NHL 22 (EA Vancouver) Video Game Review
NHL 22
Released- October 15, 2021
Developer- EA Vancouver
Publisher- EA Sports
Reviewed on Playstation 5
Also on Playstation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
30 hours played
Intro
Welcome back to another installment of the EA Sports NHL series with a face that's already graced the cover more than once, this won't be the only time you see something EA rehashed for its new game. EA Vancouver has been involved with the NHL series since 1991. Over the last 30 years we have watched the game evolve from top down pixelated players to a game at first glance you would think was a real hockey game on TV. In an attempt to help make bigger changes to NHL 22 on the current generation of consoles, the team only focused on the last generation when making NHL 21, this did not impact NHL 22 as much as they would hope but the gameplay feels like a decent upgrade for the time they have between releases.
Gameplay 7.5/10
When I watched the first trailer for NHL 22 it looked like more of the same you would expect from a yearly EA hockey game. I expected the same game from last year except with a little polish to it for the current generation of consoles. The feel of the game was noticeably different, the controls felt tighter and more responsive, the movement of your skater affected how accurate your shot would be, and the fatigue of your player actually played a part in the game. The AI teammates feel a bit more useful and will help screen and tip in shots if you're taking a slapshot from the blue line. The game does have a few bugs, black screen at the start of a match and the only thing visible is your player icons, players not moving from a spot and cant interact with the puck until the play is dead, and then your typical goofy ones that involve the goalie ragdolling a player into the rafters of the arena. The new dekes added to the game might be the biggest game changers, being able to play the puck off the wall to make a play around a defenseman and being able to bank the puck off the back of the net like Crosby, really open up new ways to play that will fit your style.
“Story” 4/10
First things first, no one is playing this game for the story. The only story you get is in the Be A Pro mode, where you take on the life of an up and coming NHL star. You can choose to start in the AHL and play through the season to earn your spot in the NHL Draft, or you can just start in the NHL Draft. After the draft, the general manager of the team tells you how excited he is to have you on the team and gives you a run down of what's expected from you. From there the only real goal is getting your team to the Stanley Cup finals and winning the cup.
Graphics 5/10
EA decided to only focus on the last generation for NHL 21 and wait a year before they focused on tackling the current generation of consoles. It does look really good compared to the past releases of NHL games, but at the end of the day it's just another yearly sports game that you can't really expect much from. The ice in the rink looks nice and shiny and gets scuffed up as you play, the characters look a bit more realistic, but there's something about them that still feels very off. The level of detail put into the star players vs the lesser known players is noticeable.
Sound 7.5/10
The Soundtrack for the game is pretty weak compared to the last couple installments of the series. The fact that Imagine Dragons made it to the list after cursing the Vegas Golden Knights playoff run is pretty shocking to me. Aside from the soundtrack, the sound in NHL 22 is actually really good. Hearing the carving of the ice as you’re skating around, the clank of your puck flying off the post, the echo of the puck hitting the boards, and even the coach telling your Be A Pro player he's taking a long shift and needs to get off the ice, all of it does a really good job of making you feel like you're right on the ice.
Value 5/10
NHL 22 is not a day one buy, unless you truly care about Hockey Ultimate Team and don't want to fall behind. If you have EA Play and you're curious, I would definitely recommend it. If you're not sure then I would wait for it to go on sale or pick up a used copy to give it a try.
Pro/Con
+Easy to get a match in CHEL
+Tight controls
+New dekes open up new ways to play
-Buggy
-AI pass at the same time you call for a pass makes you instantly dump the puck
-No big changes in game modes from NHL 21
For people who like…
Sports games and hockey.
Anyone looking to get into hockey, you can learn a lot about the rules of the game from playing it. Don't expect to see anyone in a real game going coast to coast and putting up 10 points a night, unless your name is Connor Mcdavid.
Overall 6/10
NHL 22 isn't groundbreaking and doesn't offer enough to make this game anything more than average at best. Anytime a game is forced to put out yearly installments, it takes away from big improvements that could be made to make the game outshine the previous release. The only way I see NHL games getting better is if they get competition to force them to get better, until then they will continue to make half-assed adjustments and give the game a few touch ups so they can sell the same game as something new and improved for full price.
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