NHL 21

 PlayStation 4
User Score
2.3

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 159 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 159
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 159
  3. Negative: 126 out of 159
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  1. FTProtocal
    Oct 26, 2020
    4
    I can't give it a 0, and it certainly doesn't deserve anything higher than a 6 ... I flipped back and forth between a 4 and a 5, and it's a 4 for me. It's essentially a copy paste of NHL 20, BUT ... that doesn't make it a 0, either, as they have done a bit of work on it, but nothing to write home about, and there are still critical flaws in the game that haven't been touched (and theI can't give it a 0, and it certainly doesn't deserve anything higher than a 6 ... I flipped back and forth between a 4 and a 5, and it's a 4 for me. It's essentially a copy paste of NHL 20, BUT ... that doesn't make it a 0, either, as they have done a bit of work on it, but nothing to write home about, and there are still critical flaws in the game that haven't been touched (and the removed Draft Champions!!!).

    It's like putting makeup on a pig at this point, it's still a pig, it's just a slightly nicer looking one.

    The Be a Pro mode presentation is nice and it's about time they added this. But ultimately, the gameplay itself is still garbage. You are literally being asked to carry your team and be the Superstar; playing actual positional hockey with and as a TEAM ... forget about it, it's literally the exact same garbage AI as previous years. They will consistently make (and not make) the most asinine plays they possibly can. There are literally too many issues to mention, and the root cause, let's be honest, is because EA simply does not know how to program the AI to properly play with a human player; the opponent AI is ALWAYS remarkably better than your own AI, even on 'Pro' difficulty you'll essentially be carrying your team as they bumble about, attempting to make what can only be described as ages 3-5 'Peanuts' level hockey plays. Just one silly example: a 3 on 0 down low in front of the net has developed, AI has the puck behind the net, I'm Center and our LW is (remarkably) where he should be. The RW skates out from behind the net, has two CLEAR options for a pass, the LW is a simple tap in ... the RW instead opts to slam the puck directly into the goalie's pads as if that was clearly the best possible option at that moment - good job.

    The new moves are fun, and I've yet to see anyone successfully complete any of them outside of the more practical 'bank' and 'self pass' (behind the net), and slip deke (near boards) moves. But ... those are useful and props to EA for adding those in!

    The game does feel better overall, especially when picking up the puck and making a quick move in the other direction, it's more 'fluid'.

    CHEL ... all I can say is, at least they didn't put a pond back in with shadows that effectively ruin the entire game experience ... in the words of the Angry Video Game Nerd "what were they thinking?!?" last year. there's a new sync feature prior to puck drop, that seems to have helped with the 'games not counting' bug that's been plaguing CHEL since ... forever ... I can't say for certain if that entirely resolved, however, as I do believe of the 30 or so games I've played, at least one of them did not count.

    I haven't and do not play HUT, so my 4/10 has nothing to do with that mode and does not factor into my rating whatsoever. We all play NHL for our own reasons and modes.

    The goalies are just as ... whatever as they have been in previous years. They do seem to be slightly better 1v1, but the cross-crease passes, omg ... ez. So yeah, as a lot of people have mentioned, this game needs an overhaul of sort from the ground up, the AI as a whole needs to be redesigned, and they should start with goalies. Admittedly, it must be very difficult to program AI, but at this point it needs to be better, as a whole.    … Expand
  2. BradD94
    Oct 17, 2020
    4
    Improvements to Be a Pro are welcome but long overdue. Still a large gap between NHL 21’s career mode and a game like NBA 2K or FIFA. Still plenty of bugs and kinks that need to be worked out there Other modes feel bare without any improvement from NHL 20. For offline and specifically franchise, there is still no roster share which is a staple of every sports game. The rosters the devImprovements to Be a Pro are welcome but long overdue. Still a large gap between NHL 21’s career mode and a game like NBA 2K or FIFA. Still plenty of bugs and kinks that need to be worked out there Other modes feel bare without any improvement from NHL 20. For offline and specifically franchise, there is still no roster share which is a staple of every sports game. The rosters the dev team have put out are not very good and many prospects are missing due the team not having the NCAA and KHL licenses. If a user wants to have a realistic franchise, they must edit the rosters and create the players themselves. Still missing the All Star Game and Winter Classic. The latter is confusing because there is outdoor gameplay in other modes and the Winter Classic was in the game last gen.

