NHL 12

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 76
  3. Negative: 13 out of 76
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  1. Richie
    Sep 15, 2011
    10
    The long standing undisputed KING of online hockey, there isn't any sports game out there that can touch the EA NHL series. NHL 12 is both incredibly rewarding and incredibly addicting, pretty much the same as NHL 11 with just a few tweaks, but that's a really good thing. Playing the best online sports experience, leveling up your online pro, customizing your attributes and unlocked gear,The long standing undisputed KING of online hockey, there isn't any sports game out there that can touch the EA NHL series. NHL 12 is both incredibly rewarding and incredibly addicting, pretty much the same as NHL 11 with just a few tweaks, but that's a really good thing. Playing the best online sports experience, leveling up your online pro, customizing your attributes and unlocked gear, competing against some great players, it's all here and it's all good.… Expand
  2. jaketyler48
    Oct 8, 2011
    10
    With a clear conscience there is no way I can give this game less than a 10!. Its beautiful. The depth of game play is inconceivable. The sounds on ice and in the stands plus the commentary are all awesome. presentation is spot as well. oh and tight game play make this game a legend. if your a hockey fan or not you need to buy this game!
  3. bigmookalookie
    Sep 15, 2011
    9
    NHL 12 really improves upon last years game with new " tie up" moves in front of the net and even the goalie gets involved and is no longer a stone wall. I will say very little has changed with the grpahics but what really has changed is the animations that the game has and really makes it look like the real thing. I do like how the puck is not like glue to your stick which really makes itNHL 12 really improves upon last years game with new " tie up" moves in front of the net and even the goalie gets involved and is no longer a stone wall. I will say very little has changed with the grpahics but what really has changed is the animations that the game has and really makes it look like the real thing. I do like how the puck is not like glue to your stick which really makes it jump around the area alot more which is another touch of realism they added. The speed of the game has seemed to move up as well so its alot quicker than last years game and really reflects how quick the game is. I like how the players now move around alot more and get involved instead of jsut standing around waiting for you to pass them the puck and there are a few instanaces where goalie collsion really can make for some interesting goals but in the end it really sells the fact your playing a well tuned hockey game that is getting really close to mimicking the game you see on tv. If you love hockey games this game is a no-brainer. I havent played online but offline im having a blast and playing online later will only keep me comming back to this game… Expand
  4. METALBOOZESOLID
    Sep 14, 2011
    10
    This is an incredible hockey game. As with all the critic reviews, the Be A Legend mode is a silly addition that isn't all that special. The AI in the game seems to have improved a ton with this release, which makes the Be A Pro mode a lot more fun. The only thing that can be frustrating is with the new goalie interaction, AI goalies are much more likely to run away from the crease withoutThis is an incredible hockey game. As with all the critic reviews, the Be A Legend mode is a silly addition that isn't all that special. The AI in the game seems to have improved a ton with this release, which makes the Be A Pro mode a lot more fun. The only thing that can be frustrating is with the new goalie interaction, AI goalies are much more likely to run away from the crease without contact just to get a new penalty. This is a very minor complaint to a near-perfect hockey game.… Expand
  5. pcf87
    Nov 16, 2011
    10
    same as last but the last one was good. thats all i have to say but i have to have 150 characters. And the goalie fights are fun. grezky mode is aight, they could have made it better.
  6. CarpeDiem
    Jan 16, 2012
    5
