NHL 23 Overview – Regular Edition

In last year’s edition, the NHL series finally switched to the Frostbite engine, marking a major improvement in graphics. The new year in the form of NHL 23 also capitalizes on its strengths. But have the developers been able to push the long-running hockey streak forward in other directions as well?

• Platform: PS5 (Verified Version), Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One
• Publication date: October 14, 2022
• Producer: EA Vancouver
• Genre: sport
• Czech localization: yes (subtitles)
• Multiplayer: Yes
• Data to download: 42 GB (PS5 version)
• Price: 2099 CZK (PS Store)

Focused on women’s hockey.

Even before the release of the game, EA had placed a lot of emphasis on introducing a deeper implementation of women’s hockey. After all, women’s teams have already expanded last year’s edition in the form of an update after the release. In this year’s edition, they are already available after the release. In addition to the women’s teams themselves, women are now also present in the Hockey Ultimate Team mode, where they can play on the same team alongside their male counterparts. Unsurprisingly, mixed teams at HUT have been the subject of much discussion. Some players welcome them, others point to comparable statistics for men and women, which does not seem realistic.

Artificial intelligence is to be commended.

Another heralded change for the new NHL was to be cross-play multiplayer between players on the same generation of consoles. However, this feature will not be available until the end of this year. Innovations also touched the gameplay. Artificial intelligence, which is slightly better defended, deserves praise. Personally, it took me some time to get used to the behavior of exhausting opponents and be able to create quite constructive attacks. The developers have also added new animations for goalkeepers, who can now perform more diverse types of saves.

However, a closer look at the movement, collisions and contacts between the players shows that everything remains the same in this regard. Again, I was shaking my head at the frequent weird fouls and generally pretty stiff player movement. In this area, sister FIFA is significantly better thanks to a larger budget and the introduction of HyperMotion technology. At least the developers have added a feature to the game that allows you to shoot at the last moment when falling. In addition, the famous X-Factors return from the previous part. They give selected star players special abilities, saves, or types of finishers.

Presentation below expectations

The best hockey players will be able to help you a lot in matches with their higher stats and X-Factors. The pace of the game itself, as always, is fast and intense. However, as in the previous parts, the developers allow you to customize many things according to your preferences. With a wealth of customization, difficulty, and control options, the NHL can still enjoy a relatively broad group of players. In terms of the gameplay itself, it is also clear that the developers are trying to make the game at least approximately close to real hockey.

The claimed improvement in presentation is disappointing.

The authors also suggested improving the presentation before the release in the form of a trailer. We should have seen various extended animations and videos before the games themselves, elaborate Stanley Cup celebrations, or more emphasis on the spectator scenery in the stadiums themselves. However, most of these innovations were not in the game at the time of review. For example, you would look in vain for the aforementioned pre-game videos and the Stanley Cup celebration. In some matches, I recorded only a short scene with the national anthem and slightly longer celebrations after the end of the match. I was a little more impressed with the treatment of the auditorium itself. In addition to relatively detailed spectators, you can now also see team-specific mascots in action near the ice rink.

Overall, however, the claimed performance improvement is disappointing. The main news in this direction is absent or related only to a small number of selected teams. As for the audiovisual part, the game benefits from a good foundation provided by the modern Frostbite engine. So I can’t complain about the NHL graphics page. Following the example of NHL 22, the developers have also implemented the functions of the DualSense controller in the new edition. Adaptive triggers and haptic feedback are felt during every match. As a result, the NHL remains one of the few sports games that takes full advantage of DualSense.

Wide range of licenses

You won’t find big news in the game mode menu either. Therefore, well-known modes are available, which in no way should surprise fans of the series. The aforementioned team-building HUT is complemented by the Be A Pro career mode and its more arcade-based online offshoot World of Chel, where you create your own player. There is also well-known content in the form of quick matches, seasons, tournaments or individual playoffs. So there is plenty to choose from in terms of game modes. However, you were looking in vain for any important news. The most significant innovation in this regard is the expanded organization mode, in which you can now create and customize your own league in much more detail.

In the field of licensed content, every hockey fan should find something for himself.

If there’s one thing EA doesn’t allow, it’s licenses. As usual, the new NHL offers players a wide range of different leagues, among which, in addition to the NHL and AHL, you will also find prestigious junior hockey leagues in the form of the OHL, VHL and QMJHL. A number of European leagues are also available, including the Czech Extraliga. As for licenses, you will come to your senses when you want to play for national teams. The game is licensed by the IIHF, so you will receive licensed jerseys and player logos. While in NHL 22 this content was only available as an update at a later date, in NHL 23 it is present at release. Through a partnership with the International Ice Hockey Federation, the game also hosts men’s, women’s and junior ice hockey championships. In the field of licensed content, every hockey fan should find something for himself.

NHL 23 suffers from the classic issue of yearly releases. Basically, it’s good hockey that mostly benefits from the modern Frostbite engine and a lot of licensed content. However, compared with last year’s work, it contains a minimum of really significant innovations. When making a purchase decision, you should ask yourself if the current rosters, deeper implementation of women’s hockey, and slightly improved gameplay with presentation are enough reasons for you to invest in the new year.