    Online modes haven’t really been touched and need some depth. The new ranking system for WoC really isn’t a major upgrade on what we had in CR, both seem like they don’t accurately depict a players performance and go too much off wins and losses. Community is still plagued by trolls, no kick feature to remove them from the game    … Expand
  3. DrummBumm
    Oct 29, 2020
    4
    Unfortunately, this is one of the games I keep coming back to, simply because I'm decent at it and have fun when on an aware/unselfish team. It's too bad that rarely happens. If you play this game for EASHL drop-ins, it can be torturous. Selfish a$$holes constantly calling for the puck if a CPU has the puck for .01 seconds, while they're double covered, leading to turnovers and frustratingUnfortunately, this is one of the games I keep coming back to, simply because I'm decent at it and have fun when on an aware/unselfish team. It's too bad that rarely happens. If you play this game for EASHL drop-ins, it can be torturous. Selfish a$$holes constantly calling for the puck if a CPU has the puck for .01 seconds, while they're double covered, leading to turnovers and frustrating goals against. Most of the people you get teamed up with don't care about winning or passing, just getting their touches in which typically leads to a neutral zone turnover. Most people have no issues embarassing themselves, which is pretty sad. I would really like to see these people in real life so I can laugh at how pathetic they are overall. Anyways, other than that, the game is very similar to last years with a few new moves added along with an upgrade in Be a pro. Certainly not worth the $60 price tag. My advice is only get this game if you're in a good club that plays often. If you're relying on an enjoyable experience with randoms in drop-ins, then get ready for an anuersym because the stupidity of anonymous players is incomprehensible and downright scary.… Expand
  4. ty92
    Jan 15, 2021
    4
    The game comes with the worst gameplay sliders ever. You have to play with these when playing against people. So the online is a 0/10
    Franchise mode is solid once you adjust all the gameplay sliders. Franchise mode is all I play and give it a solid 8/10. Check youtube for gameplay slider videos
  5. Maplexo
    Oct 14, 2020
    4
    It's unfortunate, honestly. The hype seemed to be there at first for this game, but it still feels like most NHL games from the past, like I could play NHL 20 or even NHL 19 and be satisfied with that, even with new BAP or Franchise Mode features. Not really worth buying, and HUT is still pay to win.
  6. Gremn
    Oct 15, 2020
    4
    Basically NHL 20 but with broken features. Game is already out and the roster hasn't yet been updated. Be a pro has been improved but is far from perfect. EA will surely fix the issues it has eventually but I'd expect the game to be fine at launch. See you at NHL 22?
  7. jclark1448
    Dec 18, 2020
    4
    I always play the NHL games for whatever stupid reason I can't even figure out. I just love hockey too much and EA is holding the entire fambase hostage by not allowing anyone else make a different game like 2k. I cannot tell you how many times the AI will get away with interference or tripping while I just played a game where I got no PPs and the opposing team was given 15. **** FIFTEEN.I always play the NHL games for whatever stupid reason I can't even figure out. I just love hockey too much and EA is holding the entire fambase hostage by not allowing anyone else make a different game like 2k. I cannot tell you how many times the AI will get away with interference or tripping while I just played a game where I got no PPs and the opposing team was given 15. **** FIFTEEN. It doesn't matter how good your goalie is, if you're winning they will let in 6 out of 15 shots while you score 4 on 40+ I want franchise mode to be good again and this just isn't it. Stop supporting HUT, all it does is tell EA to only focus on that and **** over the literal entire rest of the game. Its still a game that you can turn your brain off and play though so I'll give it that. **** EA… Expand
  8. Warlok9
    Jan 10, 2021
    3
    As a fan of NHL games since the original NHL on Sega Genesis, I have mainly enjoyed this franchise over the years until the 2010's and beyond. It's around then that some very glaring gameplay issues began. Im going to base these findings on leaving the AI and Difficulty at the level that matches the online experience, because that is the default way the game SHOULD be played.

