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2008 Hockey Videogame Thread (NHL 08 & NHL 2K8 out Sept. 11)
- Thread starter FightyF
- Start date
Is there a demo for 2k8? I just tried the EA NHL demo and it was kind of fun (although I didn't score except once in the shootout) although I saw some weird physics at times. An example was a guy with his back to the net shot a fully powered shot at the goalie, and some weird collisions against the walls.
1Up has committed PURE SPORTS TERRORISM.
Got 2K8 earlier today, and played on Simulation settings on All-Star with the new control scheme.
Right now I have to get used to the control scheme, much like I had to get used to 07's controls when I first got it.
There's some good and some bad things about it.
The good:
Like 08, the game fully addresses all the faults in 2K7. Goalie animations and AI are fixed (though I think 08's is still better), one timers are EXACTLY HOW THEY SHOULD BE (as in, they only connect if it's a clear pass, that the hardness of the shot depends on how the shooter is positioned, and that the shots are biased in the direction it was passed from assuming the shooter was in a good position, and in this case it is far more realistic than 08), the manual stick control is more like how it was in 2K6 and made realistic (and very realistic in it's use, only good stick handlers will be able to pull off crazy manual dekes, most players can't do it as fast as in 08), the defensive game is the best yet in any hockey game (like in 2K6/7 you can swing your stick, in this game you determine when you want to skate backwards unlike 08 which does it for you, you can also lay your stick while skating backwards to block passes, and when you use the poke it seems that if you are close enough you actually lift their stick and take the puck away and this seems to be dependent on your position relative to the opponents, it's a great feature as sometimes you just don't want to poke it away to the corner, you want to steal the puck with no fuss).
Because of the improvements made to defensive play, it's much harder to even get chances, you have to work hard as a team to get your shots and chances. So the shots are far more realistic. The hitting game is largely the same. Lined up hits will flatten the guy, everything else will just bump them off the puck.
With the tie ups, battling for pucks along the boards, and skating that takes a while to build up some speed, the flow of the game is more realistic than 08. This game is far more grittier as far as battling for puck possession and attempting to get chances.
There's some notable changes to the controls, one is that you can hold the pass button and flick the Right Stick in any direction and you pass it off in that direction. It's convenient when you are dealing with loose pucks, you just chip it where you want it to go. Also added is ANOTHER speed burst. It's a great feature where if you are coming up the wing and the D has you lined for a hit, you can squeeze past him. Or, if you have a partial break, you can try to make it a breakaway (and the trailing D chasing after you can do the same), it looks really cool. It's easy to lose the puck this way, but if you have some open ice in front of you it's a good idea. Though it kills your line, do it once, maybe twice and change that line. There's also a new deke move that is basically a juke. So instead of skating by the guy protecting the puck (which you can do with the skill stick, rather than pressing B in past versions, and like in 08), you jump to the side to skate around them.
So the good in a nutshell. Everything we wanted to see improved, was improved. Secondly, they went above and beyond the depth of control that you saw in 2K7, and even out-does 08. Going back to 08, it seems more limited, especially when it comes to defensive play.
The bad? They've added all of these controls, which require more buttons and button combinations. The beauty of 07 is that it afforded a decent level of controls (even though it wasn't as deep as 2K7) with only a few buttons and the right analog stick. For example, to protect the puck in 2K7, you held "B". In 07, you held your stick to the outside (depending on where the opponent was in relation to you). In 08, the moves afforded was expanded further, and really they just added one more button. Yet in 2K8 the advanced controls require every single button and multiple combinations for each. Half of this is due to accommodating player used to previous control schemes, whereas in 07 EA was able to throw out the old control scheme completely. Another comparative example is when you fake a shot. You press R button to shoot, but while it's held down you can hit X to fake it. In 07/08, you just slowly put the Right Stick back into the default position. So you can see that one solution is more elegant than the other.
One example of an odd design choice is the use of 2 speed burst buttons. R Trigger gives you the usual one you're accustomed to in previous 2K games. Pressing A gives you that "all or nothing" sprint I was talking about earlier. It would have been better to ditch the R Trigger speed burst, and just implement that into the usual player control, and apply the "all or nothing" burst into the R Trigger instead. Yes, most players will make the mistake of using that all the time and kill their lines, but in the end you are simplifying the controls and making a game that is easier to play.
