NHL 18

Last updated
NHL 18
NHL 18 cover.jpg
Cover art featuring Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid [1]
Developer(s) EA Canada
Publisher(s) EA Sports
Series NHL
Engine Ignite
Platform(s) PlayStation 4
Xbox One
ReleaseSeptember 15, 2017
Genre(s) Sports
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

NHL 18 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It was released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 15, 2017. It is the 27th installment in the NHL video game series and features Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid on the cover.

Contents

Gameplay

NHL 18 has several new features, highlighted by the brand new NHL Threes mode, which mimics NHL overtime rules with 3-on-3 hockey. The mode features a smaller rink, bigger hits, and even a different announcer as it offers a more arcade-like look at hockey. Mascots from NHL teams are also playable in this mode. [2]

NHL 18 also features a brand new Defensive Skill Stick, allowing players more freedom in how they play defense by being able to manually target their stick to poke check the puck away from opponents or block passes. Additionally, new deke moves were added, giving players more opportunities to create flashy scoring chances. The computer AI was also upgraded to be able to perform more complex plays, including using the Defensive Skill Stick and Creative Attack Dekes. [3]

To further promote 3-on-3 gameplay, EASHL, one of NHL 18's online competitive game modes, now features a native 3-on-3 mode. [3] Hockey Ultimate Team also features new HUT Challenges, giving players certain challenges to complete within three 2-minute periods, against AI of varying difficulties, for in-game rewards. [4]

Teams and changes

Teams from HockeyAllsvenskan, EBEL and Champions Hockey League make their first appearance. [5] [6] [7] The expansion franchise Vegas Golden Knights from the NHL are also playable. The player can also create their own players and simulate their NHL careers in Career mode, and may even create their own team and enter them into the NHL as either the 31st or 32nd slot, in the Franchise mode, complete with an authentic Expansion Draft experience. For the first time since NHL 2005, Canada and Germany are given fully licensed IIHF jerseys, with Canada being as part of an agreement with Hockey Canada as it also features a training camp sponsored by said governing body.

A downloadable update brought the Spengler Cup into NHL 18 as a playable tournament. Like the Champions Hockey League, this is the first time the Spengler Cup would be playable in an ice-hockey video game. [8]

NHL 18 also revamped their ratings system, with the intention of bringing more parity between players of different skill levels. [9] This is so that "better" players are considerably easier to play with than "worse" players. It was a common complaint among fans of the NHL series that in past games, most players played very similarly, if not exactly the same, in-game; this made any effort to build a great team in vain, as it took less effort to build a less skilled team and get similar results.

NHL 18 introduced a new Training Camp mode, sponsored by Hockey Canada, allowing users to learn the rules of hockey, and how to play the game through video tutorials. Tutorials include how to shoot; taking faceoffs; learning new dekes; playing defense; playing as a goalie; and several rules of hockey, including offside, icing, and penalties. [3] The Training Camp videos are also available on the NHL 18 website, for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. [10] [11]

Reception

NHL 18 received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic . [13] [12] In their 7/10 review, GameSpot wrote: "There's still a lot to love about NHL 18, even if the core on-ice experience has only seen minor tweaks... New players are sure to feel welcome, but for any series veterans, NHL 18 still has some room to improve." [16] IGN gave the game a 7.4 out of 10, writing: "Those are positive strides, but the rest of the modes and features are starting to feel too familiar. If you're someone who's been following the NHL series for years, you aren't getting anything drastically new here to alter the balance or restore excitement." [17]

New Game Network gave it 75% saying that "Not all of NHL 18's additions are equally successful, with the expanded depth of Franchise Mode overshadowing the flashy but unrewarding NHL Threes. The series continues to offer a good hockey simulation, and while the hardcore and those who play online will be satisfied, there's probably not enough here to make it worth the upgrade for casual fans of last year's edition." [19]

Related Research Articles

NHL is a series of professional ice hockey simulation video games developed by EA Vancouver and published yearly by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports brand. The game is developed under license from the National Hockey League (NHL), which enables the use of the league's team names, stadiums and colors in the game, and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), which enables the use of the League's player names and likenesses.

<i>ESPN NHL 2K5</i> Ice hockey video game

ESPN NHL 2K5 is an ice hockey simulation developed by Kush Games, co-published by Sega and Global Star Software, and released on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 consoles. ESPN/ABC's Gary Thorne on play-by-play commentary and Bill Clement on color commentary calls all the action. This is also the last NHL Game to be published by Sega, and the last to be branded by ESPN.