    I will not    As a fan of NHL games since the original NHL on Sega Genesis, I have mainly enjoyed this franchise over the years until the 2010's and beyond. It's around then that some very glaring gameplay issues began. Im going to base these findings on leaving the AI and Difficulty at the level that matches the online experience, because that is the default way the game SHOULD be played.

    I will not get into all the different gameplay modes here. My focus will be entirely on the gameplay experience itself in a standard match against the computer or online PVP. The huge issue with this game is the AI controlled players (especially defenders) are able to perform a plethora of actions that are simply not available to the human controlled players.

    Here is a list of those actions:
    1. grabbing (open ice)
    2. clutching (open Ice)
    3. Using one hand to grab the jersey from behind and the other to poke check the puck away from a player that was clearly a step or two ahead and accelerating away
    4. Recover from poke checks, body checks, stick lifts, board play in ways that are unavailable to human players
    5. The ability to chain these "unavailable" actions together in extremely quick succession

    The other annoying thing is the way in which AI controlled players perform actions the human players can also perform. Let me give an example. If you poke check or stick lift in this game you will get a penalty called more than half the time, even if you time the use nearly perfectly and use it only when there is zero chance of hitting the opposing players skates, such as head on or right in stride with them (as instructed to do in the tutorial).

    When the AI uses the stick lift or poke check, they can do it with uncanny accuracy, and from any position, even when chasing from behind by a step or more. And the effectiveness and range of those poke checks is insane. You can be a full two body lengths away from an AI defender and they perform what I call a "ghost check" where they were clearly out of range of the puck but the puck just magically is magnetically drawn away from your stick to theirs.

    Body checking is another area where AI controlled players can land crushing or extremely effective checks on you with little regard for momentum or direction. Even when you control an elite level player at full speed the AI grunt can catch you from behind, grab your player somehow, then body check the puck away, and take possession of the puck going the other way all in one swift maneuver.

    What I've described is barely scratching the surface of the issues, but to me these are the most frustrating, bang your head against the wall issues with the game. And its been this way for like a decade now!

    Its is EXTREMELY frustrating watching AI controlled players perform game altering actions that you cannot!    … Expand
  9. GamingMess
    Feb 15, 2021
    3
    A copy and paste version of NHL 2020 with a few annoying changes. The most annoying of these changes is the AI and the way it spams poke checks. Regardless of the AI position relative to your position, including behind you, the AI will always manage to steal the puck from you! It's as if the AI has sticky hockey sticks. This becomes old very fast and draws no penalties either when thereA copy and paste version of NHL 2020 with a few annoying changes. The most annoying of these changes is the AI and the way it spams poke checks. Regardless of the AI position relative to your position, including behind you, the AI will always manage to steal the puck from you! It's as if the AI has sticky hockey sticks. This becomes old very fast and draws no penalties either when there should be a tripping penalty when it's done in this manner. Speaking of penalties, every time the AI goes on a power play they are almost guaranteed a goal against you. This was on Pro difficulty which translates to about medium difficulty.
    I own NHL 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Save your money and get NHL 2020 if you want a better experience because NHL 2021 is inferior in so many ways. The only things NHL 2021 has to offer are new moves, updated roster, crappy music and player modes that don't qualify for a brand new game, but rather an update for an already existing one. I definitely regret buying this game and WILL NOT be buying anymore EA NHL games until they put in new actual content and rework the gameplay. Until then I'm stuck with a digital copy of a game that I don't even want. What a complete disappointment as I should have listened to the negative reviews.    … Expand
  10. Jt9711
    Oct 16, 2020
    3
    What a waste of money. I've bought every NHL game since 1994 and this will be the last. Franchise mode is broken. Unless you go in and manually set region and players your scouts will not evaluate players leaving you with zero information for the draft

    Be a pro, for all they added within 30 minutes it's already repetitive and boring. HUT is the same as always. You spend the game    What a waste of money. I've bought every NHL game since 1994 and this will be the last. Franchise mode is broken. Unless you go in and manually set region and players your scouts will not evaluate players leaving you with zero information for the draft

    Be a pro, for all they added within 30 minutes it's already repetitive and boring.

