NHL 24

NHL 24’s new gameplay features reinvigorate the on-ice action, but its collection of unimproved game modes has grown increasingly boring with each passing year.

Sports games are pretty predictable. From one year to the next, you'll see one or two sweeping changes and then a number of smaller tweaks, but beyond that, you'll by and large be playing the same title. By that logic, it's actually impressive how much EA Vancouver has managed to change this year given how quick its turnaround is from game to game. Less impressive is the implementation of said changes. Selecting your pass targets is a wholly welcome inclusion and a rousing success. The majority of the other changes, particularly the new checking system, leave much to be desired. Why do so many things feel like they took steps backward? Isn't this kind of problem usually reserved for the dawn of a new generation? What happened?

Every year I poll my friends on whether they’ll buy the new NHL game. Last year was tough, and to play together we had to give a couple of people copies of the game. When I polled them this year, it was nearly unanimous. Anyone who had to play NHL 24 for work was getting the game, and the four other people had zero interest. That may not seem noteworthy, but that’s about $400 in lost sales for EA among my friends alone. That is four people who are looking for games that can bring our group together and give us a nightly social experience opting out because the price tag has long outgrown the product. I said as much last year, and this year remains no different.

NHL 24 does do some things that make changes to gameplay in a positive way.

EA Sports NHL 24 comes with new gameplay systems that bring new flavor to the game, but what holds it back is the lack of attention to its fan-favorite game modes.

NHL 24 is undoubtedly the best way to play hockey in video game form. That fact makes its obvious blemishes and lackluster improvements even more disappointing. If you’re looking for a good time playing hockey, NHL 24 can offer that in spades, but so can NHL 22 & 23. Here’s hoping that EA Sports can do more to excite the crowd in their next entry – presumably coming later this year – even though the franchise maybe would benefit from temporarily going on ice.

NHL 24 is a decent game: not the masterpiece we dreamed of, but an honest simulation with renewed and accessible gameplay, especially after the corrections made by EA Vancouver. We liked the "on the ice" innovations, while the content ones are hard to judge. Be a Pro and Franchise are becoming obsolete: new things are needed.

With no major changes in the game modes, NHL 24 shows some interesting signs of life thanks to some new gameplay features. With convincing graphics and sounds, which manages to immerse the player in the atmosphere of an ice rink, the matches are quite enjoyable, with a good rhythm and a truly well-thought-out renewed control system. There are still some issues, but those who live on bread and hockey will find a way to have fun.

NHL 24 is the new iteration of EA Sports' traditionally more experimental series. With this edition, the development team does not deviate from the path it has taken over the years, bringing to the plate a title that is rich, extremely accessible and demonstrably fun. Of course, like all annual sports games, the innovative scope is not as pronounced as one would have hoped. However, the greatest achievement is precisely having managed to convey the sensations of such a fast-paced sport, thanks to the ideas introduced with the Exhaust Engine and beyond. A title that is therefore recommended for all field hockey lovers, but also (and especially) for those who want to approach the rink for the first time.

For the first time in years, NHL 24 feels like a brand-new hockey game made for a modern generation. The addition of some much-needed gameplay features makes for a great time, but relatively unchanged game modes make this more of a small leap than a big jump.