|
| 
 enlarge | From: Electronic Arts
Category: Video Games
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $14.29
You Save: $15.70 (52%)
New (22) Used (17) from $13.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 2958
Platform: Playstation 3
ESRB: Everyone 10+
Media: Video Game
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Operating System: Playstation 3
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0
MPN: 15412
Model: 15412
UPC: 014633154122
EAN: 0014633154122
ASIN: B000QB05A8
Release Date: September 11, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: ******BRAND NEW****** ** Over 1.5 million orders shipped worldwide and more than 500 000 items in stock, BUY FROM A TRUSTED SOURCE, ESTABLISHED SINCE 1998 - INETVIDEO ~~~
|
| Customer Reviews:
One of the best hockey games ever produced March 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was initially skeptical about NHL 08. I was a 2K Sports player for years as EA never seemed to get what hockey was really about. To put it simply, the 2K series tended to be hockey simulators while the EA games tended to be arcade games. That all changed with NHL 08.
The biggest change, and the biggest positive, in the game compared to its compatriots (regardless of brand) is the notion of positioning being important. Just like in its real-life counterpart, since obstruction is being enforced, defensive positioning is paramount. In NHL 08, you'll actually be called for tripping or holding. You'll actually be called for interference, and even elbowing. All of this means that you'll be acutely aware of where your defenders are in relation to the puck carrier and possible passing lanes.
Perhaps even more compelling is that the opponent AI understands these factors as well. Trust me when I say you will be beat by Ovechkin on a backdoor play. You will be beat by a tip-in of a cross-crease pass because a defender is out of position. You will be beat by the opposing defense using your own defenders as a screen for their slapshots.
Graphically, the game is solid. Skaters kick up snow when they stop suddenly. The goalie's water bottle gets shot to the end glass if you roof one by him. Hats are thrown when there's a hat trick. The uniforms are all legit, and look good.
The audio is generally good. Gary Thorne and Bill Clement are great announcers, but, like with all sports games, have a limited amount of dialogue. The crowd seems pretty lifelike, even starting chants for a certain player, or if your team is mouting a comeback.
Two things hold this game from reaching five stars:
1. The controls take a while to get used to. This is especially true if you come from 2K Sports. They're very simple once you get used to them, but there is a learning curve.
2. Fighting seems to be an afterthought. While you can fight against an opposing player (which is instigated by, of all things, slashing them), the controls are a bit of a mystery. Unfortunately, the manual doesn't help because there are no fighting instructions in it. From what I can tell, the right stick controls the punching (somewhat like EA's Fight Night games) and the face buttons control other actions, but it's all a bit of a crapshoot. Thankfully, fighting is pretty rare in the game.
Overall, NHL 08 is just about perfect. If you enjoy hockey games, I recommend picking it up.
TWEENER February 28, 2008
If yer a hockey nut, like me, you'll love this game. I must admit though...I get goose-bumps thinking about 1-0 and 2-1, old time hockey scores. So I understand if some people think this game is slightly boring at times. I just happen to love watching defensive hockey with the occasional excitement caused when a strong DEFENSIVE play causes an odd-man rush the other way.
STAND-ALONE: Fun, addictive, true hockey simulation. If you don't have a blast playing your way into, and then through, the Stanley Cup Playoffs...then I'll call Bob Probert out of retirement (or prison) to come face me mano-a-convicted felon.
MULTI-PLAYER: You have got to try this game online! Absolutely the most fun I've had playing ANY sports game in a long, long time, and I haven't had this much fun with a hockey game since I got to lay Wayne Gretzky out all bloodied up in the early versions of EA's NHL series.
In the end...this game is a blast for anybody looking to get into some great sports gaming. Whether by yourself or online, you'll enjoy every minute of playing NHL 08. And I'm from Hockeytown...so you know you can trust my opinion on this one.
NHL 08, a great game with many bugs February 15, 2008
This is a very good game that is very life-like. The load times are horrible and you cannot download roster updates or the system will frequently freeze. The game is fun and I would like for EA to release an update to fix all of their bugs.
As good as actually playing February 15, 2008
this is a great game by EA sports. some of the only problems of the game are the fact that it doesn't have any rookies from the draft, so teams like Chicago don't have Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews. also, playing in the all-star or superstar mode can be very frustrating. a simple bump by another player can cause you to lose the puck, but it is not reciprocal. you end up having lopsided shots on goal (one game i had 18 shots to my opponents 72!!) and very few minutes on the attack. my advice is to play in pro setting and change the game settings to more difficult. this gives it a more balanced game.
other than that, there is very little to complain about. the graphics, gameplay, sound, and AI are all incredible. this is a must for any hockey purist or hockey fan.