    HUT is the same as always. You spend the game defending one timers and odd man rushes. No resemblance of real hockey to be found.

    Chel-seems okay, not my thing.    … Expand
  11. Deathmetalhippy
    May 19, 2021
    3
    They really should do is release the game and then you could spend 9.99 for a yearly upgrade.

    But there is no upgrade. This game has actually gotten worse. Yeah they added a couple dekes for the kids to Master, but the game is just trash. I think NHL 94 was better. 2019 was smoother. People float around like they are on stilts. The goaltending is absolutely horrendous . Most of the    They really should do is release the game and then you could spend 9.99 for a yearly upgrade.

    But there is no upgrade. This game has actually gotten worse. Yeah they added a couple dekes for the kids to Master, but the game is just trash. I think NHL 94 was better. 2019 was smoother. People float around like they are on stilts. The goaltending is absolutely horrendous . Most of the games score is 8 to 7 game or 9 to 8. If you don’t use a human control goaltender the game isn’t even worth playing because the goalies are so stupid. They have no rebound control the same exact goal scores every single time. LOL even within the same game they don’t learn. You can score of the same go for or five times in a row. Even when you win it’s boring. The goalie doesn’t learn from his mistakes within the same game! I don’t know how a game actually gets worse year after year but somehow they managed to do it.

    Yeah let’s just make the computer ridiculously stupid so humans have to play. This game is worth 9.99 at best    … Expand
  12. Dsteve2
    Sep 17, 2021
    3
    Same old bouncing puck. Same old clueless defensemen. Same old “Chel”. This game is fun to pick up and then quickly put back down.
  13. Samzig
    Oct 22, 2020
    2
    It's exactly the same as 3 years ago. On top of that they removed features like international games.
    What do the devs even do with their time?
  14. CanuckZero
    Oct 15, 2020
    2
    Its a poke check, cross crease onetimer spam fest. Everything feels so arcadey, The fancy boy dekes can be performed by any player, which is dumb. Who would have thought Wendel Clark can score Michigan style. NHL 20 is way better IMO. HUT is such a grind as per usual. Feels like work. No fun to be had here.
  15. Zeitgeistler
    Apr 23, 2021
    2
    Somehow they manage to copy the same game they released previously whilst still making it worse..kudos not an easy feat. Announcers make me want to play on mute, and gameplay "additions" are garbage. I'm done, won't buy another NHL game until it's noy produced by EA.not
  16. MedxIn
    Oct 14, 2020
    2
    They deserve a 2 Just because they revamp the be a pro and that it... Garbage game! #NHLdropEA
  17. Latinorakastaja
    Oct 24, 2020
    2
    Just a roster update. They should change the online-game matchmaking system. Why would i like to play opponent with bad connection, or against same team. But, there is no another hockey game in the world, and that's why this game is same every year.
  18. ChuckB3430
    Oct 26, 2020
    2
    I have never felt compelled to write a review before. I have become the snob I hate. But this game is absolutely trash. The gameplay is virtually the same with a few noticeable tweaks. Players still take passes while skating backwards, goalies are still the dumbest player on the ice(with the exception of defensemen in some situations), and coaching doesn't affect anything.

    I don't play    I have never felt compelled to write a review before. I have become the snob I hate. But this game is absolutely trash. The gameplay is virtually the same with a few noticeable tweaks. Players still take passes while skating backwards, goalies are still the dumbest player on the ice(with the exception of defensemen in some situations), and coaching doesn't affect anything.

    I don't play HUT or EASHL because I don't want to pay money for packs and hopefully get a decent card that way. Micro-transactions are what is killing gaming and killing what makes them fun. EA Sports is the king of this crap, and it needs to stop. I mainly play offline modes like Franchise and Be A Pro. People like me get the short end of the stick every year because we don't want to spend more money than we already have buying the game. This review is mainly about franchise and be a pro, which again, come up short this year.

