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UNLIKE MOST OF ELECTRONIC Art's sporting titles, which pride themselves on attempting to create simulations of various sports, NHL 2003 moves sharply away from the status quo and presents the game of hockey in an arcade fashion. This is a game that has been made for those who like to jump "right on in" to the action, and while this style of play is nicely suited to hockey, it may be a little off-putting for those who were expecting a hard-nosed sim of the Stanley Cup. EA have sought to improve on AI and graphical content, but otherwise there isn't much to separate this release from last year's NHL title.
Being arcade-oriented doesn't mean that the game has lost its franchise mode, which is thankfully still present along with EA's usual style for slick menus and overall presentation. There are also small bonuses to be won along the way for performing certain feats within a game, such as scoring a certain number of goals or getting through a game without conceding a point etc. This also leads into the familiar NHL cards system which seems to have made a home within many of EA's american-based sports titles these days.
NHL 2003 has an extremely tight control system, which allows for a great sense of accuracy and responsiveness. It's also very easy to use, so even a newcomer to the game will have no trouble learning how to check, pass and shoot, not to forget drilling your opponent's players into the side of the arena. The game also flows well, giving it the realistic look of an actual hockey game in progress. If anyone was disappointed with EA's lacklustre use of the right analog stick in their latest FIFA title, then they should be pleasantly surprised by what the developers have done in NHL 2003.
The player can now use the right controller stick to deke (a decoying or faking motion by the puck-carrier) which is very similar to the pump fakes used in the Madden games, or the fake shots used in most basketball titles. This opens up a whole new element to gameplay, although it'll take some practice to master it (after all, the action is moving so fast that the small amount of time taken to perform a deke can also give your opponent the split second he needs to setup a blindside hit).
Along with deking further a arcade feature has been added to NHL 2003 in the form of a gamebreaker bar, which, when used, switches the action to slow motion (similar to Max Payne's bullet time) which supposedly gives you an advantage in gameplay for a short time. But any advantage gained from seeing the action in slow motion is promptly lost due to the camera zooming in too close to the player, so you can't see as much around you as you would from a normal perspective. It's a pity, as it's a nice feature that seems to have been wasted for the most part. |
