NHL 18

 Xbox One
User Score
4.3

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 53 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 53
  3. Negative: 26 out of 53

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  1. oceansoul1987
    Sep 27, 2017
    8
    After watching and reading some reviews about NHL 18 i was thinking about skipping this one. But then I decided to buy it and give it a chance. And then I was a liite surprised. Yes - the presentation is still like NHL 17 ...but there are more camera angles and they give some new kind of cool views. The Gameplay feels not new at all, but its clearly not the same as NHL 17. The defenseAfter watching and reading some reviews about NHL 18 i was thinking about skipping this one. But then I decided to buy it and give it a chance. And then I was a liite surprised. Yes - the presentation is still like NHL 17 ...but there are more camera angles and they give some new kind of cool views. The Gameplay feels not new at all, but its clearly not the same as NHL 17. The defense skill stick is a really cool feature. There are also new movements that I've never seen in NHL 17.

    Yes the steps are small in this years NHL - but there are many new things in detail that makes this game cool. I don't regret that i buyed it anyways. I had some funny hours gameplay. Its more than just an update. But as said - the changes are in detail. But they're making the game more fun.    … Expand
  2. Dissension
    Jun 16, 2018
    10
    Awesome! I own a PC and after becoming a hardcore hockey fan this year was SAD to see there is no PC version of this game or any real hockey game for that matter... I read a lot of reviews on here and was very doubtful I would be buying or playing NHL 18... but I was obsessed... So I went out and bought an Xbox One and NHL18. So much money for one game considering everything else InplayAwesome! I own a PC and after becoming a hardcore hockey fan this year was SAD to see there is no PC version of this game or any real hockey game for that matter... I read a lot of reviews on here and was very doubtful I would be buying or playing NHL 18... but I was obsessed... So I went out and bought an Xbox One and NHL18. So much money for one game considering everything else Inplay will be on PC... COULDN'T BE HAPPIER! All these bad reviews are from jaded players that have been playing NHL series for years. Fair enough. I get that perspective... but if you’re just a hockey fan looking to play a hockey game then this game is AMAZING! Don’t think, just buy and enjoy the hell out of it!… Expand
  3. tomjscott
    Sep 5, 2019
    9
    I'm shocked that this game only has a 3.9 rating. Unfortunately, I think most reviewers base their reviews on how this version compares to a previous version instead of rating it based on its own merits. Since I haven't played an NHL game since the Genesis console days, I don't have that blind spot. I can rate and review the game based on its own merits.

    I love this game. It's not    I'm shocked that this game only has a 3.9 rating. Unfortunately, I think most reviewers base their reviews on how this version compares to a previous version instead of rating it based on its own merits. Since I haven't played an NHL game since the Genesis console days, I don't have that blind spot. I can rate and review the game based on its own merits.

    I love this game. It's not perfect, but the flaws are minor and don't get in the way of my enjoyment of the game. I think the gameplay is smooth and responsive for the most part and the fun factor is very high. My only criticism are as follows:

    1. Sometimes when you go to shoot, if you hold the button slightly long then the player whiffs on the shot.
    2. There is no coach's challenge. You might think the AI refs would never get a call wrong, but they do. Slo-mo often reveals how bad their no goal calls actually are.
    3. I think there should be free updates throughout the year that reflect actual trades that have occurred for a team. I know you can make the trades yourself, but very often you cannot do it because the game rejects it. That brings me to the next criticism.
    4. Trades don't involve future draft picks, which should be an option, especially if you're trying to match a real-world trade, but can't get the deal done.
    5. Some of the player faces are just generic and don't look anything like the real player. Whereas there are some that are spot on. Cody Eakin, for example, looks identical to the real player, but William Karlsson and Jonathon Marchassault don't resemble the real player in the slightest.
    6. Some of the commentary is really bad. For example, I was playing Rookie level and destroying every team. My record was at one point 62-2-1 and I'm playing a team with a record like 40 wins and the commentator is saying stuff like "These teams have almost identical records." lol Not even close. We need some comments like "This team is crushing the competition and no one is even close in the standings."

    Anyway, that's about it. The game is fantastic and I'm looking forward to trying out NHL 20. I skipped 19.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Best Xbox One Game of 2017
37
#37 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2017
21
#21 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. ZTGD
    Oct 12, 2017
    90
    NHL 18 will satisfy hockey fans; that goes without saying. Its real achievement though is in its design, which will seamlessly teach and assist a player who knows nothing about hockey. They’re likely to stick around too, because as it turns out, hockey is a blast in videogame form.
    Read full review
  2. XGN
    Oct 11, 2017
    75
    The new NHL Threes mode is fun and takes up a lot of time without getting boring. The Training Camp also stands out from similar modes in other games. The graphics and weird behavior of the AI sometimes could have been better, but NFL is still a good game.
    Read full review
  3. MondoXbox
    Oct 6, 2017
    75
    NHL 18 introduces some welcome novelties in the Threes and Training Camp mode, but it ultimately feels too similar to the previous game.
    Read full review
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