    Franchise:
    -Once again, the Stanley Cup presentation is the exact same thing as years past. Love seeing the Cup being passed to random 3rd liners that didn't contribute to anything. Let us actually lift the Cup, not see 3 people do it and call it a day. Please revamp this.
    -Trade values are off, I was able to trade a top 6 exact defenseman at 79 overall for a 1st round pick and a medium elite prospect. Trade values need to be fixed. Overall's need to be fixed to. Drew Doughty being a 91 overall player while Erik Cernak being a low top 6 78 overall player just proves that no one at EA watches hockey and goes off what they did last year. It's an incomplete roster update, which is the only thing new sports games are usually bought for.
    -The sim engine is terrible again. I love winning the presidents trophy 4 years in a row and losing in the first round every year. What is the point of building an unstoppable team for 82 games and then all of a sudden they don't know what goal is which.
    -Speaking of playoffs, can you make it seem like a bigger deal than currently presented?
    -Record book is bugged. 3 years in some random goalie(most of the time Jordan Binnington) becomes the all time leader is goalie games played as well as overall games played. Goalie stats are always terrible in the sim engine, and now the goalie stat bugs carry over into the record book.
    -Still no all star game. EA Sports makes a huge deal of NHL Three's and you can't add a 3-3 All-Star game? Joke.
    -Trade logic is still off. Teams still signing free agents and offering them to you in a trade 3 days later. Smart A.I.
    -Trade deadline is pretty cool. However, free agency is still the same. You can add a Free Agent Frenzy mode, copy and paste the trade deadline mini game and tweak it to free agency. Still not able to rescind offers or even see if the player is interested in signing with you. You just have to offer and hope. All other sports games show you player interest. Let us have a try-out option for some free agents as well. Something that happens in the real world that has never been added to a video game before. EA loves copying and pasting, why not do it for something actually cool.
    -The Draft is still the same. Make it seem like the draft is a bigger deal than it actually is.
    -Coaching and chemistry are the same and was an okay add last year.
    -Let us see other teams jersey's and captains. We could do that on old gen, but can't this time. An entire generation of console didn't have half the small features that made last gen fun.

    Be a Pro:
    -You all realize this is NHL14's Live the Life but this time with animations, right? It took EA an entire console generation to just get back to the last game used on old gen. It's a joke.
    -It gets repetitive, lack of things to do, same in-game situations over and over. It isn't fun anymore by the time you get to year 3.
    -Speaking of year 3, you get to become a free agent. Yay! It's the same thing as the last few years! You can be the best player since Gretzky, be a free agent and you'll get 2 teams offering you 1 or 2 year deals. Are you kidding me? Change it! Make it seem like you give a crap! And don't lecture me on how "they revamped the whole mode! of course they care!" They don't. Like I said, its the same as NHL14 but with animations. That's it.
    -You can buy a luxury car though and get a stat boost, that's cool I guess.
    -Still can't see any other team. Just yours. Can't see team jersey numbers or choose yours. It's just the same every single year and its disheartening.

    Random side note: soundtrack sucks. Again. NHL used to have the best soundtracks ever. Now on natural instinct I go to the settings and change it to the menu music.

    To close, sorry for ranting. But I needed to say it. EA Sports just takes and takes. When they "add" its only repackaged old game modes presented as new and revolutionary. Its just sad at this point. I don't have any faith in this game franchise or the company to give hockey fans a genuinely good product. I hope they prove us all wrong.    … Expand
  19. JayMall
    Dec 27, 2020
    2
    I've never been compelled to review an NHL series game before, but EA has forced my hand. There are countless things wrong with this game, and as is tradition, EA remains staunch in doing absolutely nothing to remedy the issues that plague this series. I've purchased NHL every single year since 2011, and this is by far the worst instalment I've ever played.

    1. AI: Despite EA's marketing    I've never been compelled to review an NHL series game before, but EA has forced my hand. There are countless things wrong with this game, and as is tradition, EA remains staunch in doing absolutely nothing to remedy the issues that plague this series. I've purchased NHL every single year since 2011, and this is by far the worst instalment I've ever played.

