Anyone play the NHL 14 Demo yet?

I'm a huge hockey fan, been playing for 18 years.

I'm really impressed with how NHL 13 and NHL 14 are focusing even more on realism.

I like how they incorporated the momentum in the last game. They really smoothed it out in NHL 14, all the pivots and hard turns are a lot smoother.

Big improvements on the hitting. More realistic and more visually pleasing animations.

They fixed the spinoramas.

More random and realistic puck bounces

More realistic scrums after the whistle and a whole new fighting system.

Goalie movement is looking more fluid as well.

I've been playing hockey games since NHL 94, but the past two, especially NHL 14 are really blowing me away.

Not playing the demo but I'll get the retail when it hits, this years edition has everything I've been wanting this generation, was a bit disappointed in Nhl13 tbh.

Have over 10k games played over the last 3 years, playing defense in drop-in :)

What didn't you like about NHL 13?

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Originally Posted by pawnluvguitarist

What didn't you like about NHL 13?

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I was expecting real time ragdoll physics for the hitting, also they removed live goalies (new addition in nhl12), skating engine is a little unpolished and no manual poke checks damn.

Looks like 14 will be what I wanted all along and hopefully it can be the last version bought for a while, surely dont need a yearly purchase.

Yeah I get the unpolished skating engine comment, and it has been fixed. But I kinda liked it, at least in comparison to NHL 12, it was rough, kinda had a sense of realism about it. Having to be careful with the momentum.

Yeah live goalies is back, and goalies are looking real good in general.

There is a manual poke check somewhat. You can swing your stick around and change the angle of it by swinging the
Left stick side to side. Then when you're at the angle you wanna poke you hit the poke check button. I usually prefer just using the stick swinging method alone, you can steal the puck without worrying as much about tripping penalties.

I'm trying my hardest not to buy any EA games from them ever again, so I don't even want to tempt myself with the demo. If only I could choose to buy the game and give all the money to someone else instead of EA

man been playing hockey my whole life basically.... at least 16 years plus (Im 25)

The demo is rad, i didnt get nhl 13 so its like new game to me...

Hits are looking pretty cool, still a little too much at times (but its a game)
Skating has improved
the demo speed is faster than usual
One Touch Dekes are awesome
Dman Strife is awesome
Scums in front of net is awesome
fighting is now finally somewhat fun and cool

overall im stoked man, cant wait to play my BeAPro... only mode i like anymore
even on superstar with jacked sliders, i still outshoot and outplay the other CPU team
gotta do beApro

this and Gta5 are my big purchases this year

Am I the only one who couldn't get a grip on the controls for NHL 13?
Really off putting how complex it seemed to me
Me and my dad played it and scored nothing the whole game
I won because of the shootout having slightly different controls or so I think it did
Haven't touched it since then
The goalies never missed a block.. coming in hot, different angles and pulling up menus and shit just trying to figure out the movement.
We get pretty competitive
It would be fun to play more than NBA but it just seems like they keep adding stuff, We can't seem to learn the games.

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Originally Posted by Antwan

Am I the only one who couldn't get a grip on the controls for NHL 13?
Really off putting how complex it seemed to me
Me and my dad played it and scored nothing the whole game
I won because of the shootout having slightly different controls or so I think it did
Haven't touched it since then
The goalies never missed a block.. coming in hot, different angles and pulling up menus and shit just trying to figure out the movement.
We get pretty competitive
It would be fun to play more than NBA but it just seems like they keep adding stuff, We can't seem to learn the games.

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huh whens the last time you played this game? before 08?

every year since 09 has basically the same controls... only a few new ones.... like

hold Lb and use the right stick to normal/old deke... they added... hold Lb and use the Left stick to do faster "One-Touch Dekes"
alot of the other things have been the same for years

Yeah, it's been a really long time.
Fair enough. Maybe I'll try again once all these game releases cease.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Antwan

Am I the only one who couldn't get a grip on the controls for NHL 13?
Really off putting how complex it seemed to me
Me and my dad played it and scored nothing the whole game
I won because of the shootout having slightly different controls or so I think it did
Haven't touched it since then
The goalies never missed a block.. coming in hot, different angles and pulling up menus and shit just trying to figure out the movement.
We get pretty competitive
It would be fun to play more than NBA but it just seems like they keep adding stuff, We can't seem to learn the games.

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NHL is not easy if you're unfamiliar. The controls ARE complex, and the game IS confusing, especially if you don't know the actual sport REALLY well.
Hockey knowledge will help a ton, but getting used to the controls are what makes this game shine. Once you figure it out, the controls are all VERY fluid and intuitive, and the game comes together beautifully. (speaking of experience from 10-13)

EDIT: For anyone that still plays 13, know that I'm down to play Goalie for anyone (This also applies to 14 on the off chance I cave and buy it)

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Originally Posted by Luftwaffe

I'm trying my hardest not to buy any EA games from them ever again, so I don't even want to tempt myself with the demo. If only I could choose to buy the game and give all the money to someone else instead of EA

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I thought the same, but I can't NOT buy a hockey game haha been buying them every year since 2007 at least.

I grew up playing those games, and I also remember playing the shit out of '94 and a few others from the 90's. My brother and I are hockey fiends (he's more of a fiend of sports in general than I am though) haha we both would play hockey all the time, both the videogame and outdoors. I also kinda have "no choice" but to get the game when they come out because some buddies and I always play together after work/school/wtv in a club almost on a daily/weekly basis.

At first it really felt like there was not that much of a difference between '13 and '14 because I tried "free skate". Besides the animations, everything felt pretty much remotely the same as '13. I then played a game and really noticed a difference. I really like how it's more fast-paced compared to '13, the AI seems smarter , hits have been improved, and the fighting engine is sick, will have to get used to it but I like how they changed it. I also noticed that they added a few dekes (or at least the CPU completely deked the shit out of me with one that I've never seen before). Will definitely buy it on release, even though I'm kinda bummed to give my money to EA year after year...

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Originally Posted by Boxerman08

...I can't NOT buy a hockey game...

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I can't blame ya. If I had your circumstances I wouldn't have a choice either. Where I live, none of my friends care slightly about hockey and I grew up as more of a closet fan. Makes it a lot easier to say no to a game when I'd only be playing it by myself, anyway :P