<i>NHL 08</i> 2007 video game

NHL 08 is a video game released on September 11, 2007 in North America; the Xbox 360 version was supposed to be released on the same date as the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 versions, but was postponed for a day due to shipping issues. This was the first installment to be released on the PlayStation 3.

<i>FIFA 10</i> 2009 video game

FIFA 10 is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. It was released on 2 October 2009 in Europe, 1 October in Australasia and 20 October 2009 in North America. It is available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Wii. Handheld versions of the game were also released for the iOS, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and Mobile Phones.

<i>NHL 11</i> 2010 video game

NHL 11 is an ice hockey video game, which celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the NHL series. The game was developed by EA Canada, published by EA Sports, and released in North America on September 7, 2010, with the game releasing in all other regions within two weeks. The game features a physics-based game engine, which replaced the old animation-based system, and was touted by NHL 11 producer, Sean Ramjagsingh, as "the biggest change in NHL 11". Other significant changes include broken sticks, which means the stick may now break when the player shoots. NHL 11 does not use official International Ice Hockey Federation jerseys, as the game doesn't have the IIHF license. The cover of NHL 11 features Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who helped the team win their first Stanley Cup title in 49 years in 2010. NHL 11 was the last game to feature the Atlanta Thrashers as they became the present-day Winnipeg Jets the next year in 2011.

<i>NHL 12</i> 2011 video game

NHL 12 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. The game was featured in the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Steven Stamkos was announced as the game's cover athlete on June 22, 2011, at the NHL Awards Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The game notably includes more interactive goalies, better physics engine, improved Be a Pro mode, and the ability to play the 2011 NHL Winter Classic. Along with several other new EA Sports titles, NHL 12 was made available three days prior the official release dates to purchasers of the EA Sports Season Ticket, a new digital program allowing users with a PlayStation 3 and/or an Xbox 360 to download and test the full version of new EA Sports titles for a three-day trial period by paying an annual fee of $24.99 or 2,000 Microsoft points. Users who pre-ordered the retail version of the game may have received a code for a goalie boost pack, which improves certain parts of the player's goalie in the "Be a Pro" mode. Gary Thorne (play-by-play) and Bill Clement (color) return to provide commentary for NHL 12. For the first time since NHL 96, this series featured Winnipeg Jets who relocated as Atlanta Thrashers in the summer of that year.

<i>NHL 13</i> 2012 video game

NHL 13 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada published by EA Sports. It is the 22nd installment of the NHL series. The game was released on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, featuring Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux on the cover. The game was featured at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012, which took place between June 5–7, 2012. The demo of the game was released on August 21–22, 2012, at the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store.

<i>NHL 14</i> 2013 video game

NHL 14 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It is the 23rd installment of the NHL series and was released in September 2013. However, the game was released on September 7, 2013 for subscribers of the EA Sports Season Ticket service.

<i>EA Sports UFC</i> 2014 video game

EA Sports UFC is a mixed martial arts fighting video game developed in a collaboration between EA Canada and SkyBox Labs, and published by EA Sports for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is based on the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brand and was released on June 17, 2014. A playable demo was released on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Marketplace on June 3, 2014, with cover athletes Jon "Bones" Jones and Alexander "The Mauler" Gustafsson as playable fighters. It is the first UFC game since THQ sold the license to Electronic Arts.

<i>NHL 15</i> 2014 video game

NHL 15 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It is the 24th installment of the NHL series and was released on September 9, 2014 in North America then three days later in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The game serves as the debut entry in the series for eighth generation consoles, receiving releases on the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.

<i>NHL 16</i> 2015 video game

NHL 16 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It is the 25th installment of the NHL series and was released on September 15, 2015, in North America and September 17 and 18 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The game was released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a separate release for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 titled NHL: Legacy Edition. Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks is the official cover athlete, marking his second appearance on an NHL cover, following NHL 11.

<i>FIFA 16</i> 2015 video game

FIFA 16 is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Android and iOS.

<i>Madden NFL 17</i> 2016 American football video game

Madden NFL 17 is an American football sports video game based on the National Football League and published by EA Sports for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. As the 28th installment of the Madden NFL series, the game was released on August 23, 2016 and features New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski on the cover. It was the last Madden NFL game to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are based on Madden NFL 25.