I'm getting used to the controls though. Like 07, I'm willing to give them a chance and not judge the controls after my first few games. I am already getting used to them, and now I fear that it will screw me up when I play 08, heheh.
The graphics are a mixed bag as well. The detail is great, and I like the look of the ice and the rink, and the players seem like they are lit better, but the animations dependant on the stick controls don't look natural. Ie. swiping your stick as a D, it occurs really fast, and it's basically the same sort of unrealistic motion we saw in 07's stick handling.
Last year, owning both games pointed out flaws in each, and this year is no different. 2K8's gameplay and controls are deeper than 08's. The flow is more gritty and battling for the puck and fighting for your chances is more important in this game. But it lacks the refined control and the reflection of the game on a more micro scale, in 08. In 08 you feel you have more precise control over your player. Despite the fact that 08 players can't do as much as 2K8 players, the controls feel very 1:1 and an extension of your thumbs. 08's improvements to the skating and AI makes it more comparable to the 2K series this time around, and the refinements made to the hitting and passing really help 08 become a more complete package.
In a nutshell, EA has kept the game simple, and does what it does very well. On the other hand, Kush made a more realistic representation of the sport, but in the end complicated things as far as controls are concerned.
In many ways, it's hard for me to go to 08, as it will seem more basic and simple, but I have a feeling that in the end I may have more fun with 08 as it is easily accessible and easy to get into. It's like comparing NBA Jam to Coach K's College Basketball, really. Not to say that 08 is super arcadey, but the controls are much more elegant and simple, yet you can still do quite a bit.
-addendum-
I think the scores we saw, that put 2K8 around 0.5 lower than 08, is fair. 2K8 does boast more in terms of player control, in terms of modes, in terms of franchise/season modes, and in terms of realism, but the gameplay itself could have been executed better. Despite lacking in many of these features, 08 has improved to the point where it can be played as a sim game (as compared to 07), and does what it does excellently, so it will end up in good fun, and so despite lacking many features I think it does deserve a slightly higher score.
Got 2K8 earlier today, and played on Simulation settings on All-Star with the new control scheme.
Right now I have to get used to the control scheme, much like I had to get used to 07's controls when I first got it.
There's some good and some bad things about it.
The good:
Like 08, the game fully addresses all the faults in 2K7. Goalie animations and AI are fixed (though I think 08's is still better), one timers are EXACTLY HOW THEY SHOULD BE (as in, they only connect if it's a clear pass, that the hardness of the shot depends on how the shooter is positioned, and that the shots are biased in the direction it was passed from assuming the shooter was in a good position, and in this case it is far more realistic than 08), the manual stick control is more like how it was in 2K6 and made realistic (and very realistic in it's use, only good stick handlers will be able to pull off crazy manual dekes, most players can't do it as fast as in 08), the defensive game is the best yet in any hockey game (like in 2K6/7 you can swing your stick, in this game you determine when you want to skate backwards unlike 08 which does it for you, you can also lay your stick while skating backwards to block passes, and when you use the poke it seems that if you are close enough you actually lift their stick and take the puck away and this seems to be dependent on your position relative to the opponents, it's a great feature as sometimes you just don't want to poke it away to the corner, you want to steal the puck with no fuss).
Because of the improvements made to defensive play, it's much harder to even get chances, you have to work hard as a team to get your shots and chances. So the shots are far more realistic. The hitting game is largely the same. Lined up hits will flatten the guy, everything else will just bump them off the puck.
With the tie ups, battling for pucks along the boards, and skating that takes a while to build up some speed, the flow of the game is more realistic than 08. This game is far more grittier as far as battling for puck possession and attempting to get chances.
There's some notable changes to the controls, one is that you can hold the pass button and flick the Right Stick in any direction and you pass it off in that direction. It's convenient when you are dealing with loose pucks, you just chip it where you want it to go. Also added is ANOTHER speed burst. It's a great feature where if you are coming up the wing and the D has you lined for a hit, you can squeeze past him. Or, if you have a partial break, you can try to make it a breakaway (and the trailing D chasing after you can do the same), it looks really cool. It's easy to lose the puck this way, but if you have some open ice in front of you it's a good idea. Though it kills your line, do it once, maybe twice and change that line. There's also a new deke move that is basically a juke. So instead of skating by the guy protecting the puck (which you can do with the skill stick, rather than pressing B in past versions, and like in 08), you jump to the side to skate around them.
