NHL 16: More Details Be Improved
NHL 16's patches that have been released have added new elements to in-game arenas, including the late addition of the United Center in Chicago. This game is markedly better than it was at release. If you are a hockey fan, I think you owe it to yourself to at least try it out.
There have been multiple fixes to Be A GM, specifically fixing a morale system that needed a bit too much attention from the user -- as well as adding the new NHL 3 on 3 overtime rules. In addition, the developers have added a key feature for 6 on 6 league gaming: the ability to challenge another EASHL club.
But the most important changes have been saved for the gameplay side of things. Penalties have long been a sore subject for this series, but now you see a realistic number of penalties, as well as a nice mix of different types of penalty calls. Defensive positioning is now an actual strategy as intercepting pucks and poke check "spamming" have become more difficult (though still possible to some extent).
Using correct hockey strategy is now an effective method of playing NHL 16 -- instead of just dangling through multiple skaters. The AI has also improved leaps and bounds and will attack you in a multitude of ways both on offense and defense, forcing you to change strategies from time to time during games in order to stay productive.
The current state of NHL 16 may look similar on the outside, but the developers really have tried to make the product on the ice a better and more well rounded experience. That being said, of course I can still list off a number of things that could be improved:
- More AI player differentiation
- More team-specific styles of play
- More in depth Be A Pro mode
- More content in Hockey Ultimate Team
- The reintegration of Be A GM Online