NHL 19

Xbox's underrated sports sim delivers again - digitised hockey has never been better. [Dec 2018, p.83]

NHL 19 is somehow both great and a bit disappointing. Sure, this is the best hockey game yet, with an almost impossible amount of depth. This is the kind of game you can play all year and still not feel like having even really scratched the surface. It is good sit down and play for a couple of hours or just jump in for one game and then head out to do something else, but at the same time, this barely feels like an upgrade over last year's version or the year before that. It's the same iteration of game over and over again, each slightly superior to the one before it

NHL 19 has hockey coming out of its ears. There’s enough content here to last a good while or at least until NHL 20 finds its way on the shelves. Offering different levels of realism on a large scale, from controls to team management, there’s bound to be something for everyone.

NHL 19 is a solid game and one that packs plenty of ways to enjoy its core mechanics. Not having played a hockey game seriously in almost two decades it feels like a really good place to step in. There is a lot to unpack here, and I had fun with more than one of the modes. It also has a great training mode for those like me who want to dig deeper into the ins and outs of the sport. EA may not tout this game as much as their other sports games, but they should. This is yet another quality pillar in the EA Sports library.

NHL 19 is really good, especially compared to the previous year, now feels much more accessible, more fun and generally more complete.

Generous content is the great strength of NHL 19. Unfortunately, it's not sufficient to overcome the lack of new gameplay mechanics or the graphic render and animation system, that would gain a lot from a switch to the Frostbite engine.

I can still go either way with advising people on whether NHL 19 is a buy or not.

NHL 19 is quite simply the best ice hockey game ever created. There’s a massive depth of content within, all of which is magnificently upheld by its refined gameplay mechanics and its overall improvements. The game isn’t entirely without fault, but there’s no denying that this years installation is deeper, more varied and a hell of a lot more fluid than any game before it. Fans of the series, don’t pass this by.

Probably the best hockey game ever, with a plethora of game modes and a lot of accessibility options.

NHL 19 is one of the best-playing hockey games I can remember, thanks to an overhauled animation system and the best body checking money can buy. World of CHEL is cool, too, at least as a foundation for future editions. Unfortunately, as it is right now, unless you like player-locked multiplayer experiences, this banner addition won’t have much more to offer other than a few challenges and a new parka. Still, if you’ve skipped the last few years of NHL games, you could do a lot worse than NHL 19.

If you’re a hockey fan, this game is highly recommended, as NHL 19 has made gameplay changes that make the experience much more authentic, while at the same time introducing new modes and adding to many old ones in order to bring the fun back to the series.

NHL 19 still has its share of legacy issues that need attention, but the vastly improved skating and physics make this the best playing hockey game of the generation. The scouting system gives franchise mode a much-needed makeover, and while World of Chel feels like a half-built theme park right now, I’m excited about its future prospects. If you haven’t played an NHL game in a while, this is the year to jump back over the boards.

NHL 19 has something for everyone, packing tons of quality into its many fun and diverse modes.

NHL 19 can be shaped into the hockey game you want it to be, which is lucky, because EA’s hockey games don’t have any real competition. If you were put off by NHL 18, which felt lazy, then NHL 19 is the apology you deserve. If you skipped NHL 18, then this game will be an even bigger leap forward for you. If you’ve never played a hockey game before, you can feel assured that the ponds and stadiums of this game will be accommodating. EA’s NHL 19 is a sports simulation, a fantasy league, a social hub, and a comforting arcade game all at once, and that is quite a thing to accomplish.

NHL 19 is a friendly game for beginners and will please veterans. The speed and fun of its matches will keep you hooked for hours. In addition, with World of Chel they have managed to completely renew the online mode, offering an entertaining proposal that becomes a must for fans of this sport.

NHL 19 is still a fun virtual hockey experience, and that’s the biggest thing. The World of CHEL adds a much-needed layer of personality, playability, and lightheartedness to the franchise. The depth of each mode goes a long way toward meeting almost every virtual hockey fan wherever they are with their fandom. On the downside, there is a lack of customization, some collision-detection issues, as well as some dated and less-than-impressive presentation elements.

If you’re an NHL fan who’s skipped an entry or two in the last couple years, this is a definite yes. For the rest, it really depends on how you’re planning to play it — grab it if you’re planning on a lot of online play (read: and you’re based in North America). If you’re sticking to offline, bide your time and wait for a sale. Kudos to EA Vancouver for doing what they could all the same.

NHL 19 succeeds mainly because of its best-in-class controls, authentic presentation, multitude of different ways to play, and its overall excellence in capturing the essence of hockey culture. The pond hockey mode is a fun new way to play with friends in beautiful outdoor environments, but it's the only brand-new feature, and that may disappoint veteran fans.