

Entering the offensive zone is also more challenging in NHL 21, since opponents have a much better awareness of the puck carrier to cut off entry routes into their defensive third. In the offensive zone, your teammates will make mostly intelligent plays and be in position to wait for the pass to set up scoring chances. I'm happy to say that the AI has improved across the board. Let's start with general gameplay improvements, with a focus on AI and goaltending. If you had hoped for an overhaul with next-gen consoles on the horizon, you might want to pass on NHL 21 because the base game still feels and looks unchanged. However, what has not changed is the overall presentation and foundation. Developer EA Vancouver also promised improved animations and AI, new dekes, new game modes, and minor improvements all around.
#Nhl 17 ps4 review pro#
With these expectations firmly in place, I was still cautiously excited at the announcement that EA would finally spend some time on its Be A Pro career mode, which is several years overdue at this point. Updates to yearly sports titles are never groundbreaking, but compared to FIFA or Madden, NHL seemed in especially dire straits with fewer sales and less budget to make meaningful improvements year over year. Some of the most exciting additions, such as the revamped Be A Pro mode, are bogged down by bugs and offer little else to sink your teeth into.

#Nhl 17 ps4 review upgrade#
Some long-overdue improvements have finally arrived, but the final product feels more like an overpriced refresh than a worthy reason to upgrade from NHL 20. While that likely did not mean more development time for this entry, this year's improvements feel meatier than recent installments - although that doesn't necessarily mean much.

NHL 21 released one month later than usual, most likely due to the NHL season starting late. Not everything has changed, though: EA's sports titles keep dropping to maintain some normalcy in our lives, and NHL 21 is no exception. With COVID-19, the world has been trying to adapt to the new normal of working from home, maintaining safe distances, and wearing masks.
