Why has it taken so long for the series to get here? Ultimately, it feels behind the times as a result. On next-gen consoles, NHL 22 also benefits from improved animations, physics, and lighting. It doesn’t look like players are just skating across white concrete anymore. Leave it to an engine called Frostbite to simulate ice reflections more clearly than ever. NHL 22 is finally making the jump as well, and the results are promising. EA’s proprietary game engine is best known for games like Battlefield 2042 and Anthem, but the FIFA and Madden franchises also adopted the engine several years ago. NHL 22 is also upgrading to the Frostbite Engine without losing any modes or features. These abilities will come up more often in a fast-paced game with 12 players on the ice instead of a slow and strategic experience like football, where 22 players are on the field at all times. The system does seem like a better fit for a sport like hockey, where fewer players are involved. This system has been refined in Madden over the years, so hopefully, X-Factors will feel more impactful from the start. These are supposed to make him stand out from a nameless rookie by highlighting what he does best. EAįor example, Tampa Bay Lightning Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has an ability called Contortionist that allows him to stretch his body and make saves other goals couldn’t. In NHL 22, this is realized through Zone abilities and Superstar abilities that can activate in critical situations and exist to make players feel more individually distinct from each other.Īuton Matthews is the cover star of NHL 22. Superstar X-Factors, which debuted in Madden NFL 20, are special abilities that certain famous players have. NHL 22’s big new gameplay addition has the benefit of being felt across every mode in the game. If you feel like the NHL series has been underserved and needs to craft a more significant identity for itself, this year’s entry might disappoint you. These welcome upgrades, however, have already been in Madden for years. The developers hope to make NHL 22 stand out with two significant updates: X-Factors and the Frostbite Engine. It’s arriving on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S for the first time this year. NHL 21 didn’t even jump to next-gen in 2020 when its sports brethren did. The series is still recovering from the disastrous NHL 15, which stripped away many beloved modes. While it’s undoubtedly the best hockey simulator out there, it doesn’t make the same significant innovations that FIFA or Madden do on a yearly basis. NHL 22 is under pressure to be the most impressive NHL game yet. Electronic Arts' long-running hockey series has lagged behind the far more popular FIFA and Madden for years.
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