A more accurate hockey sim, but that's not what everyone wants January 3, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
It's video gaming's worst kept secret that EA has made piles of cash by skating by (pun intended) on the former reputations of their various game franchises. EA's NHL series was the first game to really give you the feel of real NHL hockey on a console, and ever since it's been hit or miss (since PS2 it's been mostly miss, just ask the folks at 2K Games.) What most people have had issues with in the last half-dozen iterations has been the ultra-arcade-like gameplay: hitting turbo at all times, lining up huge checks that send opponents sprawling, goalies that often made little or no consistent sense. Well, here we are and a lot of these issues have finally been addressed... whether you like the outcome or not.
So let's get down to it, what's new? Well first off, Turbo is out the window, so don't bother looking for the Turbo button. Speed is based purely on momentum, which sure simulates real hockey a lot better than jamming on a button the whole game. Second: there is no check button, you now check with the right analog stick. And even when you do execute a check, sometimes you'll be hard pressed to notice a difference. A far cry from just pounding the Triangle button and sending whomever sprawling across the ice. Poke checking is now done (poorly) with a combination of the right analog stick and R1. So instead of a jabbing stick motion, you get this odd, floaty, zombie-esque move that really doesn't end up resembling anything like a poke-check as we knew it. And to back up a previous reviewer's comment: you are correct, nowhere in the book does it state how to win a face-off, but to do so you have to use the right analog stick, wait until the puck drops, then flick it quickly towards one of your players, then you'll win some face-offs. Pretty realistic, eh? Well, yes... and that's what's going to frustrate a LOT of people.
You see, despite all of the perennial belly-aching about NHL not being "real enough" now that it is starting to lean towards more realism it is a much more difficult game, sometimes bordering on anger-inducing. Take, for example, the simple act of shooting. What once was confined to a wrist-shot button and slapshot button is now an exercise in analog stick timing. So you're speeding down the ice in the 2nd period (towards the bottom of your TV screen), you are pressing down on the left analog-stick & in order to take a slapshot you push the right analog-stick up (this swings your stick back) then bring the right analog-stick forward while at the same time aiming the shot with the left analog-stick (that also governs the direction you are skating). If it sounds difficult to do, it kinda is, and message boards are filled with angry rants from gamers who just can't "get it" well enough to be adept at scoring. Though you will be happy to know that passing is a simple press of R2, that much hasn't changed. And for wrist-shots, just a quick flick forward on the right-analog-stick will execute a wrister, but go too far to either side and your skater will promptly stick handle the puck to that side, because both actions are mapped to the same analog-stick (just like skating & aiming your shot on the Left.)
So it is a little tougher to be truly "good" at the game, and the CPU AI is also much-improved. Defenses will adapt to your play-style (they actually will, no baloney, play and see) and on offense they will prove a challenge even on the Medium Pro level. Few things are as demoralizing as playing a home-game and hearing the crowd boo louder & louder as your defense is powerless to get the puck off of a wheeling & dealing offense in your defensive zone.
Presentation-wise, it's mostly aces. Bill Clement & Gary Thorne are possibly the best sports video-game announcing crew in the industry (up there with Nessler/Corso/Herbstreit in NCAA, and Vasgersian/Campbell/Hudler in MLB) but the one thing that is missing is the usual cut-scene treatment where they fawn over a certain player, telling you all about his attributes & how he plays the game. The lack of it really does stand out & makes the game a little less engaging as a result. But on the plus-side their commentary will actually respond to how well/poorly you are playing the game. Need strategy help? Listen to what they say about your team. And one more niggling presentation bug: once the whistle stops, it's best not to touch any buttons because if you do and there is any sort of penalty being called, or player info being displayed, it will treat it immediately like a Skip command and the info will flash in a millisecond and disappear. Kinda annoying, play it once and you'll understand what i mean.
So the haters finally have the closest thing to a sim-revolution that EA is ever likely to give them, and reading the reviews will show you that not everyone is pleased. Guess it goes back to the old adage: Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
p.s.
As a disclaimer, i should add that there is indeed an option to use "Classic Style" controls, meaning using face-buttons for shots, etc. etc. etc. though i feel that using this control scheme basically negates most if not all of the features that move the series forward. But, if you do find the new control schemes overwhelming, there is the Classic button setup option for you.
p.p.s.
Yes, the reviews are right, NHL 08 blows the doors off of NHL 2K8, which is very odd, given that such an occurrence hasn't happened in video-game land in years. Proper credit to EA where it is due.
|
|
|
Copyright action-web.net 2007 | |
