Unlike with Madden and FIFA, EA Sports elected to hold off on porting NHL 14 to the new consoles coming around the corner. This means their attention during development probably hasn’t been as split the way it may have been with the two bigger franchises, but at the same time, it also means that this year’s edition is once again more of a tweak than a radical reworking of the game.

With that said, let’s delve into what has changed in this year’s release, starting with the new collision physics, which are actually borrowed from FIFA’s so-called Player Impact Engine. To me, this is probably the most important change to the gameplay in that it brings back some of the physicality that NHL 13 was missing. No longer will players skate into each other only to bounce off of brush each other aside. Checks can actually be initiated purely by collisions, whether intentional or not, which is more realistic. You still have the ability to throw a directed check using the right thumb stick, and if anything the new impact engine makes hits easier to line up and connect, because now you can catch someone by the leg or shoulder instead of having to hit them dead on in their center of gravity. This also helps cut down on some of the canned animation in hitting as well. The game also does a better job of taking into account the relative size of players, though it’s still not perfect. I was able to do significant damage to other players even with diminutive, 5′ 7″ playmakers like Martin St. Louis, even sending one to the locker room, though he also will bounce off sometimes.

However, you’re still taking a risk going for that big hit as the True Performance Skating feature continues to be tweaked. Players are a bit shiftier and more responsive in turning on the ice. They also accelerate faster off their first step compared to before. To offset that though, defenders are able to stay more square to the shooter with better strafing capabilities. I think in this regard, with a second year under their built, EA has found the right balance between conserving a skater’s momentum and allowing them to adjust their trajectory. Last year’s edition really had you thinking about where everyone was going to be rather than where they were, and this year it feels just a little less predetermined which will demand more awareness and hockey sense. Another feature they push in this area is the one touch dekes, which are supposed to be easier but for whatever reason wouldn’t execute reliably for me. Apparently it’s context sensitive but after costing me the puck one too many times I went back to the tried and true right stick deking. Spinoramas have been simplified into a left trigger pull as well but I hardly bother with them.

The last major improvement has been to the fighting engine, which has finally taken the cue of borrowing from Fight Night after years of clamoring by fans, and it pays off. No longer are the fights one big grapple fest. First of all, the game actually differentiates between “heat of the moment fights” such as responding to a big hit; planned and or staged fights right off the faceoff. In the latter, you actually start off in a bit of a free skate, and there’s some strategy involved in your approach. Not only can you protect yourself but you can dodge punches, fake grabs, or push and pull your foe off balance and take advantage. I used to avoid fights in recent NHL games because they had gotten to be so monotonous. Perhaps it’ll be the same with this someday, but for right now it’s fresh and exciting and has more varied outcomes than just trading punches. The other neat part is now teams will realistically react to provocations and protect their goalie and teammates from your foul behavior. They will even get pissed when you take a shot after the whistle instead of staring blankly at you like they used to. It’s a little thing, but it really adds to the immersion and gives you a way to blow off some steam when you’re losing.

Speaking of which, depending on your skill level and which presets you choose, it’s hard to comment on the difficulty. Personally I found that playing on the simulation defaults, even on All-Star, was not nearly as stressful as it was last year. To my dismay, I found that some money goals from NHL 13 are just as effective in NHL 14, if not even more so, particularly the ones that take advantage of the goalie being screened. Hopefully some of this will be done away with slider updates. I don’t like losing too much (of course), but so far it’s been a bit of a cakewalk. The NHL 94 throwback mode is actually a bit more difficult. While I started off on the series with the original title from 20 years ago, it was somewhat disorienting to play the classic style with only 2 real buttons and yet have modern graphics and animations. Still there’s some hilarious nods to the past, from the original intro music playing while the teams step onto the ice to the goal celebrations which mimic the ones of the time. Lastly, Be A Pro mode has been renamed Live the Life mode and the only real difference is the addition of off the ice things to do like interviews, endorsements, and basically trying to be likeable to fans and teammates alike. If you like RPGs in your sports, I guess it’s alright, but it didn’t appeal to me in the least.

Hardcore NHL fans, you know you’re probably going to get this anyway. While not as groundbreaking as last year’s release, the tweaks to the hitting and fighting are worth it for those missing the physicality taken out as a result of the improved skating. Casual sports gamers will probably enjoy these aspects as well, but the graphics and sound are untouched so there’s not much to point to there to justify the update (for instance the Tampa Bay Lightning’s scoreboard and rafters haven’t been updated in ages and they’ve changed twice in real life over the years since, please pick it up, EA!).

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