I downloaded the demo off XBL to see if there was any hope for this series after last year's brilliant edition was ruined by the most hateful, fun-crushing patch in the history of the world.
Tentatively playing the Be A Pro mode, I'm pleased to say that it seems a lot better than the game EA ruined.
The menu follows the same route as 2009, with smooth navigation. Visuals seem pretty much identical to last year's edition. Be A Pro mode starts you off as a prospect before the draft. The blab explains that you're currently ranked 15th on the draft list, and you have one game to impress the scouts. You then get to play the Prospects game as a North American Junior against the World Prospects. You get to play period 3 of a game in the traditional Be A Pro mould - as a player in a set position. Pleasingly, you don't get shoved to the bench and there's no stamina meter in this demo, which means you're on the ice the whole time.
If you're a wuss like me then there's the options to set the controls to the classic option during the game itself.
Onto the gameplay - the game retains it's excellent physics model and interpretation of inertia. The main bone of contention after the patch in 09 - the checking - seems far less punished. I must have laid 5 hits off the puck and none got punished by the officials. They weren't bad illegal hits, just a split second after the puck had gone - bread and butter hits in the real game. In the old game, after the patch, these would be called, but they weren't here. Superbly, if you skate around checking people after the whistle has blown, the CPU retaliates. I cross checked some bloke in the face and he slashed my legs. Two of his team mates came towards me so I skated away. My teammates started pushing and shoving other blokes, until the whole screen was full of argy bargy. One of my teammates got a roughing penalty, but that was it. The officials skate up the incidents and watch them to see if there's anything beyond the typical pushing and shoving going on.
I managed to call one fight and I'm not sure about it yet. The game enters some weird first person mode, involving tugging shirts, jabs and uppercuts. I'll have to explore that a little more I think.
I rounded off the game setting up both goals in a 2-1 win, playing as a rushing D. Afterwards I got drafted first by Philadelphia and the demo ended.
Very promising, off for another go now.
Edit: lol, checked so much after the whistle that someone called a fight and I got proper lamped.
Second edit: Hmm been called for a few more penalties now. Need to keep an eye on this.
Tentatively playing the Be A Pro mode, I'm pleased to say that it seems a lot better than the game EA ruined.
The menu follows the same route as 2009, with smooth navigation. Visuals seem pretty much identical to last year's edition. Be A Pro mode starts you off as a prospect before the draft. The blab explains that you're currently ranked 15th on the draft list, and you have one game to impress the scouts. You then get to play the Prospects game as a North American Junior against the World Prospects. You get to play period 3 of a game in the traditional Be A Pro mould - as a player in a set position. Pleasingly, you don't get shoved to the bench and there's no stamina meter in this demo, which means you're on the ice the whole time.
If you're a wuss like me then there's the options to set the controls to the classic option during the game itself.
Onto the gameplay - the game retains it's excellent physics model and interpretation of inertia. The main bone of contention after the patch in 09 - the checking - seems far less punished. I must have laid 5 hits off the puck and none got punished by the officials. They weren't bad illegal hits, just a split second after the puck had gone - bread and butter hits in the real game. In the old game, after the patch, these would be called, but they weren't here. Superbly, if you skate around checking people after the whistle has blown, the CPU retaliates. I cross checked some bloke in the face and he slashed my legs. Two of his team mates came towards me so I skated away. My teammates started pushing and shoving other blokes, until the whole screen was full of argy bargy. One of my teammates got a roughing penalty, but that was it. The officials skate up the incidents and watch them to see if there's anything beyond the typical pushing and shoving going on.
I managed to call one fight and I'm not sure about it yet. The game enters some weird first person mode, involving tugging shirts, jabs and uppercuts. I'll have to explore that a little more I think.
I rounded off the game setting up both goals in a 2-1 win, playing as a rushing D. Afterwards I got drafted first by Philadelphia and the demo ended.
Very promising, off for another go now.
Edit: lol, checked so much after the whistle that someone called a fight and I got proper lamped.
Second edit: Hmm been called for a few more penalties now. Need to keep an eye on this.
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