The latest installment in the EA Sports NHL video game franchises, NHL 22, revealed the first gameplay trailer and all the new features that come along with it. NHL 22 will be the first in the series to be released on the next generation of consoles, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It will also be the first game to use the Frostbite game engine, as opposed to previous installments which ran on the Ignite engine.
NHL 21 was poorly received by most critics and fans, who said the improvements to the Be a Pro mode were insufficient and the career mode still lagged behind those of other sports games like NBA 2K and Madden. Players also complained about stale and repetitive animations, bugs, and bad AI. The hope by many was that, with the new Frostbite engine, NHL 22 would be a marked improvement over the most recent games in the series. However, some fans were also concerned that the engine, which has been used in recent Madden games, might also bring with it some of the glitchiness that has plagued the football simulation game.
The first NHL 22 trailer from EA Sports has been revealed, highlighting the big improvements that the Frostbite engine brings to the rink. Frostbite elevates the visuals of the ice rink, from more reflective plexiglass to a more dynamic crowd. Players' faces are incredibly detailed and react naturally and players can even kick up snow on the camera during replays. But perhaps the most anticipated portion of the trailer was the reveal of the arena for the NHL's newest franchise, the Seattle Kraken. In the new engine, The Climate Pledge Arena looks absolutely gorgeous. NHL 22 also brings new gameplay animations, such as true-to-life stick physics that make deflections look more natural, dekes feel more organic, and lets players protect the puck from defenders.
Other improvements include the new superstar X-Factors, which will differentiate the top players in the NHL from each other. Connor McDavid's speed, Artemi Panarin's accurate shots, and Auston Matthews's snapshot give each superstar a different strength and weakness and should diversify gameplay. The new Augmented Reality UI will add new graphics that display real-time stats during the game, which is certainly a welcome improvement.
All that being said, the trailer has not addressed some of the biggest complaints that players had about NHL 21. There was no information about any improvements to the Be a Pro or Franchise mode. The stick physics improvements should hopefully help the game's AI, but the trailer didn't show any upgrades to the buggy gameplay that fans of the series. That's not to say that those issues will remain in NHL 22, but players are certainly hoping for more information before the game's release.
Source: EA Sports NHL/YouTube
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