EA Sports
A year after implementing some major gameplay improvements, NHL 25 from developer EA Vancouver is the first in the series to appear only on next-generation systems.
Fittingly, the latest release in the annual sports series again makes some key tweaks to the on-ice action and impressively leans into the next-generation horsepower to upgrade both the underlying gameplay systems and presentation.
The question now is whether the game can notably build on the impressive foundation or whether many of the changes will still feel like typical annual updates all sports games get.
If it's the former, NHL 25 begins to set itself apart as an industry leader, not just as the best in its own weight class.
Gameplay
Over the last few years, the dramatic reduction in reliance on animations and the new stamina system really overhauled the on-ice feel in a fantastic way.
NHL 25 layers atop it in a great way.
A handful of major gameplay upgrades fall under the umbrella of what the game calls the ICE-Q system.
One is Next-Gen Vision Control. Unlike that mouthful, the idea is simple—it lets a player hold the left trigger in an offensive zone to stay facing the net, making blue-line navigation easier in pursuit of shooting lanes. On the defensive side, it does similar to a lock-in feature found in basketball games.
Empowered AI and Reaction Actions, together, promise better situational awareness from skaters across a variety of scenarios, including more urgency. This applies to calling for passes, checks and while reacting defensively, better handling of passing lanes via skates and sticks.
All of this working together creates the smoothest gameplay to date, where off-puck movement looks and feels more realistic and A.I. skaters actually mimic real-life actions.
Also new is a visual indicator on the screen that lets players line up one-time shots based on skill. These feel a little more arcade-like than the rest of the gameplay package, and yet, one has to merely flick on highlights of a game to see the top stars doing the same thing.
Checks got a massive update too, with different physics interactions occurring based on the size and speed of the collision, plus tweaked times for downed skaters to get back up and into the action.
There's a nice balance that unfolds on the ice now. Lining up plays and shots via the vision control or busting out multiple dekes to send a defender stumbling is good fun. Yet, the tweaks and reactiveness mean the offense isn't too overpowered, either.
As a whole, there's a bigger emphasis on playing for positioning rather than worrying about fighting against the game's constraints. It feels like penalties for poking and similar have been toned down, too, helping this year feel better on the ice than most recent entries.
Graphics and Presentation
Visually, NHL 25 certainly feels like the first next-generation offering in the presentation through one glance at player likenesses.
Most look fantastic and less like a video game, too. That works to better match with what was already an impressive display of lighting and physics, including reflections of visors and the realistic sway of fabrics.
Arenas appear to have received a boost in fidelity and accuracy, too. It might sound a little strange, but the ice looks like it has been upgraded, too, with the wear and tear over the course of a game seeming more apparent than ever.
By far the best new addition in this area, though, is the aptly named grudge match system. This tracks matchups and rivalries across multiple entries and builds narratives around them. That includes X-factor additions unique to specific matchups, mirroring real life when the best players bring out their top form against a rival. This is useful in modes like franchise, to say the least.
Players don't need a fancy name backing the technology behind the scenes to see that NHL 25 also dramatically improves the instant replay systems. Other upgrades beyond the usual new camera angles and the moving of the scoreboard back to its natural position are happening just off the ice in the bench area. There, coaches now jaw at officials about calls and get involved with players.
Franchise, HUT and More
Franchise is the mode getting the big updates pass this year. New features include a conversation system, more depth to contract talks and some better overall navigation.
The results are mixed, albeit necessary. Conversations are nice to have, as it lets a general manager steer a team in certain ways through telling coaches how to play on the ice after roster construction. There's a fun risk-reward to recruiting free agents, too. And this is also a more immersive vehicle to assigning skill focuses and tasks to individual players.
The contract negotiations are notable for giving free agents and otherwise motivations for players to manage, while there are now must-have staples found in real life, such as no-trade clauses. But these upgrades merely work to bring the series up to other sports offerings on the market.
Over in World of CHEL, the emphasis remains on varied, more arcade-like action with a heaping of customization and replayability.
The most important thing here is a new live events structure that will loop in competitive tournaments, themes, and even alterations that push certain metas. At its most basic, CHEL remains fun, albeit grindy. But infusing new wrinkles into the experience rather than grinding the same old thing for a full year is a nice touch.
A similar story unfolds in Hockey Ultimate Team. Wildcard Mode is a live-service offering like other games have that aims to keep things fresh by presenting new rules and stipulations each season. Same reaction here—mixing up the experience atop already collecting all sorts of cards and trying out new lineups is a fantastic addition.
Plus, even if a player doesn't like the current meta of a season, the game still permits unified progression, so they can hop over and simply play squad battles or rivals, instead.
Droves of other game modes remain, including Be A Pro, practice, NHL Threes and others. Be A Pro, unfortunately, feels like a straight transplant from last year, which will disappoint its fans.
NHL 25 does feature microtransactions, of course, but it's friendlier than most. In HUT, for example, cosmetics purchased with NHL Points from last year's game carry over into this year's game. Ditto for items purchased with WOC Coins.
Like every year, the game runs well. But also like every year, despite some simplifications, menus remain floaty and laggy and an overall chore to navigate.
Conclusion
NHL 25 is a measured step in the right direction for the franchise.
Gameplay feels a tad slower and more authentic, which is a good thing. But like many annual sports games, the changes are smaller and incremental so that it feels like many of the upgrades were done in other sports games first—with some game modes going outright ignored, too.
As such, it lessens the impact of saying NHL 25 is the best-feeling in the series to date. It is, but this doesn't hit the high bar of expectations set by the series cutting out last-generation consoles.
Even so, NHL is fun and a splendid foundation for the future of the series.
