NHL 17

NHL 17 offers such variety that it’s easy to recommend to many players. The continued focus on accessibility and on-ice training fits the series well, and added depth to the EASHL keeps long-time fans like me coming back. The franchise mode finally gives the GM/owner mode a reason to be played, and even Draft Champions, while a bit simplistic, provides a motivation to interact with the Ultimate Team ecosystem. Most importantly, the hockey presented on the ice is dynamic and fluid, and it serves up an excellent version of the fastest game around.

To those who are new to EA’s NHL game series, a bit of background: in 2015, NHL released on the latest-gen consoles to mostly disappointment. Many of the game’s modes had been stripped-out, leaving a lot of longtime fans feeling cheated. Then, last year, NHL 16 represented a comeback of sorts – modes were brought back, new features were added, and EA made a long-term commitment to stay in touch with fans and listen to feedback.

The best hockey series ever gets even better. More to see and more to do – and it’s all great fun thanks to solid gameplay and attention to detail

While last year’s game was coming off its very disappointingly bare bones predecessor, NHL 17 already had a very solid foundation to build upon at the start and is one that will be enjoyed by most any fan of the sport.

With NHL 17 being the second version of EA's hockey sim to be released since the shameful PlayStation 4 debut that was NHL 15, fans of puck-based sports were rightfully expecting the good work done in last year's edition to carry on through and be improved upon even further to really bring the franchise into the current generation. There were warning signs suggesting that wouldn't be the case, but though the changes listed in the various pre-launch press releases all sound like standard EA Sports annual update fare, those fans will find that they've been rewarded for their patience.

NHL 17 continues in NHL 16's tradition, providing a solid and customizable hockey sim experience, but not all of the new changes work as well as promised.

NHL 17 isn't leaps and bounds better than last year's NHL 16, but it's evident upon even a glance that EA Sports has been listening to its fan base. The end result of this leaves glimmers of unrealized potential, but the realization that this is the best installment that the series has seen thus far. It's been a rough trek for gamers, but NHL is back and it's better than ever.

When compared to NHL 15, NHL 17 is miles ahead; when compared to NHL 16, it’s incrementally better. That’s the EA Sports way. There are some new features and improvements, but nothing mind-blowingly innovative. That’s perfectly fine. There’s a good hockey game at the core, and a lot of options on the periphery. That’s all we ever wanted.

Few games execute as well within their actual play as NHL, and that continues with in the newest installment. There's a lack of girth around the main game, with Draft Champions and Franchise Mode feeling like copies from previous EA Sports games. But at the same time, the on-ice play has never been better, the on-ice trainer is improved further and adding in net battles was a smart move. While it disappoints slightly, NHL 17 is still a must-play for hockey fans.

NHL 17 is a very good hockey simulation game. It's gameplay works well, it contains a plethora of well executed modes, and has a stable online experience. Sadly, some issues with the menus and on-ice trainer, along with long loading times, can cause frustration, especially when new players are still trying to understand the NHL 17's controls. While newcomers may be a bit off-put by the game at first if they don't invest a lot of time with it,those who stick with the game and fans of the series will have a great time, even though there are still a few things that need to be improved on in the f...

After the NHL lockout in 2005, I began to lose some interest in what used to be my favorite sport and started to watch it less often. Now over 10 years later, I haven’t been to a professional hockey game in years, and only really pay attention to the playoffs. I might be lapsed (because it used to be better), but I always remember why I fell in love with the sport whenever I play an NHL video game.

Things might be starting to warm up on this side of the world, but in the US and Canada the National Hockey League season is just around the corner, and with it the release of NHL 17.