    This game is average. The game shows great potential in certain areas. The season mode is greatly improved and the mechanics aren't completely frustrating. However, this game fails to deliver anything new or improved in most of the game's areas. 5 hole scoring is impossible and the goalies seem to be superhuman at times. The game fails to put the puck where you want it to be. Amongst thisThis game is average. The game shows great potential in certain areas. The season mode is greatly improved and the mechanics aren't completely frustrating. However, this game fails to deliver anything new or improved in most of the game's areas. 5 hole scoring is impossible and the goalies seem to be superhuman at times. The game fails to put the puck where you want it to be. Amongst this Be a pro is useless for players looking to be snipers and Defenders. Poke checking is best left to the AI and for Snipers one-timers are non-existent. You're left taking the puck up to the slot and hope your deeke is good enough to trip up the goalie. Also opposing defense-men can easily poke check or cross check you and completely obliterate any chance of scoring. I found myself scoring 15 goals in 30 games beginning my career with 4 goals in a single game. However due to the lack of assistance from teammates winning the ross art would require you to somehow have a 2 player career and ask a friend to constantly feed you the puck for one-timer goals. Also there is no hope for the AI i tried to find hope in giving my teamates the puck and then asking for it while i was in the slot. 2 things will happen. 1 they will fire the puck around the back of the net and screw you over. Or 2, they will try and take the shot for themselves ignoring the fact they can't shoot and ignoring your call for a pass. The team practice is not as one would hope playing a 4-4 3-3 skirmish. You have 3 chances to fire on the goalie if the puck is held by an opposing player you must restart and try to score again. The game showcases many amazing things but its nothing new. EA failed to deliver an interesting and fully functional game. If controlling a whole team by yourself is your cup of tea then purchase this game. If your looking forward to having a career your better off playing real hockey.… Expand
  7. barren_sky
    Oct 16, 2011
    3
    A very disappointing release. The game continues to be riddled with bugs and terrible design and interface decisions. It seems like EA Sports has whittled the NHL developer down to about 4 people who's only job is to program in a couple new features. This game has all of the exact same animations, celebrations, and commentary as NHL 10. Career mode is still completely random andA very disappointing release. The game continues to be riddled with bugs and terrible design and interface decisions. It seems like EA Sports has whittled the NHL developer down to about 4 people who's only job is to program in a couple new features. This game has all of the exact same animations, celebrations, and commentary as NHL 10. Career mode is still completely random and arbitrary. The servers were a mess at launch (an EA staple). EA, maybe next year have your 4-man team work all year fixing this game before spending any more time on meaningless bullet-points for the back of the package.… Expand
  8. crockerspaniel
    Sep 13, 2011
    5
    Terrible AI, or the people that made the game never played hockey before. Extremely frustrating trying to play be a pro when you teammates not only refuse to help but actually get in your way. Online's the same as it always was, buy packs to make you better than your opponents.
  9. Stormcrow666
    Apr 5, 2012
    0
    This game is horrible. I have been buying these games since the 90's and they seem to be digressing in stature. Lift a sick? Only if you want a penalty. Poke Check, again only if you want a penalty(when you can actually make contact with the puck). I have tried sliders and it doesn't matter. I don't bother with online since I know it will suck because of glitch goals and crappy servers. BeThis game is horrible. I have been buying these games since the 90's and they seem to be digressing in stature. Lift a sick? Only if you want a penalty. Poke Check, again only if you want a penalty(when you can actually make contact with the puck). I have tried sliders and it doesn't matter. I don't bother with online since I know it will suck because of glitch goals and crappy servers. Be a Pro? Be a bore. That mode is terrible. This game is broken and unplayable unless you like arcade games. Physics? whats that. This game has no Physics. Rehashed EA crap again and again. I am done. DONE buying this garbage. Nhl 09=Nhl10=Nhl11=Nhl12. Same crap again and again. They don't even bother to fix the bugs that have been there for 4 YEARS~!!!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY~!!… Expand
  10. SkizDriz
    Oct 19, 2011
    0
    Log into online game, try to push someone and nothing happens. Oh they have a legend card and near-impossible to attain stats. The can look at me and I fall. Go grind and farm for that legend card. Stupid.
  11. Crymson84
    Oct 6, 2011
    6
    This game, while making improvements upon NHL 11's animations and gameplay elements, has some serious issues.

