NHL 22

 PlayStation 4
User Score
3.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 35 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 35
  3. Negative: 24 out of 35
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  1. hamiltonreview
    Oct 18, 2021
    10
    Updated review:
    I’ve now upgraded to a PS5 and have been playing ‘22. The game seems to have been built for PS5 and not PS4. I love it on PS5! It took some getting used to but now I think it’s the best NHL game to date and I’m looking forward to 23 on PS5 as well. I am skewing my new score from a 1 to a 10 because of the system difference and all the bad reviews.
    — Early review for PS4:    Updated review:
    I’ve now upgraded to a PS5 and have been playing ‘22. The game seems to have been built for PS5 and not PS4. I love it on PS5! It took some getting used to but now I think it’s the best NHL game to date and I’m looking forward to 23 on PS5 as well. I am skewing my new score from a 1 to a 10 because of the system difference and all the bad reviews.

    —
    Early review for PS4:

    The graphics are far, far worse than the really good graphics in 21. Frostbite must mean slow and dying. The menus are slower, the cards are uglier, the gameplay is worse by a mile than 21 and the cut shots and camera angles are bizarre.    … Expand
  2. Straitos
    Jul 19, 2022
    0
    just the same game with zero improve a maj at 89.99 $ a **** game made to earn money on your back don't buy this thing go buy a real game
  3. sticky13
    Jun 17, 2022
    1
    I purchased NHL from 93 to 2012 until it got a little too samesy in the later years.

    I decided hey, why not play 2022 with a buddy who has continued to play it all these guys. Without missing a beat, I beat him. This only proves that this game is at its core, no different than 2012. 10 years, and virtually no progress. The CPU AI hilariously bad. They have given up on trying to    I purchased NHL from 93 to 2012 until it got a little too samesy in the later years.

    I decided hey, why not play 2022 with a buddy who has continued to play it all these guys. Without missing a beat, I beat him. This only proves that this game is at its core, no different than 2012. 10 years, and virtually no progress.

    The CPU AI hilariously bad. They have given up on trying to balance single player, as they use hacky little physics gimmicks to get a result based difficulty, rather than a gameplay difficulty. But once you find the hacks around the bad CPU, a win is guaranteed every time.

    Online it looks like this HUT is just a cash grab. Embarrassing from a game studio to stoop this low for taking money from their small fan base. The player data base is reaching at this point with of a lack of good ideas, with fog of war and this odd potential system. But honestly, what are these developers supposed to do with a 12 month cycle.

    The graphics were decent-ish. Assuming due to its Frostbite jump from the ignite engine. And the front end took a robust set of options and data and presented it nicely, albeit sluggish on my PS4. For these two I give this game a 1.    … Expand
  4. ty92
    Feb 24, 2022
    0
    The gameplay is so stiff.. I only bought this game for the updated rosters. But gameplay wise I would much rather play NHL 15. NHL 15 on PS3 is actually really good. It's better on PS3 than PS4 for some reason. All the NHL games on PS4 have bad gameplay. EA needs to stop making sports games and actually need to just stop making games in general. NHL 22 is so garbage. They owe so manyThe gameplay is so stiff.. I only bought this game for the updated rosters. But gameplay wise I would much rather play NHL 15. NHL 15 on PS3 is actually really good. It's better on PS3 than PS4 for some reason. All the NHL games on PS4 have bad gameplay. EA needs to stop making sports games and actually need to just stop making games in general. NHL 22 is so garbage. They owe so many f****** gamers money. They literally owe people money because they stole from them. That's how bad EA games are.… Expand
  5. Rct8787
    Dec 2, 2021
    0
    Trash game, from a trash series, from a trash company, just put your half a**ed attempt at a hockey game onto PC so the modding company can make something worth a damn
  6. metjumetjus
    Jan 29, 2022
    1
    Nothing new, its same sh*t like NHL 21. I regret my money spent. Dont reccomand.
  7. TCK498
    Jan 23, 2022
    7
    Sure the game is buggy but besides that the game has an excellent soundtrack for the culture of hockey with a rpg like career mode which could use more dialogue options.

