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The latest installment in the “NHL” line from EA Sports has arrived. Once again, skate alongside your favourite
stars as they (and you) strive to capture Lord Stanley’s Grail. All new Dynasty Mode places you as the GM of a team for
twenty years, managing not only the hockey aspect of a team, but also the financial and managerial aspects. For the first
time, European teams are included, allowing you to lead HIFK or Djurgarden to glory. Featuring commentary by Jim Hughson
and Craig Simpson, and music by Deja Entendu, Alien Ant Farm, Atari, and Gob, the audio and
visual aspects of NHL 2004 place you inside a NHL rink, filled with 20,000 screaming fans. If it’s in the game,
it’s in the game!
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Version Reviewed:
PC
After some mediocre performances with NHL 2002 and 2003, and facing new competition from Sega’s “ESPN Hockey” line, EA Sports is back with a vengeance. NHL 2004 features improved gameplay, more teams and customization, outstanding graphics and sound, the all new Dynasty Mode, and above all, one of the most realistic hockey games made to date.
The gameplay is much improved, especially on the higher difficulty levels. Dump ins, intentional icings, saucer passes, and banking off the boards are now as easy as taking a wrist shot, thanks to the new directional passing mechanism implemented. Drop passes are now realistic, only traveling a few feet as opposed to tape to tape, and passes can now vary in strength just like shots can. Shot blocking has greatly been improved, and goals no longer result from shooting through five people. Defensively, checking has been greatly toned down, and Paul Kariya can no longer flatten Zdeno Chara just by gliding into him. Passes are much easier to deflect, and there is now a directional poke check, so you can literally sweep the puck off someone’s stick.
However, the best parts of NHL 2004 are Dynasty Mode, and the inclusion of the Finnish Elite League (SM-Liiga), Swedish Elite League (SEL), and German Elite League (DEL). Dynasty Mode is outstanding, not only giving the player control of the actual game itself, but finances, trades, contracts, practices, essentially every aspect of hockey. Lasting a maximum of 20 years, Dynasty Mode allows GM’s to plan for the future and play with draft picks, or go for the Cup and pick up big names for big bucks. Team performance even fluctuates based on fatigue, venue, and amount of practice. The addition of the three European Elite Leagues is also a big plus, although you can’t take them through Dynasty Mode. Still, being able to play a season with your favourite European club is a very fun experience.
There are still several flaws with the game, the biggest being the AI and how it works against the player. The opposition will clutch, hook, grab, poke, and pin at every turn, and will always get away with it. Compounding this issue, allied AI will never go where you want them to. Setting up perfect odd-man rushes is nigh impossible, and even zone breakouts are difficult because none of your players will cross the blue line until the puck carrier does. Finally, the computer AI will receive a boost should you have a large lead. While this appears fair on the surface, teams that are down 5-1 with 10 minutes left in the 3rd period usually don’t score 4 times on 6 shots. The commentary is weak as well, often declaring inaccurate statements.
Still, NHL 2004 is an excellent game, and things bode well for EA Sports if they can keep this up for 2005. There’s still quite a bit of room for improvement, so if they do a good job, people won’t feel that they’re buying the same game with a new roster. The puck is clearly in EA Sports’ control now, and it’s up to them to crash the net.
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