So the good in a nutshell. Everything we wanted to see improved, was improved. Secondly, they went above and beyond the depth of control that you saw in 2K7, and even out-does 08. Going back to 08, it seems more limited, especially when it comes to defensive play.
The bad? They've added all of these controls, which require more buttons and button combinations. The beauty of 07 is that it afforded a decent level of controls (even though it wasn't as deep as 2K7) with only a few buttons and the right analog stick. For example, to protect the puck in 2K7, you held "B". In 07, you held your stick to the outside (depending on where the opponent was in relation to you). In 08, the moves afforded was expanded further, and really they just added one more button. Yet in 2K8 the advanced controls require every single button and multiple combinations for each. Half of this is due to accommodating player used to previous control schemes, whereas in 07 EA was able to throw out the old control scheme completely. Another comparative example is when you fake a shot. You press R button to shoot, but while it's held down you can hit X to fake it. In 07/08, you just slowly put the Right Stick back into the default position. So you can see that one solution is more elegant than the other.
One example of an odd design choice is the use of 2 speed burst buttons. R Trigger gives you the usual one you're accustomed to in previous 2K games. Pressing A gives you that "all or nothing" sprint I was talking about earlier. It would have been better to ditch the R Trigger speed burst, and just implement that into the usual player control, and apply the "all or nothing" burst into the R Trigger instead. Yes, most players will make the mistake of using that all the time and kill their lines, but in the end you are simplifying the controls and making a game that is easier to play.
I'm getting used to the controls though. Like 07, I'm willing to give them a chance and not judge the controls after my first few games. I am already getting used to them, and now I fear that it will screw me up when I play 08, heheh.
The graphics are a mixed bag as well. The detail is great, and I like the look of the ice and the rink, and the players seem like they are lit better, but the animations dependant on the stick controls don't look natural. Ie. swiping your stick as a D, it occurs really fast, and it's basically the same sort of unrealistic motion we saw in 07's stick handling.
Last year, owning both games pointed out flaws in each, and this year is no different. 2K8's gameplay and controls are deeper than 08's. The flow is more gritty and battling for the puck and fighting for your chances is more important in this game. But it lacks the refined control and the reflection of the game on a more micro scale, in 08. In 08 you feel you have more precise control over your player. Despite the fact that 08 players can't do as much as 2K8 players, the controls feel very 1:1 and an extension of your thumbs. 08's improvements to the skating and AI makes it more comparable to the 2K series this time around, and the refinements made to the hitting and passing really help 08 become a more complete package.
In a nutshell, EA has kept the game simple, and does what it does very well. On the other hand, Kush made a more realistic representation of the sport, but in the end complicated things as far as controls are concerned.
In many ways, it's hard for me to go to 08, as it will seem more basic and simple, but I have a feeling that in the end I may have more fun with 08 as it is easily accessible and easy to get into. It's like comparing NBA Jam to Coach K's College Basketball, really. Not to say that 08 is super arcadey, but the controls are much more elegant and simple, yet you can still do quite a bit.
-addendum-
I think the scores we saw, that put 2K8 around 0.5 lower than 08, is fair. 2K8 does boast more in terms of player control, in terms of modes, in terms of franchise/season modes, and in terms of realism, but the gameplay itself could have been executed better. Despite lacking in many of these features, 08 has improved to the point where it can be played as a sim game (as compared to 07), and does what it does excellently, so it will end up in good fun, and so despite lacking many features I think it does deserve a slightly higher score.
speculawyer
Member
bishoptl said:
Thanks for representing me there, that is the kinda logical statement I'd make.
Although I would suspect the reason is that EA put all their efforts into the xbox 360 version knowing that it has the potential for good sales whereas the PS3 just isn't as important since it won't move as many copies.
WTF was with that 1up review? That was just ridiculous. I can understand someone not liking the controls . . . but NHL 2K8 is clearly not a bad game. The IGN guys gave it an 8.5 . . . do the 1Up folks really think the game is 1/2 as good as the IGN guys?