    The Coach's and Captain's in the game always want me to promise them something to do within game which 90% of the time I don't do and they get annoyed about a promise which being in a sport that can be 50/50 and    Sure the game is buggy but besides that the game has an excellent soundtrack for the culture of hockey with a rpg like career mode which could use more dialogue options.

    The Coach's and Captain's in the game always want me to promise them something to do within game which 90% of the time I don't do and they get annoyed about a promise which being in a sport that can be 50/50 and unlikely for anyone to ask irl is ridiculous.

    The game's reccomended modern controls I don't reccomend as the button control changes and feels odd, so best to use the hybrid controls as that feels natural and modern.

    Since I'm from Australia I don't have much to comment on the multiplayer as well, hockey is very foreign and uncommon in my country so have little people to play with, if was to play with people across the globe lag is always around.

    All and all I think they really tried to hit the feels of NHL 14 which apparently was the last great NHL video game and in ways I thik it does but falls when it comes to bugs, like frozen screen in the career mode or the players being frozen at bench, kinda creepy.    … Expand
  8. Thedarknite
    Jan 18, 2022
    0
    I really didn't think they could make a game that is worse than NHL 21. I was wrong. I think EA sports should be embarrassed. There is not enough difference between NHL 21, and 22 to justify spending another $50 on this game. The AI is once again the culprit for me. Shockingly bad. This is it for me, I will never spend another dollar on an EA sports title ever again. I'm completely done.
  9. BradleyTeal
    Nov 30, 2021
    3
    Had breaks on a regular basis. Be a Pro with glitch in a way that cutscenes are never ending. Being unable to edit a player's position and player type means that like chemistry is always low passing is broken. I spent 4 hours editing players stats sure to players who are defensive defense men only having a 3 star rating in the game. Gameplay can be fun, but why take away features that wereHad breaks on a regular basis. Be a Pro with glitch in a way that cutscenes are never ending. Being unable to edit a player's position and player type means that like chemistry is always low passing is broken. I spent 4 hours editing players stats sure to players who are defensive defense men only having a 3 star rating in the game. Gameplay can be fun, but why take away features that were present in older games that make dedicated players like myself happy. Upgrades in some parts can not make up for lack of customization.… Expand
  10. StartGame88
    Nov 30, 2021
    0
    They still have 0 collective brain cells at EA Sports front office bro. I just dont understand how they cant just simply make changes to the things that people want change and ignore the things that people dont want changed and actually like. In EA's mind it somehow works opposite. You say "fix this. its bad." and somehow they hear "Completely ignore this legitimate complaint and makeThey still have 0 collective brain cells at EA Sports front office bro. I just dont understand how they cant just simply make changes to the things that people want change and ignore the things that people dont want changed and actually like. In EA's mind it somehow works opposite. You say "fix this. its bad." and somehow they hear "Completely ignore this legitimate complaint and make changes and upgrades to the things literally noboby needed or asked for changes to."

    Teammate AI is still atrocious and your defencemen cant play defense to save theirs skins. They just casually let the puck carrier or the person theyre supposed to be marking skate right past them and you have to end up playing everyone elses position.

    The game, ONCE AGAIN, just somehow rewrites the laws of physics and gives the opposing team EVERY SINGLE LOOSE PUCK, no matter how many times or how well you poke check it away from them, and your teammate ai just stands there and lets the opposition get rebounds and lose pucks in their own zone instead of even considering going to get it.

    The rubberbanding and the game literally handing teams wins is once again completely ridiculous in this game.

    And the worst part is the Be A Pro secondary position. You choose a position when youre creating your player, the game forces you to make a secondary position, and then makes that secondary position the only position you play when you start off BAP. WHO THE FRIK ASKED FOR THAT!??!?!? WHO THE FRIK WANTED THAT!?!?!?!?! WHY ARE WE FORCED TO PLAY POSITIONS WE DONT WANT TO PLAY. If I wanted to play winger I wouldve chose that when I created my player. And the worst part is, its completely illogical. No matter how high you get drafted, even if its first overall, you still get put at your secondary position.

