
  22. JazzieJeff1975
    Sep 12, 2019
    10
    Gameplay is much improved compared to last year’s game. New announcers are far from perfect, but a nice change. If you play EA NHL yearly, you should enjoy this latest edition.
  23. SaydaNeen
    Sep 13, 2019
    8
    The additions to '20 are good. It's not a brand new game that's has been in development for 5 years but the additions they have added are noticeable.
    PROS
    - Franchise + Legends; A little love to for the offline community with the additions to Franchise and Alumni teams. They dug deep in to the coaches, brought back a line chemistry system and seeing former players behind the bench as a    The additions to '20 are good. It's not a brand new game that's has been in development for 5 years but the additions they have added are noticeable.
    PROS
    - Franchise + Legends; A little love to for the offline community with the additions to Franchise and Alumni teams. They dug deep in to the coaches, brought back a line chemistry system and seeing former players behind the bench as a coach is much more immersive.
    - Goalies are smarter with their rebounds, haven't seen much wrist shots from a straight angle go in much.
    - I also noticed AI has slightly been improved, especially defense. Defense no longer takes their time when retrieving the puck behind the net, moves the puck a bit faster to get it out of the zone.
    - Puck pickups are definitely smoother, and definitely have noticed winning loose puck battles with the AI.
    CONS
    - As i said the D AI is better at moving the puck, well the Offensive AI when in the neutral zone likes to hold on to the puck while there is a clear path in front.
    - Goalies still have trouble with keeping a good save%. In offline I've almost maxed the goalie sliders to combat the issue.
    - Penalties have also been very common, not much different from '19, 4min/period game saw 12 penalties.
    - End result 8/10
    All in all I'm pretty satisfied with NHL 20. Not perfect, more can always be added, but with the work on puck pickups, Defense AI working a little harder (big pet-peeve in '19), goalie rebound control, loose puck battles being more even (big pet-peeve for the past 5 years), new additions to Franchise and finally bringing in Alumni Teams even though on the majority of them they are missing key franchise players it's a decent game, and fun. A little less frustration towards AI. I can support EA Vancouver for the work they've done this year, but more to be done!    … Expand
  24. SScholder1
    Sep 12, 2019
    10
    I've played enough of this game to know that there is a rating that can be given for people who actually want to know how the game is. These people who have brains that allow only two ratings ruin it for everyone else who can think and use their brain in a way that makes them seem older than 2 years old. To balance out the zeroes it's necessary to say the game is perfect for now . ButI've played enough of this game to know that there is a rating that can be given for people who actually want to know how the game is. These people who have brains that allow only two ratings ruin it for everyone else who can think and use their brain in a way that makes them seem older than 2 years old. To balance out the zeroes it's necessary to say the game is perfect for now . But maybe some other people can give a real review instead of explaining to everyone that they are a low iq keyboard user.… Expand
  25. Xavierdarche
    Sep 24, 2019
    0
    It SUCKS ass tbh
    Not worth the buy gameplay is horrible and glitchy and has been since NHL 15 I'd say
  26. Holeinmysoul
    Sep 12, 2019
    10
    This is far from a perfect game, but It's better than 19. Gameplay has improved quite a lot if you have been playing every year. The 10 is to balance every a****le that wants to review bomb and destroy what this plataform used to be.
  27. Kover4
    Sep 14, 2019
    10
    Giving a ten to offset all the zero and ones. Is the game perfect? No, but it has made enough improvements this year. Game seems faster, better presentation, better goalies, love but squad battles. I give it an 8.5
  28. slauka_omsk
    Sep 25, 2019
    7
    I took EA access subscription on PS4 to play 10 hours. For the network, I also took a ps4 subscription for a month. 4,5 thousand rubles per game is expensive for me, already burned at the ambiguous NHL19. I remember NHL14 took a new one for 2 thousand rubles. Would sell more copies at that price. About the ultimate team. First impressions are positive. You can play, your opponents turnI took EA access subscription on PS4 to play 10 hours. For the network, I also took a ps4 subscription for a month. 4,5 thousand rubles per game is expensive for me, already burned at the ambiguous NHL19. I remember NHL14 took a new one for 2 thousand rubles. Would sell more copies at that price. About the ultimate team. First impressions are positive. You can play, your opponents turn around. The compositions of the weather do not, although I was late with the release of the week by two. The gameplay is more interesting than at 19, the pucks finally fly into my net. In general, nhl is like nhl, nothing changes, as before on the PC from 06 to 09. It is good that they generally release something, so I would be bored. I am a fan of the game with NHL2003 (RHL-mod). But since now there is a subscription, I will tolerate it until the discount (in the 18th I did it on xbox one). Regards, (PSNprofiles slauka_omsk)