<i>NHL 17</i> 2016 video game

NHL 17 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. It is the 26th installment in the NHL game series and was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles in September 2016.

<i>Madden NFL 18</i> 2017 video game

Madden NFL 18 is an American football sports video game based on the National Football League, developed and published by EA Sports for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The 29th installment of the Madden NFL series, the game features New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on the cover, the second straight year a Patriots player has had the distinction, following tight end Rob Gronkowski.

<i>NHL 19</i> 2018 video game

NHL 19 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and published by EA Sports. It was released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 14, 2018. It is the 28th installment in the NHL video game series and features Nashville Predators defenseman P. K. Subban on the cover, while the 'Ultimate' and 'Legends' game editions cover art features Wayne Gretzky from Edmonton Oilers. The Finnish and Swedish exclusive covers feature Patrik Laine from Winnipeg Jets and William Nylander from Toronto Maple Leafs, respectively.

<i>NHL 20</i> 2019 hockey video game

NHL 20 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and published by EA Sports. It was released globally on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on September 13, 2019. It is the 29th installment in the NHL video game series and features Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews as the official and North American cover athlete, and would return as the cover athlete in NHL 22. Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks was named the cover athlete for the Swedish cover, and Patrik Laine of the Winnipeg Jets was named the Finnish cover athlete for the second year in a row.

<i>NHL 21</i> 2020 video game

NHL 21 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and published by EA Sports. It is the 30th installment in the NHL game series and was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles in October 2020. It is the last EA Sports title to run on the Ignite engine.

<i>NHL 22</i> 2021 video game

NHL 22 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and published by EA Sports. It is the 31st installment in the NHL video game series and was released for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on October 15, 2021. It is the first entry in the series to use the Frostbite engine, and utilizes the new game engine on all four platforms. The game features Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews as the cover athlete for the second time in the series, after being the North American cover athlete for NHL 20.

<i>NHL 24</i> 2023 video game

NHL 24 is an ice hockey simulation video game developed by EA Vancouver and published by EA Sports. It is the 33rd installment in the NHL video game series and was released for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on October 6, 2023.

References

  1. ↑ Samit Sarkar (June 21, 2017). "EA is finally bringing the modern NHL into NHL 18". Polygon . Archived from the original on October 17, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  2. ↑ Jeff Langridge (August 10, 2017). "NHL 18: New Threes Mode Needs Improvement". The Hockey Writers. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "New Gameplay Features - NHL® 18 - EA SPORTS Official Site". www.easports.com. 19 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-01-28. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  4. ↑ "HUT Challenges Deep Dive - NHL® 18". EA SPORTS. 19 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  5. ↑ "Hockeyallsvenskan blir tv-spel – nyhet i NHL 18". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). August 15, 2017. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  6. ↑ "EBEL bei "EA SPORTS NHL 18"" [EBEL at "EA SPORTS NHL 18"] (in German). August 14, 2017. Archived from the original on August 18, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  7. ↑ "NHL 18 expanderar – CHL inkluderas" [NHL 18 expands - CHL is included] (in Swedish). Swedish Hockey League. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  8. ↑ "NHL 18 December Content Update is Now Available - NHL 18 - PS4, Xbox One - EA SPORTS Official Site". EA SPORTS. 19 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  9. ↑ "Overall Rating Changes Deep Dive - NHL® 18". EA SPORTS. 19 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  10. ↑ "NHL® 18 PS4 Training Camp Presented by Hockey Canada - Tips and Tricks". easports.com. 19 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
  11. ↑ "NHL® 18 Xbox One Training Camp Presented by Hockey Canada - Tips and Tricks". easports.com. 19 October 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
  12. 1 2 "NHL 18 (Xbox One)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  13. 1 2 "NHL 18 (PS4)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 10, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  14. ↑ Ray Carsillo (September 14, 2017). "NHL 18 review". EGMNow . Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  15. ↑ Matt Bertz (September 12, 2017). "NHL 18 review". Game Informer . Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  16. 1 2 Seth Macy (September 20, 2017). "NHL 18 Review". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  17. 1 2 Glenn Wigmore (September 14, 2017). "NHL 18 Review". IGN . News Corporation. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  18. ↑ Matt Paprocki (September 13, 2017). "Review: NHL 18". Polygon . Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  19. ↑ Alex V. (September 15, 2017). "NHL 18 Review". New Game Network. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.