    Imagine like Connor McDavid, face of the franchise, first overall pick, being told by the Oilers, "Yea even though youre a natural centremen and a future MVP at centre, were just gonna make u play right wing for the majority of your rookie season just cuz." Well thats what Be A Pro does. Just wasting time making stupid changes to the game that no one asked for or even wanted, just to ignore the actual problems. Like teammate AI and the game illogically giving the other team all the momentum and having literally every single thing go their way. Im convinced that the EA Sports developers are on crack or something when they make these games. And that goes for pretty much every EA Sports game right now, not just hockey. Just throw the whole company away bro    … Expand
  11. Calsin0
    Nov 26, 2021
    2
    I understand they just moved to the Frostbite engine.

    But the game is still fundamentally flawed. Especially the offline modes, which are entirely forsaken for online gameplay, which is, you guessed it, memey and unrealistic. You can add bells and whistles, but you're still putting lipstick on a pig. This game is worth $20 at best on sale, but only if you're a masochist who enjoys    I understand they just moved to the Frostbite engine.

    But the game is still fundamentally flawed. Especially the offline modes, which are entirely forsaken for online gameplay, which is, you guessed it, memey and unrealistic.

    You can add bells and whistles, but you're still putting lipstick on a pig.

    This game is worth $20 at best on sale, but only if you're a masochist who enjoys trying to find logic in a game devoid of it.    … Expand
  12. Danlaw83
    Nov 11, 2021
    4
    Pros: It looks great. They really improved the aesthetics and it is the most life like game EA Sports as ever put out. I always think the game look will never get better and it foes every time.

    The Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE The controls are cluncky. Feels like we have gone back to 25 years and not in a pleasant nostalgia way. Passing is broken. Passing, a bare minimum fundamental    Pros: It looks great. They really improved the aesthetics and it is the most life like game EA Sports as ever put out. I always think the game look will never get better and it foes every time.

    The Cons: EVERYTHING ELSE
    The controls are cluncky. Feels like we have gone back to 25 years and not in a pleasant nostalgia way. Passing is broken. Passing, a bare minimum fundamental part of play is non-existent. Whether you are highly rated, or just starting out in Be A Pro, there are passes that no decent hockey player should miss that much. Shooting is fine though, when a player does fart the puck off your stick.
    AI. I didn’t think it was possible to make the players around you worse than it was but congratulations EA. You did it. Usually, in the last several years, when a new NHL game comes out the AI get’s dumber with every patch or update. This time, EA Sports skipped that and just made the AI completely useless. Unable to make plays, unable to get out of their own way, let alone yours. Just bad.

    Who is this game for? No idea. I assume it is for the CHEL and Online component since playing this with the CPU on any setting is a test of endurance. Who will endure more, the game or me not breaking a controller.
    EA Sports has shown with recent FIFA, Madden and now this latest NHL game that they are not interested in me any longer. 60-70 bucks doesn’t buy quality. Loyalty doesn’t buy quality either. Do you know what does, though? Spending hundreds of dollars for the competitive online gaming aspect. Buying dozens of packs and other add-ons to be able to compete at all online. The basic game is broken and barely re-playable making anything other than the online features absolutely worthless.

