NHL 22

Last updated
NHL 22
NHL 22 Cover.jpg
Standard edition cover art featuring Auston Matthews
Developer(s) EA Vancouver
Publisher(s) EA Sports
Series NHL
Engine Frostbite 3
Platform(s) PlayStation 4
PlayStation 5
Xbox One
Xbox Series X/S
ReleaseOctober 15, 2021
Genre(s) Sports (ice hockey)
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

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. [1] 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 . [2]

Contents

Features

New to NHL 22 is a new game engine and a graphical overhaul. The NHL series jumps to the Frostbite engine, after using the Ignite engine for the previous 7 years. Additionally, it moves to the next generation consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. [3] NHL 22 also introduces Superstar X-Factors, which are abilities that makes superstar players unique, and differentiates them from other players. This also unlocks specific animations affecting their area of expertise. [4]

NHL 22 will be feature complete on all four platforms, with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions also moving to the Frostbite engine, while the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions won't be losing any features from the last generation counterpart. According to NHL producer Clement Kwong, the NHL team's priority this year was making sure everything will be carried over to the new Frostbite engine, as well as next generation versions so as to not repeat the same mistake with the previous console generation transition that was NHL 15 . In moving to the Frostbite Engine, the NHL team is rebuilding all the arenas around the new lighting engine, allowing for enhanced particle and visual effects on the ice and elsewhere, as well as the character models are also being redone. [5]

NHL 22 also introduces new gameplay animations, with new reverse hitting, new pass and shot blocks, new pickups, revamped puck protection, additional goalie saves/pokes, and more. [6]

NHL 22 also introduces the new expansion team Seattle Kraken, as they join the National Hockey League in the 2021–22 NHL season. [7] In franchise mode, you can redo the Seattle Kraken expansion draft or do a 33rd NHL team expansion draft, and as requested by fans for several years, for the first time in the NHL series, in NHL 22 you can now share your rosters and download community made roster files with the new roster sharing feature, which will be coming out in December. [8]

On January 27, 2022, women's national hockey teams were added in NHL 22 for the first time in the series.

In March 2022, publisher EA Sports announced that the Russia and Belarus national teams will be removed from NHL 22 following the former country's invasion of Ukraine. The announcement comes following the International Ice Hockey Federation's announcement that they will expelled both Russia and Belarus from six tournaments by the federation in March to September 2022, along with the International Olympic Committee's announcement on banning both Russian and Belarusian athletes from all international competitions on March 1, 2022. [9]

Soundtrack

The NHL 22 soundtrack was revealed on October 6, 2021, featuring artists such as Angels & Airwaves, Grouplove, Jxdn, KennyHoopla, Machine Gun Kelly and Volbeat, and also returning from previous NHL soundtracks: Arkells, Dropkick Murphys, Imagine Dragons, Johnossi, K.Flay, Royal Blood, the Strumbellas, and Twenty One Pilots. NHL 22 has the largest soundtrack in the series to date, featuring 43 songs. [10]

Reception

NHL 22 received "mixed or average" reviews on PlayStation 5 and "generally favorable" reviews on Xbox Series X according to review aggregator Metacritic. Kimberley Wallace of Game Informer awarded the game a 7.25, and summed up her review by saying "NHL 22 relies on its superstar talent, and it’s not impressive enough to give the gameplay the new life it so desperately needs." [17]

Notes and references

References

  1. ↑ Clappy [@TheClapperton] (August 19, 2021). "#NHL22 will utilize the Frostbite engine on all platforms (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S). So you'll get the benefits no matter what console you play the game on" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 28, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021– via Twitter.
  2. ↑ "Maple Leafs forward Matthews appears on EA NHL 22 cover for second time". NHL.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-23. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
  3. ↑ Arts, Electronic (2021-08-19). "NHL 22 - This is Breakthrough Hockey - EA SPORTS". Electronic Arts Inc. Archived from the original on 2021-08-19. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
  4. ↑ Clappy [@TheClapperton] (August 19, 2021). "One of the biggest goals with #NHL22 X-Factors was adding true player differentiation. The abilities players will have access to not only affect attributes but unlock specific animations affecting their area of expertise. Adds new elements to each game based on who's on the ice" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021– via Twitter.
  5. ↑ NHL 22 Announced For Next-Gen Consoles With a New Engine and Other Enhancements - IGN, 19 August 2021, archived from the original on 2021-08-24, retrieved 2021-08-23
  6. ↑ Clappy [@TheClapperton] (August 20, 2021). "Want to clear up a misconception that there are no new #NHL22 Gameplay animations. There is now new reverse hitting, new pass and shot blocks, many new pickups, revamped puck protection, additional goalie saves/pokes and more. We'll provide detail on everything gameplay soon" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021– via Twitter.
  7. ↑ Seattle Kraken [@SeattleKraken] (August 19, 2021). "#NHL22 is about to get a whole lot better. 😏 🎮 Catch the full trailer & get ready for the #SeaKraken to make their @EASPORTSNHL debut → https://t.co/2aCodLk2iB https://t.co/8lHo7srL0V" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2021– via Twitter.
  8. ↑ NHL 22 ROSTER SHARING | Franchise Mode + Be A Pro Deep Dive, 4 October 2021, archived from the original on 2021-10-04, retrieved 2021-10-04
  9. ↑ Owen S. Good (March 2, 2022). "EA Sports removes Russian teams from NHL, FIFA video games". Polygon . Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  10. ↑ "The Official #NHL22 Soundtrack". Twitter. 2021-10-06. Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  11. ↑ "NHL 22 for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  12. ↑ "NHL 22 for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  13. ↑ Wells, Cory (19 October 2021). "Review: NHL 22". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  14. ↑ Paprocki, Matt (19 October 2021). "NHL 22 Review". IGN . Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  15. ↑ Banas, Graham (15 October 2021). "NHL 22 Review (PS5)". Push Square . Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  16. ↑ Lavoy, Bill (23 October 2021). "NHL 22 review: Time for a rebuild". Shacknews . Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  17. ↑ Wallace, Kimberley. "NHL 22 Review – Superstar Letdown". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2021-11-12.

