NHL 17

 Xbox One
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
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  1. Game Informer
    Sep 13, 2016
    73
    I love hockey, so I’ll play NHL 17 for most of this upcoming winter. But similar to my hometown Minnesota Wild, I have mixed feelings about the quality on display. EA Canada continues to make minor improvements across the board, yet the NHL series has yet to tap its true potential this generation. As any sports fan will tell you, there’s always next year.
  2. Sporting News
    Sep 12, 2016
    70
    While it relies on tried-and-true modes and features, it delivers well on the most important aspects of a modern sports video game simulation. Newcomers to the series will appreciate the variety and depth of options it offers though it's an exceedingly difficult game to grasp at its introduction, while veterans experience mature on-ice gameplay that addresses many issues that were present in preceding iterations while still leaving that all-too-familiar feeling that not a whole lot has really changed.
  3. USgamer
    Sep 8, 2016
    70
    NHL 17 has some real strengths, but it still feels like it hasn't quite made it out of the previous generation. The gameplay is strong but increasingly dated; the feature set feels haphazard, and there are lots of niggling quality-of-life issues. It feels more and more like the series is stuck in a rut, and it's hard to say where EA Canada should take it next. For now, NHL 17 is another decent outing, but the next step remains elusive.
  5. Hardcore Gamer
    Sep 8, 2016
    70
    From the presentation to the deep franchise mode, NHL 17 has everything away from the on-ice action nailed down to a T. If the experience of playing the game fell into the same pristine category instead of being too overbearing for its own good, this would be a near-perfect game of hockey.
  6. GameSpot
    Sep 8, 2016
    70
    It rides off a lot of what NHL 16 did, and the new additions don't add anything crucial to the experience. It's still a lot of fun to trade players in Franchise, build a formidable roster in Hockey Ultimate Team, and actually play matches, but if you were hoping NHL 17 would be a significant step forward for the series, you're out of luck.
  7. New York Daily News
    Oct 19, 2016
    60
    EA Sports does just enough to add value to this game and make it a step above its predecessor.
  8. Digitally Downloaded
    Sep 29, 2016
    60
    NHL 17 is a very good game of hockey that has not really grown much since last year. Tweaks and improvements are there, certainly nothing feels worse about the title than last season, but there is still room to innovate.
  9. M3
    Sep 16, 2016
    60
    It has been a fact for a couple of years now that EA Sports NHL series is in need of a big renovation. The graphics is starting to look dated, the physics isn't nearly as good as PES or FIFA and the AI is unbalanced – particularly the goalie part. NHL 17 is still a pretty decent game for the hockey fans, but it's hard to not feel a bit disappointed.
This publication does not provide a score for their reviews.
This publication has not posted a final review score yet.
These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation.

In Progress & Unscored

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  1. CNET
    Sep 15, 2016
    Sure, perhaps the series isn't where it was five years ago, but it's encouraging to see it evolve, if only at an incremental year-over-year pace.

Awards & Rankings

72
#72 Best Xbox One Game of 2016
36
#36 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2016
44
#44 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2016

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
4.5

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 66 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 66
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 66
  3. Negative: 34 out of 66
  1. Tropheus
    Sep 13, 2016
    6
    Not much has changed from NHL 16 other than some extra features in game modes. However what they did change was the stick lift is nowNot much has changed from NHL 16 other than some extra features in game modes. However what they did change was the stick lift is now completely useless, and the speed of the game has been slowed down so much that it's hard to make any actual plays, let's assume you actually get a pass or shot off and didn't get poke-checked because it's the only effective way to play defense now, chances are the pass won't ever make it to your player even on a 2 on 1 rush.

    The game itself isn't any worse though overall, but I would say the only fun way to play this game would be with 4 or more players on each team in EASHL mode. If you enjoy the game even more than NHL 16 than congrats, unfortunately for me it's a 6/10 and I'll wait to see if any patch from EA fixes or breaks it more.    … Full Review »
  2. RN07
    Oct 24, 2016
    2
    This game does everything it can to make you frustrated and annoyed. EA has tried to impress us by adding the standard game modes that theyThis game does everything it can to make you frustrated and annoyed. EA has tried to impress us by adding the standard game modes that they removed, but have continuously failed us in gameplay. Here are a few facets that make the game unbearable

    1. Passing. For one, if there is a player remotely close to the pass then it's getting broken up. It doesn't matter if the player has their back to the puck, is skating the other way and not looking, he will be able to blindly poke the puck away. If you do manage to have a wide open man, passes will either go to the wrong player (player wide open up ice, yet it goes to the player on the right side, etc) or go about 15 feet away from the designated player. One-timers on two on ones just go passed the intended recipient on a whiffed pass.