    I AM BEGGING YOU, hurt EA where it matters, their wallet. I am BEGGING you not to buy or support EA Sports NHL franchise until they put out a product that can do the bare minimum. Let me be clear, I am not asking for anyone’s jobs to be on the line, I am asking to make a game fun again. I AM BEGGING YOU NOT TO BUY NHL 22

    PS. Move the lower 3rd off the bottom of the screen. This isn’t soccer, this isn’t ESPN 2 in the 90’s.    … Expand
  13. aspentitan
    Oct 24, 2021
    5
    Don't go getting all excited that the move to the frostbite engine ruins or improves this game. My impression is that this is more of a port from one engine to another and very minor changes to the game have been made. 40 online games in I've had 15 or so break by syncing bugs or disconnects not related to a player quitting. Just like every year early in the season the game isn't ready. ItDon't go getting all excited that the move to the frostbite engine ruins or improves this game. My impression is that this is more of a port from one engine to another and very minor changes to the game have been made. 40 online games in I've had 15 or so break by syncing bugs or disconnects not related to a player quitting. Just like every year early in the season the game isn't ready. It is essentially the same game as every year with a roster update on a different engine. Every year the experience of the cut and paste software is the same. This is not a new programming build. You still see 90+ skate players being beat by 84/85 skaters. You still do not get consistent face off offsets except with a few players especially Bergeron. You still see that the players from 5 games ago still act like they did then as if the game has never been updated yearly. I was pumped that the switch to next generation would mean the dread of all the past deficiencies of the game would be removed and we could see an evolution of this series. Alas that dream is dead. You still have the meta game controlling the gameplay as much as the participants involved. You cannot strategically dump or chase or control fatigue or generally use any strategy than from previous years. The new X factors are just another smoke and mirror attempt in advertising to make you feel the game is fixed...but it's not. It's just a new gimmick to fool everyone and we will still be requested to send EA video footage so they can take a look at what's going on. Year after year the same ruse. If you enjoyed previous years this one is a bit more shiny but if you dropped out sick of the gameplay degradation stay away and possibly just give up on this series. It's not fixed. I will say that fairness adjustments do not seem as pronounced in this version and that's a huge plus but as I've learned from experience EA will change tuning to suit thier needs. One big thing I want to focus on is the X factors. They add a nice touch making the potential for better gameplay but they are gimmicks. In my experience I have activated various skills and they activate but do not follow thru. I've come to the conclusion they must be an extremely minimal stat boost on one skill making them unnoticeable and irrelevant. The net result of Nhl 22 can best be described as any other previous version of the game with possibly less tilt/fairness adjustments. That's a step forward but by no means a fix to the dreaded game. At best it's a better tuner adjustment. My conclusion is this game is never changed from its initial release on the ps4 except for yearly variances in the game tuning only.… Expand
  14. Mickelraven
    Oct 19, 2021
    8
    NHL 22 is disappointing by the lack of new modes or improved modes. Aside from the addition of Superstar X-factors (which are absolutely pointless in my opinion), notable modes such as Franchise Mode, Be A Pro, and Creation Zone are too identical to NHL 21. That said, while the game doesn't offer anything new in terms of what to do outside of the ice, the one thing that saves this gameNHL 22 is disappointing by the lack of new modes or improved modes. Aside from the addition of Superstar X-factors (which are absolutely pointless in my opinion), notable modes such as Franchise Mode, Be A Pro, and Creation Zone are too identical to NHL 21. That said, while the game doesn't offer anything new in terms of what to do outside of the ice, the one thing that saves this game from being a carbon copy of NHL 21 is the upgraded gameplay and graphics overhaul powered by the Frostbite Engine. And roster sharing, which will be added in a post-launch patch in December.

    NHL has never felt much better to play than NHL 22 on the ice. Though passing is harder this year, it is much more realistic. It adds a bit of challenge when to pass, and adds a new learning curve. And the new stick physics also really makes a difference. Getting the puck from the opposite team's players is much easier this year, either by grabbing the puck while the opposite team's players are passing the puck, or by sweeping the puck off the other player's stick. No longer does the R1 button cause a tripping penalty ever other minute when you're trying to poke check. Though you will still trip other players if you intentionally put your stick in front of the other player's legs. This is a welcome change, since this was the biggest reason that made NHL 19, 20 and 21 so frustrating to play for me personally. I never got used to the new learning curve to the new poke check system introduced in NHL 19, which seems to have been abandoned in NHL 22 thanks to the new stick physics.