    1. AI: Despite EA's marketing of all new improved AI, the CPU controlled players are seemingly worse than ever. Unrealistic routes, complete lack of awareness on changes (frequent changes while playing defence on the rush as well as your own offensive players changing right before you make a pass in transition), no ability to pick up sticks or bodies in front or off face-offs, and a total lack of ability to enter intelligent, supportive positions in the offensive zone.

    2. Goaltending: Again, despite EA's assurance that the goaltending is all-new and improved, goalies still get beat by the same 3 shots: cross-creases/back doors, the 'scoop shot' (skate to middle and shoot back across the grain), and off rebounds.

    3. HUT: Typically the reason I buy the game every year, HUT is an absolute disaster. Player and team synergies have completely limited the amount of roster creativity or freedom players are accustomed to in HUT. Certain synergies (distributor, howitzer, spark etc.) have also artificially inflated the prices of players who aren't worth anywhere near their market value. HUT rush is gimmicky and the rewards are never worth the time required to move up the ranks. The removal of seasons in favour of rivals and champs has made all 5v5 online play a sweaty, non-relaxing playing experience; there simply isn't an option for casual online play with your actual team anymore.

    4. Gameplay: The "new and improved" skating mechanics feel sloppier than ever. Transition skating is still broken, vision control doesn't have the impact it should. Online gameplay is a combination of cross-creases, ragging (players skating around their own zone once they're winning), and every player employing a trap that completely nullifies offence. Games often end up something along the lines of 7-6 with only ~15-20 shots per team. Ice tilt is also beyond obvious this year.

    5. Online Servers: Don't even get me started. EA servers are an absolute joke and I'm in a highly populated eastern time zone. Regularly have 150download and 70+ upload speeds and still experience hitching, lagging and error messages resulting in being removed from the game.

    6. Horrible player likeness: EA, as is tradition, refuses to actually put any semblance of effort into player likeness. William Nylander has looked like the same generic nobody for 5 years. They only make a few dozen players actually look like their real-life counterpart. They don't care whatsoever about making prospects accurate or player ratings reflect their previous season. It's an $80 roster update. As usual.

    7. Menus: Menus haven't changed since NHL 18. Still beyond slow.

    8. Music: Music is a collection of artists nobody has ever heard of besides the Arkells. No awareness of their crowd.

    Won't be buying NHL 22 right away for the first time in any edition since 2011. EA has a ton of work to do to make next year's edition remotely worth buying.    … Expand
  20. HappyTendy
    Feb 5, 2021
    2
    I've played every single NHL since the late 1990s and they've always had the same issue since online was a thing, I'll give you an example. I've been buying some packs, and playing quite a bit and I haven't had much luck in getting good cards my best player is an 87 McDavid and 87 Crosby everyone else is under 87 and when I try and matchmake I'm always paired up with these 1995 overallI've played every single NHL since the late 1990s and they've always had the same issue since online was a thing, I'll give you an example. I've been buying some packs, and playing quite a bit and I haven't had much luck in getting good cards my best player is an 87 McDavid and 87 Crosby everyone else is under 87 and when I try and matchmake I'm always paired up with these 1995 overall teams it's not fair with 90 overall Gretzky's and every line has a 90 how is that fair when they're skating around you. This game needs to work on matchmaking and take your overall team rating and pair it against another team with the same overall it's not fair when I'm an 85 overall against the 93 overall team

    And the easel has its own problems the big glitch goals the one-timers crashing the net there's no way you can stop the puck even when I'm Square some rest shots from the point are so slow but when you're the goalie you can't even catch it and make a save even when you're Square doesn't make sense it's like you're a minor league player in the NHL they need to strengthen goalies.

