NHL 2005 Review

Icely done

One of the more surprising games I played last year was NHL Rivals on the Xbox. It was fast, fun and gloriously addictive in multiplayer mode, though the series was unfortunately discontinued recently. There was something very ironic about the game though: it did a good job of recreating a real sport, yet never really played like anything more than a violent Sensible Soccer on ice.

NHL 2005 is best described as just that - a violent Sensi Soccer, but on a smaller, whiter pitch with the rules altered to allow Fever Pitch-style tackles. Despite the fact that EA have made some nice additions to the series with this version, the core gameplay never really trancends that basic comparison. So while it's clear that EA are doing a good job within the confines of the sport, you get the feeling that the sport itself is never going to amount to a mind-blowing game.

It does, however, amount to a decent game. In fact, NHL 2004 was a very decent game. If you haven't tried it yet, sit down with a friend and play a two-player game of Rivals or any NHL - it really is a lot of fun, and the rules are so simple as to make them almost irrelevant. Get the puck, run with it, pass once or twice, shoot. Or, alternatively: get the puck, get slammed into a wall, lose puck, opponent passes once or twice, shoots. Simple, fast-paced fun.

Off the puck

The problem lies with the lack of improvement on this level. While EA have implemented a FIFA-esque off-the-ball control aspect, called 'open ice', it never really become a necessity, though it works a little better than FIFA's version. It's nice to be able to instruct a team-mate in possession to shoot, or set up a first-touch, or to gang up on opponents, but the overall impact is less than dramatic.

One lovely aspect of the series is the ability to shoot and pass with the right stick and, unlike Pro Evloution Soccer it works fairly instinctively. But that's nothing new to this version of NHL, and only makes the gameplay more comfortable, rather than more in-depth.

European hockey fans... wait, are there any Scandinavians reading? Let me try again. European teams are also represented in the game's World Cup of Hockey event, with teams from the likes of Sweden, Russia and Finland on show. Great. So long as you're from the icier parts of the world.

Aside from the 'open ice' control and some extra-ferocious tackling, the best addition is the 'Free 4 All'. This is essentially the hockey equivalent of jumpers for goalposts street football with one goal and one 'keeper, and four outfield players trying to score as many goals as possible. It's almost like a party game, really, and works very well.