At first ice hockey can look quite daunting for players, both with its speed and the furious action happening around the rink. Spotting offensive and defensive patterns can be quite difficult, and understanding how best to play the game is something more experienced players have a large advantage with. Luckily EA have made the game accessible to beginners, with the option of a slightly slower game and some tips on how best to play. A look through the training videos gives a good overview of the game, and some insights into some strategies that can be employed, both offensively and defensively.

Playing the game itself is easy to pick up. The controls are all fairly intuitive and newer players will have no problems in starting out. Even the more advanced controls such as the improved manual deke are easy to use. With a rebuilt engine for NHL 2004 the game feels and plays differently to previous versions. This is certainly no bad thing though and the game here is definitely an improvement over the 2003 season. With more of a bent towards the simulation side of hockey the game feels less arcadey.

The players themselves move well, and the feeling of momentum one gets from skating is certainly there. Turning quickly is made difficult by the momentum a player carries, as it should be, although an option to plant your skates for a quick stop would have been nice. Also as difficult is the puck control, which doesn't seem as safe as it once was. Keeping the puck is now much more harder, as is the ability to put it in the net. Passing and overall team strategy are now more important factors, and this shift to a more realistic game is a definite improvement.

To help with the overall strategy of the team, quick plays have been added to NHL 2004 increasing the control a player has. Ranging from all out attack to increased defense, players can influence how the other players on the team are positioned depending on the current situation in the game. These are all easy to control, accessed through the d-pad, and certainly enhance the game.

Improved fighting has also been touted as one of the main new features in NHL 2004, and while there is more to fighting than in previous editions it still feels rather superfluous to the actual game, as it probably should be. Players can now make high or low punches, with high and low blocks also available. The entry into fighting has also been made optional, with a player choosing to press the 'back' button to start fighting when a possible fight is signalled.

The visuals are outstanding, and certainly bring the feeling of a hockey match to the screen. The ice is super-smooth with an almost mirror-like quality to it. The players are all well animated, and move across the ice quite believably. Hits on other players often look quite punishing and overall the game flows very well, which is good for a game that relies so much on it's speed. The slowdown that affected the gameplay in previous versions has virtually disappeared. In all, it's a great looking game, with only the crowds looking like they could use a major improvement.

Just as important as how the game looks is how the game is presented. In NHL 2004 there are a range of camera angles to choose from with everything from an overhead view to an exciting in-your-face action view. The default camera is reasonably good, with a fair view of the area surrounding the puck, making it relatively easy to spot what most other players were doing but still quite hard to see exactly what the puck was doing. The action view though is the one we like the best, with the camera down amongst the play. Controlling the puck is made easier with this improved view of it, although team strategy suffers as you aren't able to see a lot of the other players at the same time. Possibly a better angle would have balanced this out, giving better views to both the puck control and the rest of the players.

The main mode in NHL 2004 is the Dynasty mode, this year expanded to include the role of the General Manager which is similar to the Owner's Box in Madden 2004. GM's deal with a lot of the off-the-ice activities for a club, such as setting prices and buying equipment for the team. It's an in-depth feature, and one that could take up a lot of time if a player wanted. Fortunately the GM role is optional, with players able to let those responsibilities go to concentrate on what happens in the rink.

The player now has full control of every aspect of a hockey team, and the depth of play this creates is often quite impressive. As well as a full schedule of games to get through, players can now influence what happens off the ice. Staff and equipment can be upgraded, training sessions can be scheduled, and the type of training the players go through can be defined. This all has direct affects on the athlete's stats. Upgrade the travel arrangements and the players performance goes up for away games. Hire better training staff and their stats also increase. However, go too heavy on the training and their morale decreases. Players can also now control the finances, making decisions about everything from players salaries to ticket prices. As well as the team's performance on the ice, players can now be held accountable for the team's overall performance and profitability off the field.

The game also features several ways to play a game of hockey outside of the Dynasty mode, with everything from a quick exhibition game through to playing a tournament or the playoffs. There is also a Season mode where a single season of hockey can be played, with the number of games to be played that season adjustable, as opposed to the Dynasty mode in which players cannot adjust the number of games their team plays. In addition to this an Elite League feature has been added, with players able to play a season in one of Europe's top 3 hockey leagues. It's a great addition, and one that may be a curious one in an American release. Fuller integration of these leagues would have been interesting to see though, as being able to acquire players from these leagues for your NHL Dynasty would have added something extra to that mode.