Guy Legend
Member
Lol at 1up, never going to care about their hockey reviews ever again.....
IGN's reviews look solid. Looking forward to Gamespot....
IGN's reviews look solid. Looking forward to Gamespot....
Thanks for the impressions Fighty F. If you get a chance, could you add your thoughts about being able to reduce the hitting via sliders, and also if you think penalties are being called in a good amount/variety.
Today should be a national holiday now that both titles are available in stores. I just wish I could advance the clock 2 hours now so gamestop would actually get it in...
Today should be a national holiday now that both titles are available in stores. I just wish I could advance the clock 2 hours now so gamestop would actually get it in...
T.M. MacReady
NO ONE DENIES MEMBER
is NHL 08 even going ot be out today? Today's the ship date, EB stores wont sell it until tomorrow I bet.
DenogginizerOS
BenjaminBirdie's Thomas Jefferson
I am going to go with 08. 2K8 sounds solid, but sounds like more of the same I played last year (which was great). I just want something new and fresh to play and it sounds like 08 is the way to go. If I need to, I can play 2K7 if I miss it.
speculawyer
Member
Big-E said:
From what was in EGM's "review wrap-up" section that covers games that were too late to review, I expect EGM's review to be in the middle between IGN's review & 1UP's review.
Their "bottom line" is "For a 2nd straight year, 2K's frozen pond has too many cracks."
After having played 2k8, it's not that bad. However this year it's offering falls a little flat. To me 2k8 is not as intuitive as '08 there are far too many button combos for me to get a grip on right off the bat. Granted, that is why you replay the game in order to master them. The on ice presentation (i.e. commentary) actually dulled me to a somewhat sleepy state.
I played it on simulation on allstar difficulty. Here were my results
5 minute periods
Rangers vs Ducks (Me playing as the Rangers)
Score
Rangers 4
Ducks 0
Hits
Rangers 25
Ducks 11
Shots
Rangers 14
Ducks 26
Faceoffs won
Rangers 5
Ducks 23
Breakaway Chances
Rangers 2/3
Ducks 0/5
I was going to play another round however I just got my call to pick up '08
I played it on simulation on allstar difficulty. Here were my results
5 minute periods
Rangers vs Ducks (Me playing as the Rangers)
Score
Rangers 4
Ducks 0
Hits
Rangers 25
Ducks 11
Shots
Rangers 14
Ducks 26
Faceoffs won
Rangers 5
Ducks 23
Breakaway Chances
Rangers 2/3
Ducks 0/5
I was going to play another round however I just got my call to pick up '08
Paranoid_Robot
Member
So what's the better game on the PS3?
NHL 08 with dodgy framerate or NHL 2k8 at 60fps?
NHL 08 with dodgy framerate or NHL 2k8 at 60fps?
DenogginizerOS
BenjaminBirdie's Thomas Jefferson
I just picked up '08. It is nice to be this excited about a new hockey game. Makes me almost want to watch "Swingers".
NSFW
http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...=23&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
And I am reading on the back of the box that NHL 08 has 3 vs 3 online co-op!
NSFW
http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...=23&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
And I am reading on the back of the box that NHL 08 has 3 vs 3 online co-op!
TemplaerDude
Member
amrod said:
yeah, it sucks, 07 was pretty fun on the psp if flawed in so many ways.
my 136 goal season with kovalchuk will never be forgotten.
actually that's probably the funnest season i've ever had with any nhl game, despite the brokeness of a number of the things in 07. i remember i took my reformed isles to the finals against calgary and won the cup in the last minute with kovalchuk. it was awesome.
really sucks there's no psp version this year.
DenogginizerOS
BenjaminBirdie's Thomas Jefferson
I think we may need to start a second X360 08 league.
I am not participating in a 2K league this year.
I am not participating in a 2K league this year.
I don't really feel that 2K8 is "more of the same" as I see a few people say from experience or as a concern from others comments. It's quite a nice upgrade IMO. It may take 5+ games to get the hang of the controls but once you do it feels great and even more like real hockey. Player models and faces are a HUGE upgrade from 2K7 as well. I'm sure you can pick up some people who aren't that accurate but many are spot on.
I just picked up NHL 08 for the X-Box 360. I am an average fan of hockey games... I used to love NHL Hitz or whatever it was called on the X-Box.
