A new game was released Oct. 6 titled “NHL 24,” and it is a great hockey experience that is better than the previous five NHL games. It feels much better to play and the game modes are much more exciting to play.
This game aims to replicate the National Hockey League experience, allowing players to hit the ice as their favorite team. It showcases every professional team in the NHL and the American Hockey League, or AHL, which is the development league for the NHL.
The biggest additions that players saw in the game were the sustained pressure system, the total control scheme, and the introduction of cross-play into “NHL 24.”
The total control scheme combines the right stick shooting and hitting with skill move buttons. In the past, the left stick would be used to move, and the right stick would be used to shoot, but now you can offer up multiple skill moves separate from the right stick as the face buttons come into play to make a huge change in gameplay.
The sustained pressure system is a meter in the middle of the offensive or defensive zone and it affects both sides of the puck, especially the goalie. When that meter fills up, the attacking player’s passing speed and accuracy get boosted while the defense attempts to survive the best they can by countering the moves effectively.
Also, this pressure system introduces a goalie fatigue system which makes the goalie more tired as shots and passes are made. This addition makes the game much more fast-paced as it could lead to enhanced scoring odds from anywhere on the ice.
EA Sports finally added cross-play into the NHL games. Now, players can face off against others on different consoles. It won’t do much to gameplay, but it’s an incredible addition to the game.
The animation for hits, shots, saves and movements have all been improved.
Not only this, but the game now allows you to choose what type of hit you want to deliver, including new ragdoll physics built into these improvements to look better than ever. Shoves are less risky to do but they have much less impact on the player, giving big hits can force you to recover faster on defense if timed wrong, and those big hits could completely disrupt the offense and knock the puck into your offensive zone instead of the defensive zone.
Two of the game modes have also seen upgrades as well. World of Chel and HUT Rush has seen major changes in its features, gameplay and overall feel. World of Chel allows the player to create a player and play online in either 3 v. 3 or 6 v. 6 matchups.
A huge addition to the World of Chel is the newly added Battle Pass. Similar to other games that have a battle pass, it allows you to level up and earn unique cosmetics within a certain number of months. The current battle pass is slated to end on December 6.
The game does have its cons like other games, however. The offline game modes, such as Be a Pro and Franchise Mode, didn’t get any new upgrades as they stayed roughly the same as last year’s game. Also, in World of Chel, you have to repeatedly add each skater entry information for each newly created skater you design. It doesn’t save the options from the previously created ones.
Overall, “NHL 24” is a step back in the right direction. It gives players the true hockey experience and action-packed gameplay for a better experience.
The cost of the game varies depending on the edition you choose. The standard edition for Xbox One costs $59.99, the standard edition for Xbox One X/S and PS5 costs $69.99, and the X-Factor edition for Xbox One, Xbox One X/S, and PS5 costs $99.99.