    The gameplay is fun and I'll probably continue to play it but not competitively because it's just not fun when I got to play against a Gretzky and all these vintage superstars on my team isn't there yet but yet the matchmaking puts me against these guys not fun.    … Expand
  21. Makaveli
    Oct 27, 2020
    1
    I skipped out on NHL 20 and bought this one and I'm disappointed and this is coming from someone who mainly plays BaP. Yes they changed BaP but it gets super repetitive very quickly and you cant even play in the juniors for a full season. When on Ice coach will basically ask you to do 1 thing and you have a choice to score a goal or keep the pressure. It actually gets to the point whereI skipped out on NHL 20 and bought this one and I'm disappointed and this is coming from someone who mainly plays BaP. Yes they changed BaP but it gets super repetitive very quickly and you cant even play in the juniors for a full season. When on Ice coach will basically ask you to do 1 thing and you have a choice to score a goal or keep the pressure. It actually gets to the point where the new feature gets annoying because you get the same questions from coach, the same from media and eventually you'll be pressing buttons to try and skip these but you cant skip them. These games dont deserve good scores, they do the most rudimentary things and since people who buy this series are used to mediocrity they think it's good because for once they change a tiny thing, eventually they will get rid of features and then bring them back again in 10 years and call it "new"... I just wish other companies were allowed to make NHL games because EA sucks.

    here's an example of a "glitch" I found too. I had to play Boston and I made a promise to score against "a very hot Tuuka Rask" but Boston didnt use Tuuka Rask in the game so I got penalized for not scoring on Rask....

    EA doesn't deserve our money.    … Expand
  22. Acoomoo
    Jan 2, 2021
    1
    Five years ago, I started an account on Metacritic to defend EA's NHL Series. I gave the game a 10, praising it's fun factor and rewarding gameplay.

    Fast forward to today...every element of fun has been sucked out of this franchise. I play it, and question my sanity. People just want to have fun, right EA?! What have you done to the game I've loved since 1994? The answer is, you've    Five years ago, I started an account on Metacritic to defend EA's NHL Series. I gave the game a 10, praising it's fun factor and rewarding gameplay.

    Fast forward to today...every element of fun has been sucked out of this franchise. I play it, and question my sanity. People just want to have fun, right EA?! What have you done to the game I've loved since 1994? The answer is, you've ruined it. I'm sorry for my unforgiving stance, but those that are responsible for this mind sucker know what they've done.

    Long review short... 5 years ago -- 10/10
    Today. -- 1/10 *Just look at the user score!    … Expand
  23. majesticsquid
    Nov 17, 2020
    1
    The discrepancy between the "Metascore" and the "user" score is quite telling.

    I decided to post a review because NHL 21 is the worst NHL game for playstation I have ever played and I wanted to add some feedback. The other users clearly agree with me becauase the game is sitting at a generous 2.6 rating (it's trash and not even worth that) No effort goes into the NHL franchise anymore,    The discrepancy between the "Metascore" and the "user" score is quite telling.

    I decided to post a review because NHL 21 is the worst NHL game for playstation I have ever played and I wanted to add some feedback. The other users clearly agree with me becauase the game is sitting at a generous 2.6 rating (it's trash and not even worth that) No effort goes into the NHL franchise anymore, and the rating reflects this.

    NHL 21 is a bad game. Plain and simple.

    The Metascore however is frighteningly high (at a 72 right now) I've bought more than a dozen NHL games over the years and this version is a 2 or 3 out of 10. A grade of 30% would be generous for NHL 21. The Metascore's are truly pathetic, and they must be getting paid to inflate this terrible games sad rating.

    Personally EA couldn't pay me enough to PRETEND like this game is a 72/100, or even average. NHL 21 sucks, this game just really sucks.    … Expand
  24. Joe1927
    Dec 26, 2020
    1
    This game is a carbon copy of NHL 20. They really put the least amount of effort in this game to change it in any way. I wasted $60 on this game, so I will be returning it. The menu system is confusing and the same as the last one. They did nothing to change anything, and it shows with the lack of quality.
  25. BriscoeG
    Oct 24, 2020
    1
    Please change the next game. Everything needs an overhaul. It's just so so bad! Either improve the sim, or make it arcade style.
  26. SammyDelicious
    Nov 17, 2020
    1
    I have bought every NHL game since 1999.

    This one was the worst. NHL 21 is not fun. I recommend buying an older version instead. (Preferably on sale, because NHL 20 isn't great either) Better yet just don't support EA by purchasing their games anymore. If EA can't and won't respect their customers then why should their neglected customers keep buying their games they put no effort and    I have bought every NHL game since 1999.

