If you enjoy a good game of hockey but find that strapping a pair of skates takes more skill then you have and shelling out for a pair of season tickets is too costly for your budget then I just might have the solution for you. It is called NHL 09 and it can give you the thrills that you would get from a real game of without having to leave your bedroom or take your hands off of the PS3 or Xbox 360 controller. So let us leave the hype behind and get down to the nitty gritty of digital hockey.
How are the controls?
Controls are easy to use, once you get past the small learning curve, which is almost non-existent if you have played one of the previous NHL titles. Just be aware that when you want to do something really cool, or pull off a long shot slap you will have to pay close attention to your movements. Some actions require a close attention to detail.
I have a lot of friends and I want to play with them can I do it?
That depends, if you have the version for XBOX360 and on XBOX live accent them you can play with up to 49 of your best pals at a time. Though as on fair note of warning, just because you can play with 49 friends does not mean that you should. 50 people on the ice makes things pretty crowded really quick. Luckily the odds are stacked against all of your friends getting the game for XBOX.
Ok, but I don’t have 50 friends, am I still going to have fun playing this game?
Well, between picking a pro to be, a specialty to play with and making your way to the Stanley Cup you will find that you get more than a few hours of fun out of this title, though without the challenge of other people to play with you. The artificial intelligence is not exactly genius level.
What if I just want to get violent with it? After all we all know that is what hockey is really about?
Don’t worry, we can get you all of the body checks and all out brawls that you can stand. Go ahead and do it. You know that you can not wait to go beat up other players and I have to admit that it was a lot of fun.
How did it look?
Ah, graphics the constant talking point of the next generation systems. They are clear, even at speeds, and details like faces do not appear angular or misshaped. Still, they are really nothing to write home about.
All in all the game can be a lot of fun to play and a lot more fun when you have friends to do it with. That requires, however, that you enjoy sports games which are in essence a niche market. Be sure that you are going to get real play time from this before you shell out hard earned cash.