    The upgraded gameplay feels even better, when the game also comes with upgraded visuals, powered by the Frostbite engine. Though player faces still looks uncanny, and the audience still looks like they're from a PS2 game, the lighting is so good that the game looks almost photorealistic when viewing from afar. Though the graphics are still in the uncanny valley, even looking at footage from the next gen version. But the graphics is still a huge upgrade over from NHL 21, even on PS4 and Xbox One. And there's a lot of new animations that makes the gameplay of NHL 22 stand out from NHL 21.

    Let's use a metaphor to explain how NHL 22 feels to play. Having better graphics and new animations on top of upgraded gameplay is like getting fries with your burger, rather than just the burger that the last 6 years of NHL have been. Too bad NHL 22 still doesn't deliver the soda with the burger and fries, due to a lack of new or improved game modes. But NHL 22 doesn't really take anything away from NHL 21, even on next gen versions.

    Skating is the same as NHL 19-21, shooting is the same as NHL 20-21, and goal tending is much or less the same as the last couple of years. A lot of superstar dekes introduced in NHL 18 and 21, like the Forsberg, Datsyuk, Kucherov no-move deke, and the Lacrosse deke is still in the game. With the Lacrosse deke being just as difficult to pull off as last year, but is satisfying when you do finally pull it off. There's really nothing removed in this game. Aside from jersey numbers being present on the back of the jerseys on custom teams. There's a lot of visual bugs like this that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later. And the menus on the PS4 and Xbox One versions are very slow and unresponsive, more than ever.

    Pros:
    - Best gameplay in the series ever
    - Better graphics and new animations
    - Nothing is removed from NHL 21
    - Best soundtrack since NHL 14

    Cons:
    - Nothing new to do, everything is the same
    - Superstar X-Factors feels pointless
    - Slow menus
    - A lot of "visual" bugs and glitches    … Expand
  15. 09goat
    Oct 18, 2021
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This i a really good Hockey Game … Expand
  16. Jaarnau
    Oct 17, 2021
    4
    Long time NHL player here. Love the new engine. Gameplay feels great when it actually works. The online world of Chel is so unbelievably broken. Games freeze and lag out. Players get black screens and skate around blind. It's ridiculous. EA is a mega company but yet the online feels like it's on free wifi at the mall.
  17. 1_Jones_10x
    Oct 17, 2021
    3
    Another Year, Another Downgraded Game. I like how everyone is praising Frostbite Graphics, but if you go to NHL 16, 17, or even 18, you'll notice that the Frostbite Graphics look like NHL 09 with more lighting, or NBA live 14. No new dekes, no return for True performance skating. More cringe commentary with Carlyn Now in the menus. EA is lazy so they remove equipment while some stay inAnother Year, Another Downgraded Game. I like how everyone is praising Frostbite Graphics, but if you go to NHL 16, 17, or even 18, you'll notice that the Frostbite Graphics look like NHL 09 with more lighting, or NBA live 14. No new dekes, no return for True performance skating. More cringe commentary with Carlyn Now in the menus. EA is lazy so they remove equipment while some stay in the game. Like seriously, where is the Bauer Re Akt and Re Akt 100? All the best players are wearing those helmets in the menus and in real life. Superstar X FACTORS are Basically a way for EA to disguise how unrealistic the game is with unrealistic scenarios. You can't take a harder shot while moving in real life, so why is it this way in an NHL Game. I'm tired of how repetitive this game is. Same exact outdoor rinks in world of chel. Same progression. Same Cringe Be a pro and cringe commentary that I mute. NHL 14 was the last great NHL as it opened possibilities now that have been ignored. Where is the winter classic and stadium series? If this game is on PC, just imagine how creative the community will get with mods.… Expand
  18. MinePlay512
    Oct 16, 2021
    9
    While I like the new gameplay animations and the new features, I honestly however do not like the change to Frostbite and the Superstar X-Factors but overall, NHL 22 is a solid game.

    Overall Score: 8.5