    This one was the worst.

    NHL 21 is not fun. I recommend buying an older version instead. (Preferably on sale, because NHL 20 isn't great either)

    Better yet just don't support EA by purchasing their games anymore. If EA can't and won't respect their customers then why should their neglected customers keep buying their games they put no effort and no care into?

    This game is proof EA doesn't care about their fanbase. And definitely doesn't care about making their NHL franchise a better, or fun playing experience.

    WARNING ⚠️ DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!    … Expand
  27. Gregmynin
    Oct 18, 2020
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Copy and paste copy and paste copy and paste. That's pretty much all EA does with patch notes for a full game price. Finally people are starting to wake up… Expand
  28. jackwm
    Oct 16, 2020
    1
    I learned the hard way today that you can't return games you've already downloaded on the Ps4. It's the same exact game you've seen years in years past from EA. And frankly, it's a polished turd. The gameplay is absolutely horrid as usual. The board play is awful, shot blocking system is awful, you get bumped off the puck too easily along the boards, AI goalies still act the way they didI learned the hard way today that you can't return games you've already downloaded on the Ps4. It's the same exact game you've seen years in years past from EA. And frankly, it's a polished turd. The gameplay is absolutely horrid as usual. The board play is awful, shot blocking system is awful, you get bumped off the puck too easily along the boards, AI goalies still act the way they did in past iterations, the list goes on. Goal horns are still inaccurate, when players score you see the same stupid double fist pump celebration, and player likenesses are still completely unacceptable. I played NHL 2k10 recently and it's honestly still a better game than anything EA has made in the last 10 years.… Expand
  29. Tipex
    Oct 18, 2020
    1
    Imagine failing to do a copy paste job...
    Everthing new is purely cosmetic. The BAP mode is ruined, sure toy can start in Euro but hey it's only for the playoffs.... Which is as most 5 games. They removed the whole mode of being able to play in the juniors.... You don't "earn" the right to be drafted 1st overall. The coach keeps bugging me mid game about "challenges" and teammates keeps    Imagine failing to do a copy paste job...
    Everthing new is purely cosmetic. The BAP mode is ruined, sure toy can start in Euro but hey it's only for the playoffs.... Which is as most 5 games. They removed the whole mode of being able to play in the juniors.... You don't "earn" the right to be drafted 1st overall. The coach keeps bugging me mid game about "challenges" and teammates keeps bugging me with stupid things like going bowling.... And it's all purely text based.

    Franchise mode is the same, although they managed to have glitches in it... D-men's chemistry is shown as forwards. The 3 on 5 PK is screwed because the left D position is supposed to be a Center and vice versa.
    The new trade deadline is kinda cool, but still flawed.
    And the AI as usual is still bad
    Only thing they care about is Hut.

    NHL is generations behind other games such as MLB, NBA and even Fifa    … Expand
  30. Trigg
    Oct 25, 2020
    1
    Not being a fan of any of the Hut modes or online, the main thing I’m a fan of is the franchise, and it’s still essentially the same thing repackaged for the last few years. Not worth it for an updated roster basically.
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Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 32
  3. Negative: 2 out of 32
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Nov 15, 2020
    80
    It looks fantastic, with animation delivering the TV-standard realism EA always aims for2 while offering gaming cues for eagle-eyed players to spot; using the stick skills to shuffle keepers out of position for a slap shot will leave you wide-eyed and fist-punching the air. See, that Nicolas Cage opener paid off. [Issue#182, p.160]
  2. GAMINGbible
    Nov 9, 2020
    80
    NHL 21 is a brilliant hockey game combining excellent controls, an engaging Be A Pro story mode and the quickfire HUT Rush arcade mode - as well as the opportunity to engage in the odd scrap to let off steam. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a newcomer to Ice Hockey, NHL 21 will most certainly tick all the boxes.
    Read full review
  3. PLAY! Zine
    Nov 4, 2020
    45
    NHL 21 is almost the same game like NHL 20, with few added additional features to few of its modes. Absolute cash-grab for a yearly roster update and another microtransaction filled unsatisfactory experience.
    Read full review
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