EA Sports will release NHL 17 on September 13th for PS4 and Xbox One.
The release of NHL 17 brings new ways to play which includes Draft Champions, Franchise Mode, World Cup of Hockey and Semi-Pro Difficulty. Gamers will be able to form their own fantasy draft in Draft Champions over the course of 12 rounds of picks with former and current hockey players alongside 12 themes to choose from at launch. While in Franchise Mode, players take control of their team while trying to meet the goals and expectations of their owner. When you add these new ways to play to existing ones, then NHL 17 really has a ton of replayability.
NHL 17 also brings a new level of customization to the franchise with the ability to customize arenas, teams, players and even celebrations. If you have always wanted to create the most authentic NHL experience, then you will want to tweak your game with 40 new goal celebrations, signature moves, player styles and more.
While NHL 17 has beautiful visuals and animations, it also brings new mechanics and experiences for gamers to explore. The player rank progression system will help you earn EXP for every EASHL game you play and winning games help you level up quicker to unlock new items. The game has also been improved with enhanced drop-in tools to allow players to pick their preferred position, find a team and get in the game. Gamers now have more tools to execute their playstyle with four new player classes to create a more balanced team. These new classes include the Hitting Sniper, Jumbo Playmaker, Two Way Dangler, and the Puck Moving Defenseman. The other new experiences in NHL 17 include a new team building system with HUT Synergy, new dynamic sets and draft champions awards.
The gameplay in NHL 17 is better than ever before with the ability to engage players in Net battles alongside the introduction of smarter goalies and improved foundations. The addition of 'Moments' also allows you to celebrate major player moments and milestones through expanded broadcast and presentation. These experiences now include new player tools and training sessions. If you need some help on getting start in the game, the new Visual On-Ice Trainer 2.0 introduces more gameplay tips and feedback to help new players learn the basics. This training experience is also amplified by the more dynamic and accurate Coaching Feedback tool to help players bring their game to the next level. The 100-point gameplay sliders have been designed to give players the right experience from the start of the game.
All-in-all, NHL 17 is another great release in the franchise despite the minor technical problems it has. NHL 17 has taken the game to the next level and allows you to play like a champion. To learn more, visit the official NHL 17 website.
Reviewed for Xbox One