NHL 08 Review

By Alex A

GamePlay

NHL 08 has some of the best gameplay ever, making it very addicting. The whole game runs smoothly, like a real hockey game,

and you control every aspect in it. The dynamics of the game are great to, the players turn like they are actually on ice instead of running around, they slide a bit before taking a turn, and realistically check and skate on the ice.

Graphics

You can tell EA really went all out this year when every single inch you have skated on is marked with a little line of your skate. Their faces aren't perfect, but pretty much everything else is. The ice looks real, and by the end of the period you can tell it was skated on. You can actually see the fans faces, and the jerseys are another thing, they look marvelous. Every picture/motion is carefully engineered and it shows.

Game Modes

The dynasty mode isn't anything special considering there aren't many new changes. The practice mode is great, there are a variety of options including practice rush, offensive zone, and powerplay where you get to choose the amount of players on the

ice, and is a great way to experiment with different shots.

AI

Truth is, AI is actually pretty smart this year, if you play on superstar, it is hard to score, and provides a good challenge. If someone is shooting, the computer will sometimes tell the players to dive on the ground, which though gets kind of annoying when players are flying around on the ground. Though they are sometimes stupid, it all depends on the well set skill levels.

Sound

NHL games always have realistic sound effects and good songs. This game aslo has both. The checks are bone crushing, and every once in a while you can hear a fan scream. They finally added the announcer "stadium echo" where it sounds like a real echo. The music like I mentioned earlier is good, and really goes well with the game.

Good

Great graphics, great gameplay, one of the greatest hockey games I have ever seen.

Bad

There isn't anything major, but there are a ton of penalties and that gets annoying after a while.

Alex is the Founder of The Teen Review, where you can find unbiased reviews of products/sites/etc from a teen's point of view. You can view the site at http://theteenreview.com