    Взял подписку ЕА access на PS4, чтобы поиграть 10 часов. Для сети так-же взял подписку ps4 на месяц. 4,5 тысячи рублей за игру для меня дорого, уже обжегся на неоднозначной NHL19. Помню NHL14 брал новый за 2 тысячи рублей. Продали бы больше копий за такую цену. По поводу ultimate team. Первые впечатления позитивные. Играть можно, соперники дают развернуться. Составы погоды не делают, хотя я опоздал с релизом недели на две. Геймплей поинтереснее, чем в 19, шайбы наконец у меня залетают в сетку. В общем нхл как нхл, ничего не меняется, как раньше на пк с 06 по 09. Хорошо, что вообще что-то выпускают, так мне было бы скучно. Я фанат игры с NHL2003 (RHL-mod). Но раз теперь есть подписка, то потерплю уж до скидки (в 18-й так и делал на xbox one). С уважением, (PSNprofiles slauka_omsk)    … Expand
  29. DemonShadow00
    Oct 3, 2019
    10
    Easily the best Hockey video game of this generation and its not even close.. The animations make the feel so smooth and realistic, HUT is engaging this year with all type's if different offline gamemodes you can build your team off of, and various other gameplay mechanics that make the experience the best of the franchise
  30. mr_jhnzn
    Sep 26, 2019
    7
    Picked up the '20 edition after staying away from the series for 6 years. Not really sure if it's a positive thing you can't immediately tell the difference between 2014 and 2020. Yes, you can jump right in, but also, is this all that has happened?

    The single player modes are still almost completely neglected - my favourite mode is be a pro and it gets new menu graphics every year,    Picked up the '20 edition after staying away from the series for 6 years. Not really sure if it's a positive thing you can't immediately tell the difference between 2014 and 2020. Yes, you can jump right in, but also, is this all that has happened?

    The single player modes are still almost completely neglected - my favourite mode is be a pro and it gets new menu graphics every year, that's about it. It's still painfully slow to play trough. There are weird freezes where the game is pending simulation between shifts. If you dare to simulate any games your team will lose them pretty regularly and your player will not be scoring anything. You can't start, build up a lead and then simulate the last periods. They've added some RPG-like elements but you still feel like it's the same game you have been playing for the last 10 or so years - it feels kind of like a household chore and I keep wondering why I play it. Can't really comment on the multiplayer elements as I'm simply not interested in online gaming but I'd suspect thats where the money is and also the development happens.

    Long story short; if you're looking for a hockey game, this is the only one, but I'm pretty sure I'm covered for the next 5 years again.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

90
#90 Best PS4 Game of 2019
54
#54 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 28, 2020
    80
    Don’t expect a revolution. Yet, it is a very good episode with a lot of improvements, which will be noticed when playing regularly. Whether it's a better puck shooting model, a more detailed manager mode or arcade gaming in CHEL mode. [Issue#300]
  2. CD-Action
    Oct 25, 2019
    85
    In terms of technical achievements, the game is almost flawless. Animations are fluid and natural, without the small stutters from the NHL 19 edition. Nevertheless all the new modes and details are not a revolution or even major changes. [12/2019, p.69]
  3. 4P.de
    Oct 8, 2019
    70
    At its core this is still a good hockey game. But it is streamlined too much towards arcade-action while offering basically the same content as last year.
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