    The main and gamebreaking issue right now is the lack of proper collision detection. Sticks warp through the sticks, bodies, legs, and arms of opposing players, and sometimes--when a pokecheck is attempted--through the puck itself. This makes defense very difficult and leads to a    This game, while making improvements upon NHL 11's animations and gameplay elements, has some serious issues.

    The main and gamebreaking issue right now is the lack of proper collision detection. Sticks warp through the sticks, bodies, legs, and arms of opposing players, and sometimes--when a pokecheck is attempted--through the puck itself. This makes defense very difficult and leads to a huge amount of frustration.

    The new goaltender interference mechanics in the game are also broken. There have been instances in which my goalie has been run over and thrown into a corner, only for no penalty to be called and the opposing side to score into my open net. Online team play and EASHL are dominated by forwards. EA has put no effort into balancing out the positions. The result is a step backward in this game mode. Figure-skating, and persistent cross-crease passes are thus still the order of the day, rather than realistic play, and glitch shots still exist. This could all be fixed with even minor effort by EA, but that is sadly lacking.

    I've never seen so many complaints about an EA game as I've seen over the last month on EA's NHL 12 forum over the past month. This game is a huge disappointment to those of us who have been fans of the series for a long time.

    I give this game a six because it's still a decent play. But if you've got NHL 11, don't transition until EA does some work on the game (assuming this will happen).    … Expand
  12. ztuominen
    Oct 10, 2011
    6
    The lack of hockey knowledge of the designers of NHL 12 is glaringly obvious. The same brain-dead AI, barely any changes to game play aside from a couple tweaks, interaction with the goalie (which can be exploited, and is not adequately penalized,) and the hip check as the most effective means to separate an opponent from the puck, regardless of what part of your body makes contact withThe lack of hockey knowledge of the designers of NHL 12 is glaringly obvious. The same brain-dead AI, barely any changes to game play aside from a couple tweaks, interaction with the goalie (which can be exploited, and is not adequately penalized,) and the hip check as the most effective means to separate an opponent from the puck, regardless of what part of your body makes contact with your opponent, make the high scores of this game laughable. I can't wait until the exclusivity of the NHL to be removed from EA, so that another designer can make a hockey video game that actually plays as the sport does, rather than an arcade fantasy for individuals who've never seen a hockey game, played the sport, or touched a puck in their lives.… Expand
  13. Jakee
    Apr 19, 2012
    0
    Worst Game I ever Wasted money on, Highly recommend you do not buy this game if you are new or semi new to NHL, Its terrible, I played my first online game on it and it placed me against a level 39, 39!!! I'm level one and playing my first game, The in game controls are terrible, passing is horrible and computers are far too hard,
  14. Griffin71
    May 3, 2012
    4
    I bought this game a long time ago and it really has little changes to the game play from NHL 11. The only thing new is the Glass breaking, the hitting is based on momentum now, you can hit goalies, and be a legend which is an unnecessary addition. Other things such as create a team and Be a Pro hasn't changed a bit. The thing I was looking forward to was create a team logo design which isI bought this game a long time ago and it really has little changes to the game play from NHL 11. The only thing new is the Glass breaking, the hitting is based on momentum now, you can hit goalies, and be a legend which is an unnecessary addition. Other things such as create a team and Be a Pro hasn't changed a bit. The thing I was looking forward to was create a team logo design which is terrible. You can only choose the logos in the game and you can't make your own, and some of the names don't even match the logos. Overall the game is basically the same as NHL 11.… Expand
  15. Seeker8833
    May 10, 2012
    0
    For the third year in a row, the EASHL remains corrupt. Every year, a glitch has been found that results in an instant breakaway or goal 99/100 times. This year however, EA really outdid themselves. They included 2 of those glitches this year. The first being a fake slapshot glitch that will literally freeze a defenseman in place. Quite literally, he is frozen in place while you skateFor the third year in a row, the EASHL remains corrupt. Every year, a glitch has been found that results in an instant breakaway or goal 99/100 times. This year however, EA really outdid themselves. They included 2 of those glitches this year. The first being a fake slapshot glitch that will literally freeze a defenseman in place. Quite literally, he is frozen in place while you skate by him. The other, (which took EA 6 months after release to address, Yes you read that right, 6 months after release keep in mind this game is meant to last a year before the next installment) was a glitch where the skater would pull the puck to his forehand, and cause the goalie to come off the post far to early at an angle, that would result in a goal every time. This glitch has somewhat been fixed, but not nearly enough addressed. Now, the goalies are more inconsistent than the LA Kings. They will either pitch a 40 save shutout, or give up 5 weak wrist shot goals on 9 shot where the puck bounces off their glove. Another problem with the computer goalies is that they THROW THE PUCK OUT after making a save FOR NO REASON. This has cost me and my team games and even playoff games many a times. Goalies need to be consistent, hell there is even an in game stat for them to be consistent that is buried in edit player that must have not shown up in the EASHL. One of the final major problems with this game is the defense. They suck, there is no other way to put it. In a game that promises better AI, they not only fail, they embarrass themselves. My tamagachi was more intelligent than some of these computer defenseman. Not only do they face the complete WRONG DIRECTION at times, they also cannot deliver passes at times. They also have some mechanic built into them, to ALWAYS shoot from the point when getting the puck. It is IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP THEM FROM DOING THIS, EVEN WHEN CALLING FOR A PASS. So, to highlight some of my points
    -Glitches that lead to AWFUL and downright INFURIATING gameplay for team of less than 6
    -Computer Goalies that can make post to post diving saves for one team, and others that cannot stop a rolling puck coming right at them
    -Goalies still throw out puck for no reason
    -Defensemen with the IQ of a Jersey Shore cast member

