NHL 17

 Xbox One
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
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  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 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, chancesNot 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.    … Expand
  2. Deejaymn
    Oct 7, 2016
    6
    Played 5 online versus games last night with my buddies (couch coop) and I gotta say I didn't hate it. Maybe the bar was set low from all the negative reviews I've read but I like it better then nhl 16, which isn't saying much. Here's my pro's and con's (not that anybody asked).
    Pro's:
    - the online connection is better and having the meter is a bonus, there was still lag at times but not    Played 5 online versus games last night with my buddies (couch coop) and I gotta say I didn't hate it. Maybe the bar was set low from all the negative reviews I've read but I like it better then nhl 16, which isn't saying much. Here's my pro's and con's (not that anybody asked).
    Pro's:
    - the online connection is better and having the meter is a bonus, there was still lag at times but not nearly as atrocious as nhl16, hopefully this maintains as this was sooooooooo annoying in 16
    - the passing is better and the gameplay slider seemed to help this
    - graphics are nice
    Cons:
    - the goalies still suck! bigtime! we outshot a team 39-9 and won 4-3. Our goalies save percentage during those 5 games was 66%, really frustrating, a lot of the same short side goals, scoring on your own net, etc
    - skating over the puck and not picking it up
    - the gameplay feels crowded, still hard to make nice plays cuz everyone is bunched
    - dekes are hard in close to the goalie (not sure if this is input lag) but you almost have to deke and shoot sooner then you think you should

    Thats about it so far, it was fun, but still far from great.    … Expand
  3. Pindegeneral
    Nov 17, 2016
    6
    Same old same old. EA provides us with yet another roster update. The graphics and game mode selection is ofcourse a big plus and it is one of the main reasons to play the game but when you actually start to play any mode, you do realize why people are losing their mind with the AI. It its absolutely ludacris.
    It seems to me that the great minds in EA have decided that players want two    Same old same old. EA provides us with yet another roster update. The graphics and game mode selection is ofcourse a big plus and it is one of the main reasons to play the game but when you actually start to play any mode, you do realize why people are losing their mind with the AI. It its absolutely ludacris.
    It seems to me that the great minds in EA have decided that players want two kind of ouctome from a match, either you will do whatever you please and win or the AI steps in against you and you will be utterly ass raped by its supremacy. Even T1000 would agree its **** unfair. If you win, you do not feel joy. You feel bored af. If you lose, and make no mistake, you WILL lose, you are left with a agonizing pain in you soul.

    The **** is really **** up when you play online. Sadly, EA sports follows the trend in modern online gaming where everyone must be pleased and offered a chance to be a champ (re-purchase in mind naturally).
    Once you get to a certain level, the game allows you to have only few fair match ups. Otherwise brace yourself to be annihilated even by players new to the game with absolutely ridiculous advantages provided by the AI. You might find yourself shooting over 50 shots with 1-2 goals and follow in disbelief as the roughed up opponent skates in and demolishes your lead with 3 shots from the blue line. Other options for AI generated losing streaks are that your team will suffer greatly from the fatique effect and you can just watch and wave as the opponent has turbo mode on with unlimited momentum. If you end up against the same opponent after a week, you might crush him/her 11-0 as you should. Again, the two options. No happy mediums here !

    All in all a good overall experience for hockey fans. Definitely not worth the money but hey, do we have a choice? RIP 2k.    … Expand
  4. WESTY
    Oct 24, 2016
    7
    Not even close to as bad as most people are claiming. Why? the slider bars are a big help....it does take time to get them just right (7 games or so with minor adjustments). That being said, passing has been awful for every NHL release in last 5-8 years. I can't understand why EA doesn't focus on the small things that matter the most - see: PASSING. Why would I want to drop it out of theirNot even close to as bad as most people are claiming. Why? the slider bars are a big help....it does take time to get them just right (7 games or so with minor adjustments). That being said, passing has been awful for every NHL release in last 5-8 years. I can't understand why EA doesn't focus on the small things that matter the most - see: PASSING. Why would I want to drop it out of their zone on a 2 on 1, when I am clearly aiming at my open player going to the net. The other negative part is shot totals....I can't stand how the CPU can score such ass goals when they need to (down by 3 half way through third..final shots 44-18...4-3 losee). The goalie issues can be helped with proper slider allocation, but it isn't perfect. I truly feel that if EA Sports worried less about added hot dog sales, and focused on the simple parts of the game (skating, shooting, PASSING)....it would be a winner. Does anyone really care about the added feature of "net front battles?"....didn't think so… Expand
  5. deltago
    Sep 14, 2016
    6
    Verdict: 6/10 wait for a sale (December) or next year when all the new features will still be there with a new expansion team, but the series is trending (finally) in the right direction.

    Expanded: Having EA Access, I was able to sample this game for about eight hours (they ripped me off for my last 90 minutes, but I digress) and I was enjoying the game play more than the 16 version.    Verdict: 6/10 wait for a sale (December) or next year when all the new features will still be there with a new expansion team, but the series is trending (finally) in the right direction.

    Expanded:
    Having EA Access, I was able to sample this game for about eight hours (they ripped me off for my last 90 minutes, but I digress) and I was enjoying the game play more than the 16 version.

    I do not play online modes as I do not support micro transactions in games so this review is based on offline, single player games only.

    What they did (from my perspective in a small sample size):
    Improved Teammate AI from 16 (huge bonus)
    Improved Goalie AI.
    Editing lines is also less of a chore.

    Greatly Improved Franchise Mode taking over a teams entire financial situation, not just player payroll. The "owner" not only tasks you with on ice performance, but on fan happiness, ticket sales and other tangible goals. It is mostly just number slides, but it is a nice added depth as you juggle fan happiness with revenue.

    In Franchise Mode, you can also relocate your team to another city like Seattle, Quebec or Las Vegas. You are in charge of hammering out a new revenue sharing deal with that city, attempting to get the best deal for your owner (who may nix it if it isn't) and then customize your own arena, jerseys and name. (just don't expect to play the Nordiques as the call announcers don't have that as an option: WTF?)

    This alone is worth an upgrade from 16 to 17, but in my opinion not at the full price. It usually goes on sale in December, so wait for that before picking it up.

    They still need to fix: scouting (horrible UI), better trading and contracts (where's the NTC and LTI? I would rather have that then pretzel pricing.), Off Season starts (lets be able to undo that Weber trade eh?), and probably, even though I haven't got that far, player development and regression as that has been broken for years.

    The trade player UI also took a step backwards. Whoever thought non bolded red on grey would look nice needs to be fired as it is unreadable. The bright white background is also an eye sore, but both of these can be easily fixed.    … Expand
  6. JJ2FAS4U
    Dec 29, 2021
    5
    Atmosphere: 5
    Enjoyment: 5
    Gameplay: 5
    Graphics: 5
    Music: 5
    Story: 4
    Total: 4.83

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

Critic Reviews

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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
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Nov 9, 2016
    82
    Small step for man, giant leap for hockey games. NHL 17 is only incrementally better than last year, but it is moving in the right direction. [Oct 2016]
  2. 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.
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  3. DarkStation
    Oct 7, 2016
    80
    In the end NHL 17 is a really great game of hockey. It’s got a full suite of features and modes that are complimented with excellent on-ice action. I found myself more engrossed in NHL 17 then I’ve been with a hockey game in quite some time. It’s a well-rounded and extremely polished game of hockey that fans of the franchise will be mighty happy with.
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