I like to play the game with 3 other buddies, going 2 on 2 is great fun.
I do not get into Franchise modes and might finish a season...
Honestly, I could care-less about the control... I will get used to this game after a few games.
What really pushed me over the top was the play-by-play... call me simplistic, but I thought the 2K Sports guys were reading a script and sounded terrible...
I like to play the game with 3 other buddies, going 2 on 2 is great fun.
I do not get into Franchise modes and might finish a season...
Honestly, I could care-less about the control... I will get used to this game after a few games.
What really pushed me over the top was the play-by-play... call me simplistic, but I thought the 2K Sports guys were reading a script and sounded terrible...
TemplaerDude
Member
some of us don't have a 360...
Opus Angelorum
Member
TemplaerDude said:
Jump In! Do Do Do!
Impressions now after 2 games on All-Star (360 version of NHL 08, 5 minute periods).
I feel like everything that I have known about videogame hockey has been ripped out of me, thrown on the floor and stomped on. I am absolutely shocked at what I just played through.
My first game against Carolina I lost 2-0, but they didn't score until the last 4 minutes. Shots were 26-16 (me being 16). so basically I attributed this game to getting used to the game. I wasn't too bad at 07 either last year, but have not played it for about 6 months. This game was a goaltending battle, so I'll just sum it up as that. Only a few penalties called.
2nd game I play at home against Stanley cup defending Ducks. This was where my jaw was on the floor. They ran the cycle offence so well against me that I had absolutely no answer. I chased them around the zone constantly while they had a shooting gallery against Fleury. They played like an oiled machine, or like defending stanley cup champs should. I lost this game 6-1 and got outshot 41-25. Their D-men shut me down so bad it wasn't even funny. The game isn't a hit fest either, so it is sound positional play that the A.I is using. I saw about 6 penalties called in this game. Their powerplays were phenominal against me. They played tic-tac-toe a lot and found a lot of the holes on the ice for quick wristers in the back of the net. I tried the new juke move about 5 times, and was successful once on it, getting total shut down the rest of the time.
They were not kidding when they talked about the A.I. learning your tendencies throughout the game and shutting you down. This is the most advanced A.I. I have ever seen in a sports game period, and that is what is shocking to me. You get out of position or go for a big hit and miss, and they sure make you pay for it. Trying to go 1 vs 4 or 5 up the ice is asking for a schooling.
Other tidbits. Not all the players look like themselves. On the pens roster, Crosby, Malkin, Roberts, Recchi, Staal, Fleury, Sykora and Gonchar look like themselves exactly. The rest of the team does not. Crowd atmosphere has been given an upgrade this year as well. You should have heard the Igloo booing after the Ducks ran a cycle in my zone for about 40 seconds straight. Presentation is slightly better then last year with cut scenes not just focusing on the goalie 99% of the time. Having the AHL in the game is totally awesome, as now it is likely when you call someone up, you get their picture in the game instead of a shadow picture. Jerseys have different varieties amongst them. Sykora had his tucked in all the way a la Jagr, Malkin had his half tucked in, etc...
60 FPS is totally smooth, this year it plays like last years 2k7 with the framerate, but with the graphics of 08 engine.
I'm still interested in 2k8 after playing this, but what 08 presents is definitely phenominal.
Ask me questions, I'll answer them.
I feel like everything that I have known about videogame hockey has been ripped out of me, thrown on the floor and stomped on. I am absolutely shocked at what I just played through.
My first game against Carolina I lost 2-0, but they didn't score until the last 4 minutes. Shots were 26-16 (me being 16). so basically I attributed this game to getting used to the game. I wasn't too bad at 07 either last year, but have not played it for about 6 months. This game was a goaltending battle, so I'll just sum it up as that. Only a few penalties called.
2nd game I play at home against Stanley cup defending Ducks. This was where my jaw was on the floor. They ran the cycle offence so well against me that I had absolutely no answer. I chased them around the zone constantly while they had a shooting gallery against Fleury. They played like an oiled machine, or like defending stanley cup champs should. I lost this game 6-1 and got outshot 41-25. Their D-men shut me down so bad it wasn't even funny. The game isn't a hit fest either, so it is sound positional play that the A.I is using. I saw about 6 penalties called in this game. Their powerplays were phenominal against me. They played tic-tac-toe a lot and found a lot of the holes on the ice for quick wristers in the back of the net. I tried the new juke move about 5 times, and was successful once on it, getting total shut down the rest of the time.