Related Research Articles

<i>FIFA</i> (video game series) Video game series

FIFA is a discontinued football video game franchise that was developed by EA Vancouver and EA Romania and published by EA Sports. As of 2011, the FIFA franchise has been localized into 18 languages and available in 51 countries. Listed in Guinness World Records as the best-selling sports video game franchise in the world, the FIFA series has sold over 325 million copies as of 2021. On 10 May 2022, it was announced that EA and FIFA's partnership of 30 years would come to an end upon the termination of their licensing agreement, making FIFA 23 the last entry to the franchise under the FIFA name. As a successor to the FIFA series, EA launched the EA Sports FC franchise, with EA Sports FC 24 being the first installment under the new name.

Battlefield is first-person shooter video game franchise developed by Swedish company EA DICE and is published by American company Electronic Arts. The series mainly focuses on online multiplayer, with gameplay taking place across large maps, and emphasizes teamwork and combined arms warfare.

<i>NHL 2002</i> 2001 video game

NHL 2002 is a video game released by EA Sports in 2001. It is the predecessor to NHL 2003. The game's cover man is Pittsburgh Penguins superstar and owner Mario Lemieux, who had just made a comeback after being retired for three and a half years. It was the first installment of the NHL series to be released on Xbox.

<i>NHL 94</i> 1993 video game

NHL '94 is an ice hockey game by EA Sports for the Sega Genesis, Super NES, and Sega CD, as well as the first release for the PC (DOS), simply titled NHL Hockey, without the "'94" in the title. The third game in the NHL series media franchise, it was released in September 1993 for the Sega Genesis and November 1993 for the Super Nintendo. The game was the first in the series to be officially licensed by both the National Hockey League (NHL) and the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA). NHL '94 launched to critical acclaim, and it has since been referred to as both the greatest sports video game of all time as well as one of the best games ever made.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frostbite (game engine)</span> Game engine developed by DICE

Frostbite is a game engine developed by DICE, designed for cross-platform use on Microsoft Windows, seventh generation game consoles PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, eighth generation game consoles PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch and ninth generation game consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, in addition to usage in the cloud streaming service Google Stadia.

<i>Battlefield 3</i> 2011 video game

Battlefield 3 is a 2011 first-person shooter video game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is a direct sequel to 2005's Battlefield 2.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ignite (game engine)</span>

The EA Sports Ignite game engine is a collection of video game technologies built by Electronic Arts and designed to make video game sports "alive". The technology was announced at Microsoft's Xbox One reveal event in May 2013 for three EA Sports franchise games for Xbox One and PlayStation 4: FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25 and NBA Live 14, all released in Fall 2013.

<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>Rory McIlroy PGA Tour</i> 2015 video game

Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is a sports video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is an entry in the EA Sports PGA Tour franchise, and was the first series since 1999 not to feature Tiger Woods as its namesake, replacing him with Rory McIlroy.

<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 17</i> 2016 video game

FIFA 17 is a football simulation video game developed and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label. It was released in September 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. This is the first FIFA game in the series to use the Frostbite game engine. Borussia Dortmund player Marco Reus serves as the cover athlete on the game.

<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>NHL 18</i> 2017 video game

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.

<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>Madden NFL 21</i> 2020 American football video game developed by EA Tiburon

Madden NFL 21 is an American football video game based on the National Football League (NFL), developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. It is an installment of the long-running Madden NFL series. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 28, 2020, and for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on December 4, 2020. It features Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as the cover athlete, and Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis as its in-game commentators. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its gameplay but criticized its technical issues, while player reception was negative, with many heavily criticizing the lack of innovation.

<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>Madden NFL 22</i> 2021 American football video game developed by EA Tiburon

Madden NFL 22 is an American football video game based on the National Football League (NFL), developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. It is an installment of the long-running Madden NFL series, and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia. NFL quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who played against each other the previous season in Super Bowl LV, were both featured on the cover of the game, the first joint cover since Madden NFL 10. Like recent previous installments of the series, the game received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the attempts to improve Franchise mode but criticism at glitches and the lack of innovation elsewhere. This was the last Madden game released before the death of John Madden, the franchise's namesake.

<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.

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.