ESPN NHL 2K5 review

American sports channel ESPN’s coverage of US sports is so well renowned for presentation and depth that when they got together with SEGA and developer Visual Concepts to produce the ESPN series of games it became immediately apparent that the stranglehold that EA Sports had over the American Sports games market was seriously under threat.

Upon its release ESPN NHL Hockey, the first ESPN hockey game, immediately claimed the mantle of top Ice Hockey game from EA’s NHL series and was so well received by critics and gamers alike that a great deal could be expected of this season’s title.

Trouble in the real world

Its release comes at a time when the sport finds itself locked in a crisis that continues to evade resolution. The National Hockey League season, which was due to start in October, was cancelled in February without a puck being stuck in anger due to a row between club owners and players over salary capping. Of the 700 NHL players at least 500 had found teams elsewhere making it virtually impossible to start the season regardless of whether or not the dispute was resolved.

In addition the 2005 NHL draft scheduled for June in Ottawa has been cancelled which does not bode too well for the future. You would expect hockey fans to be furious and disgusted with this situation. However, a poll by ESPN in February revealed that three out of four fans didn’t care whether or not the season was axed. Could it be that they are too busy trying to win the Stanley Cup in ESPN NHL 2k5 to care whether or not it is played for in reality?

Hard to score?

That may well be the reason for the nonchalant attitude shown by the fans to the season being cancelled, as this title is the best recreation of the sport of Ice Hockey there is and the depth of this game will keep Hockey fans engrossed in it for months. It also has such superb gameplay that playing it is a fun and intense experience. Such is its quality that I found myself having to check that it really was released as a budget title and in ESPN NHL 2k5 the season doesn’t get cancelled.

As mentioned above, one of ESPN NHL 2k5’s main strengths is its gameplay. With an Ice Hockey game it is absolutely crucial that you get the scoring right. Make it too easy to score and the game becomes unrealistic, make it too difficult and it becomes frustrating. ESPN has got the balance just right.

It is not enough to just bear down on the goal tender and smack in a slap shot from four yards, you really need to open up the opposition’s defense to score, which is challenging and ultimately satisfying without ever reaching the point where it becomes frustrating. If you are not happy with the gameplay in any way there are a myriad of options, which allow you to tweak and customise the game just how you like it. However, in my opinion, as long as you increase the difficulty from amateur, you have a perfect acceptable challenge for a beginner without changing any of the settings.

In control

The controls are pretty easy to master and in this edition you get to perform dirty moves using the right analogue stick. While it may be fun to spear your opponent with the stick to end a promising move, this feature can lead to far too many penalties. Indeed, the frequency of penalties in this game was slightly unrealistic and did make it easier to beat computer-controlled opponents some of whom seemed to completely lose their discipline.

A more positive change to the controls is the ability to skate backwards when defending. Whilst doing this you can have complete control of your stick by using the right analogue stick. This allows you to control your poke checks (dispossessing the attacking player) and adds more to your defensive armoury than the classic big body checks.

Dirty deeds done dirt cheap

Dirty moves and tricks are not always spotted by the ref however, too many of these couple with big hits and your opponent might get so frustrated that a fight will kick off. The fighting engine is an improvement on previous versions but I still find it pretty pointless.

Yes, I realise that fighting is an integral part of NHL hockey matches but don’t see they point of trying to incorporate it into a hockey game as a sort of cheap beat ‘em up. On the other hand the big hits you can perform in this game are fantastic. The most satisfying checks end up with the opponent going right over the boards and back onto his own bench.

Clear as ice

The game has good clear graphics and is very slick with excellent animation and presentational details. The animation is particularly good and captures both the feel and the speed of a live Ice Hockey game. The goaltenders have seen a big improvement with a wider range of animations so that they don’t always seem to catch the puck (or, the biscuit as the commentators seem to refer to it) and freeze it.

Some of the blocks and spillages can lead to spectacular diving goals. One of the most pleasing aspects of the presentation is that the sound and in particular the commentary, which, unusually for a sports title is pretty much spot on. Gary Thorne and Bill Clement who I assume are well known ice hockey commentators provide it.

Final whistle

With regard to durability the game is vast with a Franchise management mode that will keep you playing for a long time as well as fun side games in the Skybox and Party or Battle modes for you to challenge your friends and online buddies.

The Franchise mode is very deep and comprehensive. You can now hire a complete staff offering them monetary contracts. There is also complete minor league system that allows you to see how players in the minor league are performing before you call them up. In addition you can tour and scout the world eyeing up new talent for your draft. Franchise mode is great and will hold your attention for a long time but it is not perfect. Aspects that need tweaking are the transactions in franchise mode, which can be annoying and some of the ridiculous recovery times from quite serious injuries. The various games and challenges available in Party Mode are great for taking on your friends especially the ultra-violent game of ‘tag’ it includes.

Overall this is an excellent title particularly considering its price. An absolute must for Hockey fans as well as anyone who likes sports games. It would be worth buying even at full price as it looks and feels every bit as good as a very good full price game.