They were not kidding when they talked about the A.I. learning your tendencies throughout the game and shutting you down. This is the most advanced A.I. I have ever seen in a sports game period, and that is what is shocking to me. You get out of position or go for a big hit and miss, and they sure make you pay for it. Trying to go 1 vs 4 or 5 up the ice is asking for a schooling.
Other tidbits. Not all the players look like themselves. On the pens roster, Crosby, Malkin, Roberts, Recchi, Staal, Fleury, Sykora and Gonchar look like themselves exactly. The rest of the team does not. Crowd atmosphere has been given an upgrade this year as well. You should have heard the Igloo booing after the Ducks ran a cycle in my zone for about 40 seconds straight. Presentation is slightly better then last year with cut scenes not just focusing on the goalie 99% of the time. Having the AHL in the game is totally awesome, as now it is likely when you call someone up, you get their picture in the game instead of a shadow picture. Jerseys have different varieties amongst them. Sykora had his tucked in all the way a la Jagr, Malkin had his half tucked in, etc...
60 FPS is totally smooth, this year it plays like last years 2k7 with the framerate, but with the graphics of 08 engine.
I'm still interested in 2k8 after playing this, but what 08 presents is definitely phenominal.
Ask me questions, I'll answer them.
TemplaerDude
Member
Spike said:
i'd rather have broken skill stick than no skill stick. the controls are borked in 07 anyways, it's impossible to get them right for the 360 pad.
Goalie mode is amazing in this. It lets you access it in practice mode from the main menu and you can run every kind of scenario you can think of. Want to see how you do on a powerplay against an umbrella powerplay, its there. Odd man rushes, or short handed situations or even 5-0.
5-0 against is an absolute blast to play. The camera angle is great and I think this is more fun to play then 2k's version. Better without the slowmo / moving target cursors over the puck.
Malkin is an 85, Jordan Staal is 82, Whitney is 80 (highway robbery-should be higher) Petr Sykora is 86, Recchi / Roberts are 85s
5-0 against is an absolute blast to play. The camera angle is great and I think this is more fun to play then 2k's version. Better without the slowmo / moving target cursors over the puck.
Malkin is an 85, Jordan Staal is 82, Whitney is 80 (highway robbery-should be higher) Petr Sykora is 86, Recchi / Roberts are 85s
I just had a fantastic game on Superstar mode. It was a 0-0 game through 3 periods, but I eventually lost in overtime. The A.I. controlled the play most of the game but I managed to get some perimeter shots on goal and create some chances. It was really a fantasticly realistic game.
I've finally mastered the art of shot blocking and clogging up the passing lanes. In the first few superstar games I played, the A.I. was burning me on one-timers through the crease. Once you learn to defend against that you can hold your own on superstar mode.
I still haven't won a game on superstar yet.
I've finally mastered the art of shot blocking and clogging up the passing lanes. In the first few superstar games I played, the A.I. was burning me on one-timers through the crease. Once you learn to defend against that you can hold your own on superstar mode.
I still haven't won a game on superstar yet.
Marty Chinn
Member
I went with a bunch of coworkers to Circuit City and they didn't have it yet. I got a $20 gift card, but damn I still wanted to get NHL. Hopefully I can find it on the way home.
Fatalah said:
No roster update, but online play is smooth as butter. me and Kingpen played a couple games, and there was no lag whatsoever. It seems that Team Play is down right now, though. We tried to get a couple games going and it either d/c us or froze our systems.
But holy shit. NHL 08 is absolutely fantastic. The AHL teams and rosters will make franchise mode a dream. The gameplay is brilliant; I scored a couple of sweet goals that were cooler than anything I had ever done in a hockey game.
One of my favorite new features is the ability to have EA send you game stats from people you play online, which will be great for the league.
Even though the stats don't show it, in the second game he out-hit me monstrously because Manchester only has like one guy over 6 feet, and Wilkes-Barre defenseman are hulking ogres.
Who needs another game this year? Not me.