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On my recent visit to EA Vancouver I was determined to get a glimpse of EA’s next generation hockey title, NHL 07. So much so that I told anyone and everyone who even remotely looked like an EA employee that I really wanted to see the game, and that I was a complete NHL die-hard. It probably came off as a lot more desperate sounding than that, but my “networking” came through, and the boys at EA hooked me up with a quick gameplay session. Boheim has the full hands-on preview.
| NHL 2007 | | Electronic Arts | | Electronic Arts Vancouver | | TBA | | Sports | | Xbox Live | | 1-2 | | TBD |
Anticipation score 100%
Introduction
On my recent visit to EA Vancouver I was determined to get a glimpse of EA’s next generation hockey title, NHL 07. So much so that I told anyone and everyone who even remotely looked like an EA employee that I really wanted to see the game, and that I was a complete NHL die-hard. It probably came off as a lot more desperate sounding than that, but my “networking” came through, and the boys at EA hooked me up with a quick gameplay session.
As I’ve mentioned on more than one occasion (and probably too often for anyone that reads my stuff), EA’s NHL ’94 was the game that truly hooked me on gaming in the console generation. I had been a gamer since the 2600, but after moving to the PC realm, the SNES version of NHL convinced me I needed to own a console. Though the games would get better visually, each time the new version came out, it moved a little further from what made ’94 so great: control. Every time the game would add some new auto-deke button, I cringed, knowing that meant it was going to be more difficult to score with the manual style of dekeing as the game forced you to use their super move buttons.
Just as EA was moving to the more unrealistic style of gameplay, 2K was beginning to fine-tune their NHL series into a well-oiled, simulation machine. Playing that series felt like a real NHL game, and reluctantly I bid farewell to EA as the century turned.
But 2K would fall prey to the same thing that nearly killed the real NHL: clutch and grab defense, and the neutral zone trap. As the game began to slow down in real life, and make for a much less fun experience, 2K followed suit. Once again, the visuals were getting better, but the gameplay was becoming much less intriguing.
When the rules changed in the NHL last year (and saved the league from near extinction), the door opened up for EA, and they didn’t just walk through, they body checked 2K into the frame on the way in. Yes, the Manual Deke was back, and it was, in the words of Frank the Tank: glorious.
So when I heard EA was revamping their control scheme again for the next generation, my first instinct was to find a way to kidnap the producers and save them from themselves, and preserve the Manual Deke. Fortunately for NHL gamers, not only will the Manual Deke be in 07 with the new control scheme, EA has found a way to make it better than you could have ever imagined. Here’s my quick take on what I’ve played so far.
Hands On Impressions First off, forget what you think you know about controlling a video game hockey player, because very little of that is going to help you with this one. When you turn the game on, instead of going right to the menu, EA gives you a quick tutorial on the new control scheme, and then drops you right into a shootout match with the 360 A.I. In essence, the new controls break down like this: the left stick is your skates, and the right stick is your lumber. You can move your player around the ice with the left stick, and simultaneously make your stick move left and right in an effort to fake out the goalie. It’s so simple in its brilliance that I can’t believe it hasn’t already been done. In practice, it is not easy to execute when you first start playing. You’re going to fumble around a bit when you first start making moves, but when you start to feel it... ohmigod is this game going to rock.
As much as I wanted to see the full 5 vs. 5 game in action, I had a hard time stopping the shootout mode, because I was having a complete blast moving around firing on the goalie. Once I did go to a game, it was clear that it’s going to take a while for me to grasp the new control scheme. I was throwing errant passes and shots all over the place, and I felt like I had never played the game before in my life. But you know what? I had a smile plastered all over my face, and I was about a foot away from the television like a little kid. I can just FEEL that this control layout is going to make me a very happy gamer come September.
Visually, this is the best hockey has ever looked. The ice, the players, and the crowd are all top shelf, and the puck is a discussion onto itself. This sucker moves all over the ice like a real puck, and you won’t see any of the magnetic puck issues where it moves in the air to better accommodate the goalie’s glove. This thing bounds around like the real thing, and the producer told me to expect to see things you’ve never seen the puck do. Conclusion When I walked around EA’s offices on our tour of the facility, it was pretty evident to me that NHL is the title that has everyone buzzing (It is Canada after all). Visually the game is one of the stronger next gen sports titles I’ve seen, and the control scheme is such a radical departure for the franchise, that the game has potential to be either a pioneer for NHL videogames, or flame-out with long time fans. 
Personally I think this game is going to blaze a wide path, and once players get the hang of it, you’re going to see other hockey games duplicating the control scheme. Even with limited playtime, this game is already my favorite for sports title of the year (how about that for pressure?).
Look for our full review of the game once it hits the shelves.
Images that are used in this hands-on preview can be seen in full in our Gallery at the following location.
Hands-On Preview by Boheim
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