What is there to say about sports games in 2019? Those who love them are going to continue loving them, even when you show them evidence that every year's game is literally the same thing. Those who hate them are going to constantly remind us how harmful they are to the gaming industry as a whole, ignoring that most Madden and NBA 2K players don't care. NHL 20 actually sits in the middle of these two extremes. It plays it extremely safe like EA's other sports offerings, but it does add a fun new mode. It also features some questionable microtransactions, but nothing that feels like outright thievery. This isn't quite a power play, but it doesn't belong in the box either.

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Sitting Rinkside

via: Sony

The most impactful changes NHL 20 makes to the series are those of presentation. EA calls it "Revamped Broadcast" and that about sums it up. The way information is relayed visually was completely reimagined, providing more dynamic highlights. You'll often get recaps of your more impressive feats in between the action, shown through angles that make it look like a real cameraman was looking in on the ice. This isn't exactly a new thing in sports games, but the presentation here is the best it's been for the NHL series. I for one never get tired of seeing my shots replayed in epic slow-mo.

Not everything about the visuals is upgraded, however. In some ways, the new broadcast calls attention to just how dated the player models are. Sports games have a history of re-using models for players who continue from season-to-season. Even though it's to be expected, NHL 20 seems to have it worse than others. This is especially true when the real-life pictures flash onscreen after a player scores a goal. The face on the 3D guy celebrating rarely looks even close to one in the photograph. NHL 20 would do well to put focus on revamping the players.

Finally, the actual sharing of stats is so-so. Graphics and menus are fine, still very serviceable and presenting something very close to what you'd see on ESPN. There is one unnecessary change, and that's the score clock. It's on the bottom now, where it has no business being. It just feels unnatural there, and it really doesn't make for a convenient read in the middle of the action. I also should make note of the new commentators, James Cybulski and Ray Ferarro. I found them to have believably chemistry and banter, although I could see where others might get annoyed by their energy. One thing I imagine everyone will agree on, however, is a desire for Cybulski and Ferarro to record more dialogue next year. I heard a few repeat lines and awkwardly paced exchanges that could easily be fixed with more time spent in sound editing.

These Guys Are Pros

via: Sony

At some point, when you're done looking at all of the menus and new broadcast options, you actually play hockey. And when the puck drops, NHL 20 really shows its stuff.

The player models may be the same old thing, but they've picked up some new moves. Everything about them - the way they skate, the way they shoot, the way they interact with each other - feels like they downed a can of Red Bull. EA even went out of the way to animate certain well-known players with their real-world shots. This isn't all for show, either. It brings the game another huge step closer to the real thing. Players are actually focused on the puck and react to it quickly and in a way that makes sense. I might even go so far as to say that AI teammates can be trusted to pick up the puck. At the very least, they can be used to set up reliable one-timers.

The goalies are no slouches, either. AI goalies must be a tricky thing to program. On one hand, the computer can't use its full reaction time, or players would never score. On the other, dumbing it down too much is no fun. NHL 20's goalies are mostly as smart as they should be. There are still instances where they let the puck slide under their legs, but these are rare. For the most part they offer a challenging obstacle and, like the player models, react more realistically than ever.

They Made Hockey Battle Royale

You'd think NHL 20 would be safe from the current battle royale craze. You'd be wrong. NHL 19's Ones, where three players all play hockey against each other, is back. There's also Threes, which lets you squad up with two buddies. Both of these can be played in a new mode called Eliminator. This mode puts up to 81 people together for a tournament of Ones or Threes, with last man/team standing as the winner. If you lose once, you're out. You can also earn more cosmetics by completing weekly challenges. It's not revolutionary, but it's pretty fun. At least it incorporates an already-existing game rather than using resources to shove in a new battle royale mode.

Speaking of using resources, Be a Pro wasn't changed at all. All of the new seemed to go towards the updated broadcast package and World of Chel (the hub for hockey battle royale). It's sad to see single-player stuff get ignored in favor of more cosmetics and a battle royale. However, it also makes sense. The developers must know that sports games have a reputation for being stale. They also can't really do anything about that, as sports themselves don't really change by their very nature. Why not put some of your limited development time into a fun new mode instead of the usual stuff?

Solid, But Next Year Will Be Better

Maybe PS5/Xbox Scarlett will give the developers more tools to take gaming AI and physics in directions none of us could ever imagine. Until then, we have this. A solid sports game with top-notch player animations and presentation, but the same single-player modes as last year. One that adds a creative spin with arcade hockey, but also structures it based on battle royale trends. It's more of the same but with a healthy dose of polish. The good outweighs the bad enough to make that okay.

On a final note, there is one terrible thing about NHL 20. One that honestly takes a whole star off of my review. Hockey Ultimate Team is a competitive online multiplayer mode that fully supports microtransactions. That means you can build a strong team that will keep you at the top simply by paying-to-win. There's enough hockey to be had with regular offline play and World of Chel that it doesn't cripple the game if you just avoid Hockey Ultimate Team. Because of this, the microtransactions aren't offensive enough to ruin NHL 20. Still, this mode's existence is shameful.

4 Out Of 5 Stars

A copy of NHL 20 was purchased for this review. NHL 20 is now available for PS4 and Xbox One.

NHL 20

NHL 20 is part of EA Sports' almost three-decade-long series of ice hockey sims. It introduces new features to returning modes, such as Ultimate Team and Expansion Mode. It also introduces a revamped shooting engine for player's signature styles.

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