Well first of all, I am happy to say that this is nowhere near as bad as NHL 2003. The irritating color commentator + useless game breaker are gone from 2004, which makes me happier. This is long: don't read if not into novels
Gameplay : Barely touched. that is all I have to say and now I am going to say this. The skating is the same, shooting + goaltending are the same. The thing that bothers me about the gameplay is that the defense is still as porous as the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary, even on tight D (or a 5 Star in the game) when you change the defense + when you have the best D-men in the game playing for you. It can do more by making it a better gameplaying experience
International Mode: As I said before, this was a decent attempt by the folks at EA to get people to buy a fading product with a possible bleak future. There are 3 leagues from you to choose from. Germany's DEL, Finland's Elitserien, and Sweden's SM-Liiga. But unfortunately, if anyone cared to try it out, this mode was botched, all the leagues are the same except for rosters + playoffs. The mode is nothing more than a glorified NHL 2003 franchise mode. You can even see that when you look at the mode's interface. And most likely you will not know 95% of the players on here. So if you were not a fan of ex-NHL'ers like Greg Adams or Mike Bullard or not from Europe, don't even bother about this mode.
Dynasty Mode- Due to the recent competition from ESPN NHL Hockey + it's worthless Franchise mode, EA has improved this mode. Like for a few examples, There are actually salaries on this game (in $$$, not points) and a good free agency where you don't have to overcome your horrible prestige to get a great player. But it's not that that has me upset about the mode, it's the concept of the mode that has me and most likely others fuming. Here is the concept: The Ebenezer Scrooge-like owners, realizing that they're "cash-strapped", take away every luxury item, release every staff member, + sell off every piece of workout equipment to "break even". That is where you, the naive GM, comes into play. you trade, sign + draft your way into a dynasty. But all this mode is only about is to please those cheap, Scrooge-like owners, by giving them a surplus in the finances, then they throw GM points around. When you get 100 of them, you have 1 point to spend on your locker room or your staff, + that is what you basically do for 20 years until they shove you out the door + give you a retirement present. Let me give you a hint, don't put it on Legal! even when you have it on level 10, it doesnt work real well. The GM office and the GM ranking are just a sad attempt trying to compete wth ESPN's "Cribs" the GM office you just look at, you do not control anything in that room, and The GM rankings are just, well, GM rankings. Trading is much harder to do, no longer can you trade your way from worthless deadweight to perennial scoring champion in no time flat. and that you can no longer sign people + trade them away. The main irk of the dynasty mode is that you cannot change the concept! it is stuck like this forever! and that is why I am somewhat disappointed with this mode.
Sound: It is crisp, sounding like you are watching the real thing in an arena. Unfortunately, that was true in NHL 2003. The commentary is definitely improved, why do I know this, the color commentator from NHL 2003 has been given the boot! the commentary is deeper, more serious than the distraction of last year.
Graphics: They are much better from last years version, unfortunately, the faces have seemed to take a step backward this year (on my computer, that is)
Final Verdict: I would've loved a better game out of EA sports, unfortunately, as always, it's the ONLY option on the PC. so once again hockey fans will have another scar to go with the possible strike coming up.
Well first of all, I am happy to say that this is nowhere near as bad as NHL 2003. The irritating color commentator + useless game breaker are gone from 2004, which makes me happier. This is long: don't read if not into novels
Gameplay : Barely touched. that is all I have to say and now I am going to say this. The skating is the same, shooting + goaltending are the same. The thing that bothers me about the gameplay is that the defense is still as porous as the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary, even on tight D (or a 5 Star in the game) when you change the defense + when you have the best D-men in the game playing for you. It can do more by making it a better gameplaying experience
International Mode: As I said before, this was a decent attempt by the folks at EA to get people to buy a fading product with a possible bleak future. There are 3 leagues from you to choose from. Germany's DEL, Finland's Elitserien, and Sweden's SM-Liiga. But unfortunately, if anyone cared to try it out, this mode was botched, all the leagues are the same except for rosters + playoffs. The mode is nothing more than a glorified NHL 2003 franchise mode. You can even see that when you look at the mode's interface. And most likely you will not know 95% of the players on here. So if you were not a fan of ex-NHL'ers like Greg Adams or Mike Bullard or not from Europe, don't even bother about this mode. Dynasty Mode- Due to the recent competition from ESPN NHL Hockey + it's worthless Franchise mode, EA has improved this mode. Like for a few examples, There are actually salaries on this game (in $$$, not points) and a good free agency where you don't have to overcome your horrible prestige to get a great player. But it's not that that has me upset about the mode, it's the concept of the mode that has me and most likely others fuming. Here is the concept: The Ebenezer Scrooge-like owners, realizing that they're "cash-strapped", take away every luxury item, release every staff member, + sell off every piece of workout equipment to "break even". That is where you, the naive GM, comes into play. you trade, sign + draft your way into a dynasty. But all this mode is only about is to please those cheap, Scrooge-like owners, by giving them a surplus in the finances, then they throw GM points around. When you get 100 of them, you have 1 point to spend on your locker room or your staff, + that is what you basically do for 20 years until they shove you out the door + give you a retirement present. Let me give you a hint, don't put it on Legal! even when you have it on level 10, it doesnt work real well. The GM office and the GM ranking are just a sad attempt trying to compete wth ESPN's "Cribs" the GM office you just look at, you do not control anything in that room, and The GM rankings are just, well, GM rankings. Trading is much harder to do, no longer can you trade your way from worthless deadweight to perennial scoring champion in no time flat. and that you can no longer sign people + trade them away. The main irk of the dynasty mode is that you cannot change the concept! it is stuck like this forever! and that is why I am somewhat disappointed with this mode. Sound: It is crisp, sounding like you are watching the real thing in an arena. Unfortunately, that was true in NHL 2003. The commentary is definitely improved, why do I know this, the color commentator from NHL 2003 has been given the boot! the commentary is deeper, more serious than the distraction of last year. Graphics: They are much better from last years version, unfortunately, the faces have seemed to take a step backward this year (on my computer, that is)
Final Verdict: I would've loved a better game out of EA sports, unfortunately, as always, it's the ONLY option on the PC. so once again hockey fans will have another scar to go with the possible strike coming up.