    2. Faceoffs. If you win an o-zone faceoff, you have about .1 seconds to make a decision before the puck is stripped from you and sent elsewhere. Seriously, I sometimes intentionally lose O-Zone faceoffs because I have a better chance of getting the puck from the defense than I do from my player.

    3. Offsides. Nothing like completely blowing past a player with no intention of passing, only to have your computer step offsides for no reason. No reason, the player will just think you're moving faster and ruin your whole rush. Then, if you happen to figure out the passing long enough to create some offensive zone pressure, your passes back to the point will surely be offside. The player has no knowledge of where the blue line is, intended passes that could be received in front of the line are intentionally received behind the line and all your pressure is lost. I wish there were a "hold RB" to hold the line option because some times I field the puck 2 inches before the blue line OR skate the wrong way with the puck is infuriatingly high.

    4. I swear the game picks who wins beforehand. When starting a game, it is clear in the first period that you will either be able to poke check every puck away or their team will be invincible and every poke check will lead to a tripping penalty. They also still haven't figured out how to make the sticks stop going through the boards. GTA 5 had an entire city of AI people going about their days with thousands of interactions; EA can't figure out how to make a stick stop on the boards.

    Skating - Pick a path that a player would never actually take, that's the path they will take in NHL 17. Left handed shot on the right circle? Why not circle on your backhand instead of hitting the one timer or wrister on the forehand. The AI is so flat-footed that they are still while a player blows past. This is, however, the first year I've seen Dylan Larkin be able to outskate Roman Polak, congrats EA. It feels like skating in mud, edgework in none existant in this game.

    The AI. Sometimes you'll look at the screen, and there will be 4 AI players in a bunch at the blue line. I'm just not sure what hockey games they've watched when developing the AI, but it is beyond stupid, it also takes penalties if you're not taking enough yourself.

    There is just so much about hockey that they're missing, so many intricacies that could make the game into a amazing experience. Boards plays, O-zone setups (there's not time to do anything), big transitions after turnovers, that are reduced to nothing. You could spend 30 seconds in their zone firing away just for them to launch one from the blue line that the goalie spasm-blocks upward, hits off his back, and then goes in. Sure, happens in real life, not in every game, though...

    EA, please just sit down with Hockey fans and take notes as they play the game. It is so frustrating that this is the only game created for Xbox One, if there was a competator like 2k maybe we could get defensement that know what offsides is. Unbelievably bad, great cover though!    … Full Review »
  3. Fooberz
    Sep 28, 2016
    2
    New year, same old crap! I am unsure which game all of these 9 and 10 reviews were playing. This is nothing more than the same old tiredNew year, same old crap! I am unsure which game all of these 9 and 10 reviews were playing. This is nothing more than the same old tired junk, in a new shiny package.

    STILL the absolute worst teammate AI in history.
    -- Seethe in frustration as your own teammates stand in your way, break up offensive chances, and refuse to react to the opposing squad.
    -- Watch helplessly as your all-world goalie gives up 3 goals on 10 shots, all of them weak, soft shots, while it takes you 65 shots to score 4 times against the computer.
    -- Throw your controller as your forwards repeatedly stop moving up the ice, causing you to run into them or turn the puck over. All. The. Time.
    -- Be amazed as your AI-controlled opposing team plays near flawless hockey, never miss a pass, is seemingly immune to your poke checks and body checks, and scores goals at will.....while your AI-controlled teammates play a confused, tepid, weak game, allowing cheap goals and not doing anything to stop your opponents. Yep, seems totally fair to me!
    -- Watch in wonder as your shutout victory is broken up with 30 seconds remaining by a single AI-controlled player who waltzes through 3 of your defenders and puts the puck into the net as your goalie stands stock-still.

    All in all, this is still the absolute worst excuse for a single-player sports experience I have ever seen. These AI issues have plagued the NHL series since the beginning. Sorry EA, I don't play online, but that doesn't mean I deserve this garbage. Another $60 wasted, I suppose. The graphics are good, but the gameplay is still horrendously unfair and has nothing to do with skill.    … Full Review »
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