On the ice, NHL 18 does represent its proud heritage well. There are more tools in the offensive and defensive arsenals this season, which presents an interesting challenge to newcomers and series veterans alike.
On one hand, it's fun to have things like new dekes and stickhandling tricks available. On the other, these can be tough to pull off in the frenetic, punishing vacuum of a small ice space filled http://www.hockeyfanswear.com/adam-foote-c-1_97_110.html with wickedly fast and strong opponents. It takes dedication to pull off the combination of learning these skills and executing them in the heat of battle without reverting to the tried-and-true tactics that many have as muscle memory from years playing EA's hockey franchise.
More impressive is the fact that playing defense has become exponentially more fun.
The reintroduction of the Defensive Skill Stick is a revelation; once I began to use it, I couldn't stop. It's quite powerful and multi-dimensional. Depending on player positioning, moving the right control stick toward an opposing player will either result in a jab at the puck with a high ratio of success removing said puck from their possession or lay them out flat with a vicious check. Sure, this will result in the occasional penalty - and your lack of ability to have more control over whether you poke at the puck or put a shoulder to their face can be frustrating - but there's now much more influence on the play in your favor than I can ever remember.
On one hand, it's fun to have things like new dekes and stickhandling tricks available. On the other, these can be tough to pull off in the frenetic, punishing vacuum of a small ice space filled http://www.hockeyfanswear.com/adam-foote-c-1_97_110.html with wickedly fast and strong opponents. It takes dedication to pull off the combination of learning these skills and executing them in the heat of battle without reverting to the tried-and-true tactics that many have as muscle memory from years playing EA's hockey franchise.
More impressive is the fact that playing defense has become exponentially more fun.
The reintroduction of the Defensive Skill Stick is a revelation; once I began to use it, I couldn't stop. It's quite powerful and multi-dimensional. Depending on player positioning, moving the right control stick toward an opposing player will either result in a jab at the puck with a high ratio of success removing said puck from their possession or lay them out flat with a vicious check. Sure, this will result in the occasional penalty - and your lack of ability to have more control over whether you poke at the puck or put a shoulder to their face can be frustrating - but there's now much more influence on the play in your favor than I can ever remember.