NHL 22's gameplay is substantially unchanged from its predecessors. The Frostbite engine brings a breath of fresh air to the graphics, but the gaming experience does not differ dramatically from what has been seen in the past. The result is a fun and full of game modes title, which however would need an update in the game mechanics to be able to take...
NHL 222021
NHL 22
2021 EA Sports58Mediocre
Playable on
Game modes
- 2–4 players
- 2–4 players
- 2–6 players
- 2–12 players
Details
- Launch
- October 11, 2021
- Developer
- EA Vancouver
- Publisher
- EA Sports
- Themes
- Genres
Overview
Powered by Frostbite, EA SPORTS NHL 22 gets the superstar treatment. For the first time ever, experience EA SPORTS NHL on one of the industry’s most powerful game engines bringing unrivaled visual detail to every hit, deke and shot. Superstar X-Factors lets you feel the personality and power of NHL superstars with an all-new ability system that unlocks the unique skills of the league’s most elite players. Authentic to real player skill and style, the stars of the NHL truly come to life in EA SPORTS NHL 22 making their time on ice more influential than ever . From HUT to World of Chel, Superstar X-Factors brings new class based strategy to every game mode. EA SPORTS NHL 22 is an all new game for a new generation, giving you more ways to play and compete than ever before. This is breakthrough hockey.
Screenshots
Reception
Press71
Players40
GoodBad- Metacritic71from 26 reviews
- OpenCritic71from 28 reviews
NHL 22 finally brings the series into the next-gen: the beginning is encouraging but we are still far from that magnificence that had characterized the EA series for long periods in its first thirty years of life.
NHL 22 does an excellent job at bringing back old arcade-y mechanics and blending it with today's simulation quality presentation in a way that works together rather than against itself. Some modes could still use a refresh, but the core gameplay of NHL 22 shows that the NHL series is really hitting its stride with this release.
NHL 22 is enjoyable, but feels very similar to last year despite using a new game engine. Too much focus has been put on implementing Superstar X-Factor abilities and little else.
Making a debut on new hardware has its pros and cons, but for NHL 22, the overt emphasis on Superstar X-Factors was a huge gamble to take that did not pay off. If this is your first NHL game in a while, then there is a solid foundation in NHL 22 with various game modes that can appeal. For fans who are hoping for more, however, it is disappointing to...