    If you are a casual hockey fan, please I beg you, do not buy this game. EA does not need anymore of your money. Their main selling points on this game were broken glass, "improved AI" and adding a Winter Classic mode. EA fails miserably with their latest NHL entry. It is as if EA was submitting their final college thesis paper, and spelled their own name wrongs on the Final Copy. That is how embarrassing this game should feel to them    … Expand
  16. TheMarker_1
    Jun 17, 2012
    0
    This is probably the worst NHL game I have ever played. If you were thinking of buying an NHL game sometime soon, either go back to NHL10 or wait and see if the AI is better in NHL13 because this is a complete waste of a good $60. Physics don't exist in this game. What I mean by that is if someone tries to hipcheck you, just hope you aren't within 3 feet of them because otherwise you areThis is probably the worst NHL game I have ever played. If you were thinking of buying an NHL game sometime soon, either go back to NHL10 or wait and see if the AI is better in NHL13 because this is a complete waste of a good $60. Physics don't exist in this game. What I mean by that is if someone tries to hipcheck you, just hope you aren't within 3 feet of them because otherwise you are going down... hard. Also, don't even bother to try to dive down to block a shot or pass because you will rarely stop the pass and the shot will literally go right through you if you are right in front of someone when they shoot it. EASHL will. provide only extreme frustration when the other team waits at your blue line for a break away pass or uses one of many other glitches that EA didn't bother to fix. The AI is completely useless, and most of the time only serves to get in your way. If this wasn't bad enough, you can't even fix the bad goalie problem by playing goalie because the game doesn't allow you to make many saves. You will find that generally 1 or 2 times per game, you will be in perfect position to make the save and it will somehow go in anyway. Basically if you want a semi-realistic hockey experience, look elsewhere because this game fails to impress even a little bit.… Expand
  17. youwish
    Jul 6, 2012
    0
    the game sucks, it seems to act on its own. i can spend some games bring players out of the play and the will be no more goals despite difficulty, when it decided to score there is no stopping the computer despite skill of player or strategic defence. Be a pro was very close to the same. advice: watch highlights videos cause you are not really in the game
  18. MichaelH
    Nov 11, 2011
    7
    Itâ
  19. AmazinKazin
    Feb 29, 2012
    8
    Fantastic in my opinion. I would give it a 8.5 if possible. HUT mode is a lot of fun and addicting but the contracts are too short and most of the time is spent in the menus. Be a GM mode is great but Be a Pro mode is not as good as Be a Pro in NBA 2K12. NHL 12 is especially fun to play with friends but hard to play on the same TV since going down the screen is almost impossible for me.
  20. xxvmafiaxx
    Dec 6, 2011
    10
    This is very close to a masterpiece. This is what hockey gaming should be. It is so spectacular to be rewarded with so many game types. I do have one problem though and that is that the KHL is not included, but that is my problem and shouldn't affect the score whatsoever.
  21. Mattyice
    Jun 11, 2012
    8
    A very fine game. Very similar to NHL 11, which was already a great game though. Good gameplay, fine graphics, and a buy for regular hockey fans, who did not buy NHL 11.
  22. tjacobs38
    Jul 28, 2012
    9
    What a game! NHL 12 has very much improved its Be A Pro mode and GM Mode. The career mode allows you to first play in the OHL and other Canadian leagues to get yourself ready for the pro draft. The depth of this game is amazing. Great work EA Sports!
  23. bradtheman123
    Jun 11, 2014
    8
    This game was not something I expected to be as fun and great as it is. It as an exciting feeling every time I play it, even when its just a simple 1v1 vs. the CPU. The different modes the game has is pretty cool as well. I think it past its potential very quick and they were convinced to make even higher standards for NHL 13, 14, and soon 15.
  24. Rhapsody
    May 18, 2013
    9
    I just want to say that just because a game is disappointing does not mean it's a bad game, and even though it is similar to nhl 11, I still had a lot of fun playing it.

    I am not really a big fan of nhl 13, but they tried something knew with it. I will probably be stuck playing with this game for a while, and I am not upset about that at all.

Awards & Rankings

23
#23 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2011
74
#74 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 56 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 56
  3. Negative: 0 out of 56
  1. Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
    Dec 2, 2011
    86
    Matches now have a more combative feel. [Dec 2011, p.102]
  2. Xbox Achievements
    Nov 15, 2011
    82
    NHL 12 is yet another great ice hockey title that will appeal to new fans of the sport as much as it will to the old guard. The only quibbles tend to be minor ones, but the main issue is that this game is yet another in a growing line of updates rather than sweeping revolutions.
    Read full review
  3. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Nov 14, 2011
    80
    Some control and physics tweaks are needed, but to remedy distractions rather than critical errors. [Issue#77, p.90]
See all critic reviews »