Review – NHL 2K10 (PS3, Wii, X360)

A new NHL season is once again upon us, and with it comes the latest installment in 2K Sports’ hockey franchise, NHL 2K10. Long considered the underdog in the icy war between the two leading hockey game franchises, 2K Sports and developer Visual Concepts, known for their critically-acclaimed work on the recent NBA 2K titles, have made significant upgrades to NHL 2K10 in hopes of luring fans back to their end of the rink. Unfortunately, with the exception of some outstanding work on behalf of their special teams, Visual Concepts delivered some uninspired shifts, leading to a somewhat lacklustre performance. Straight out of the box, at least.

Reviewing NHL 2K10 is actually quite difficult. The game has a great deal of potential built into its foundation, but without a certain level of dedication required of the player, that potential will never truly be unlocked. NHL 2K10, like other entries in the franchise before it, enable players to tweak a rather significant amount of gameplay and sliders in order make the game function as they desire. Manipulating these sliders can change almost every aspect of gameplay, from ice friction to rebound frequency, and NHL 2K10 adds even more sliders to the mix by giving the player full control of the game’s artificial intelligence, for both human and computer-controlled teams. These sliders enable players to determine how often the computer will shoot or pass, and how creative your AI teammates will be when making plays.

Slider adjustment is crucial to the enjoyment of the game, and entire communities have spawned around creating slider settings for specific styles of play. Unfortunately, not every player that purchases NHL 2K10 will be savvy enough to locate these communities, or have the patience to tweak the sliders themselves. Visual Concepts have allowed players to share slider settings with NHL 2K10’s 2K Share feature, but due to the lack of detailed descriptions, there’s often little guarantee that the downloaded settings will be satisfactory. For most players, the default slider settings will be the only ones they ever use, which is a shame, because they make the game feel sluggish and sloppy.

The sliders aside, Visual Concepts have added some new gameplay features to NHL 2K10 that take the franchise in the right direction. Gone are the unnecessarily complicated one-on-one and goalie deke maneuvers from NHL 2K9. Gamers can still make flashy moves with their more agile players, but the controls required to do so have been greatly streamlined. Furthermore, the goalie dekes will now take your position relative to the net into account during execution, making the resulting maneuvers much more appropriate. Manual line changes have also been streamlined, allowing players to change their forward lines or defensive pairings on a whim with a quick button press. This system results in much less distraction, which is crucial in those close games against a division rival.

Visual Concepts has also implemented a stick lift mechanic that has a number of useful applications. Is an opposing forward about to receive a one-timer pass in the slot? Lift that stick! Did an opposing defenseman struggle with a pass he received on the point? Lift that stick, and if your player is agile enough, he may just steal the puck in the process for a breakaway. The stick lift adds a strategic alternative to poke checking and standard checking, but it can often result in hooking or slashing penalties if you’re not careful, or both players getting tangled up for a few seconds.

Furthermore, with Alexander Ovechkin gracing the cover of the box, players had to expect a gameplay mechanic or two that was inspired by the flashy winger. In addition to some of the goalie dekes, which were motion captured using Ovechkin himself, Visual Concepts implemented Stumble Shots. Stumble Shots occur when a more skilled player is checked or bumped during a shot, resulting in the player taking the shot from one knee, while falling over, or, like Ovechkin’s famous goal, while on the ground. Thankfully, the Stumble Shots rarely happen, and when they do, they rarely score. Some can be a little over-the-top, but do a great deal to add excitement to the game.

NHL 2K10 offers several offline game modes, including Franchise, Season, Playoffs, Mini-Rink, Pond Hockey, and the quick game and practice modes that you’d associate with most sports games, but it’s clear that the emphasis was on online play this time around. Visual Concepts have created a full suite of online game modes, enabling players to play full seasons, including the playoffs, with up to thirty players. Players can also co-operatively progress through an online franchise, and even create an online team for you and your friends – with each player assigned to a specific position – for you to challenge others online. Unfortunately, most of the online modes adhere to the default slider settings in order to provide a fair and universal gameplay experience to all who venture online, making the transition somewhat jarring for those who use their own custom slider settings offline.

However, whether you’re playing online or offline, it’s easy to see that Visual Concepts went the extra mile when producing NHL 2K10’s visuals. While the default gameplay may be a disappointment, NHL 2K10 is without a doubt the best looking hockey game to be released this year. The player models are properly proportioned, feature crisp textures and immediately recognizable likeness, animate very fluidly, and for those that are obsessive about this kind of thing, use real sponsored equipment. The arenas are also gorgeous, with each featuring subtle yet different lighting schemes, detailed architecture, believable fans, and team-specific entrance animations. As good as the game looks, though, it does have some visual flaws. Player models clip through each other and sometimes disappear entirely during special animations, such as goal celebrations. Such animations also result in the occasional player trying to skate through the boards or getting stuck on the net. All of this could have been avoided with better AI pathing, but the lack thereof sometimes gives the impression of an unfinished product. Overall, despite a few flaws, NHL 2K10 is a visual treat and the best looking hockey game to date.

The sound doesn’t fare quite as well. While the soundtrack offers a more balanced selection of music, almost everything else about the sound design feels dated. The commentators have very few new lines and become repetitive after just a few games, the audience sounds flat and dull, and the on-ice sound effects are the same ones that have been used for years. A few new player and team specific audience chants have been added, and each team uses their real life goal horn whenever they score, but it all tends to feel rather lifeless. Additionally, some player names are still missing from the arena announcer’s speech database, occasionally resulting in the announcement of a goal being scored by nobody, assisted by a player’s first name, with another player’s last name being awarded the second assist. Once again, it can give the impression that the game is unfinished, which can be somewhat discouraging.

Overall, NHL 2K10 is what you choose to make of it. Veterans of the franchise and players that are familiar with the slider system will know how to make the best of the game, and in those situations NHL 2K10 can really shine. However, more casual players and those that are new to the franchise may find the gameplay sluggish and frustrating straight out of the box. Furthermore, while offering several game modes, NHL 2K10 offers little in the way of goals or unlockable content aside from the standard implementation of trophies and achievements. Those that play will only keep playing it for the love of the game, and with the awkward feel of the default settings, many will turn away after their first impression. However, NHL 2K10 represents a significant building block for the future of the franchise, and is quite capable of being a great game to those willing to work for it.