NHL 20

NHL 20 delivers an enjoyable simulation of the NHL experience, with new modes and features adding additional fun to the strong framework provided by prior years' releases.

EA's latest ice hockey game is a strong skate forward.

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NHL 20 is the best the series has been this console generation. Improving upon the changes made in NHL 19, the game has never felt better. The changes may seem subtle, but they really tighten up the gameplay enough for it to feel better than its predecessors. Besides the distracting scoreboard, the presentation has received the same treatment, truly immersing you in the action on the ice. All of the modes available, like Ones Eliminator and the World of CHEL, are tremendous and will keep players coming back until the next iteration inevitably releases next year. NHL 20 is a great package for a...

EA Vancouver has been working hard to begin to push the NHL franchise towards a proper simulation experience. Their effort has really paid off in this year’s iteration. The game is more fun than it’s ever been thanks in large part to RPM Tech truly changing the look and feel of the game in ways fans have wanted for years. There’s still a long road to travel in conveying the emotion of players and fans alike, and issues of years past still at times rear their ugly head, but NHL 20 has me more excited for video game hockey than I’ve been in a decade.

After last year's stellar NHL installment, can they build on their success this season? Find out in our NHL 20 Review for PS4.

It’s hard to win in the NHL. Some of the most dominant teams in history fall short of the Stanley Cup. The best you can do is get better every year and hope that one of these seasons will be the one you get to hoist the most iconic trophy in professional sports. EA Canada took NHL 20 all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals this year but fell just shy of the perfect season. Unlike the Boston Bruins, though, there is no reason for EA Canada to mope. NHL 20 is close to the best video game hockey experience ever made, and that should be celebrated.

Depending on the mode you like to play, NHL 20 is a winner or a loser. The on-ice action improves thanks to the reworked shooting system, and the World of Chel arcade modes gain a little more depth. However, the frustrating lack of changes for EASHL and Be A Pro undermine the popular modes.

NHL 20 brings enough new to the table that it feels like a worthwhile upgrade over last year’s entry, bringing the incredibly fun new Eliminator mode and revamped commentary that breathes some new life into the experience. Sadly, the AI remains occasionally nightmarish, and the game’s consistently-growing collection of modes means EA is leaving some older modes out to die, resulting in a lot of fluff to sort through to get to the good stuff.

NHL 20 made some noteworthy changes that were much needed, but the game feels mostly dated. The gameplay is faster, but the AI still can suck the life out of the fun. The focus is on the arcade multiplayer aspects as it seems that EA Vancouver is leaving the NHL experience behind. There are plenty of modes here, but it's the same story. The presentation creates a new feel to each game and it was much needed. The NHL series is still a great hockey series, but it set expectations high early in this generation. NHL 20 packs a lot for players that don't pick it up yearly, but others may want to wa...

EA Vancouver has long been one of Electronic Arts’ most reliable studios having put out everything from the later Fight Night games to the entire SSX series and NBA Street, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that NHL 20 is yet another swell hockey game. That was pretty much a known commodity due to the developer’s pedigree, so the real question becomes if this is worth upgrading from NHL 19 to this new entry. Usually that is a yes or no question, but this year it is a pretty difficult query to answer due to the lack of meaningful new modes with the gameplay on the ice getting further polished ...

A conservative update that nevertheless shouldn't be ignored by hockey fans.