NHL 19 is out now and is placing you on the ice like never before. Electronic Arts (EA) has put the many new features at the forefront of the franchise’s new title alongside the post-beta updates that have been made after community feedback. Of course, an important part of every NHL game has been the accompanying soundtrack and this year’s title includes songs by Imagine Dragons, Panic! At the Disco, and Twenty One Pilots.
An array of new and returning favorite features will find its way to the rink such as outdoor games, mascot play, the three versus three mode, and the online and competitive EA Sports Hockey League (EASHL). Fans of the series will be introduced to new scouting mechanics in Franchise Mode and the new game mode, NHL Ones. In Ones, players will drop the puck in a free-for-all one versus one versus one match. This mode will be focused on individual player skills with limited rules in place and Daily Champions will be named based on win counts. Adding to the new game modes, NHL 19 brings Real Player Motion (RPM) technology to make skating feel sharp and more realistic. The studio reports that collision physics have also been updated so that impacts are affected by numerous factors like angles and a player’s size. Take a look:
A big selling point for NHL 19 is the vast customization options available for created characters and the new progression system. Players can express themselves with hundreds of options of celebrations, gear, and clothing that can be unlocked by playing in Ones and the Pro-Am challenges. The latter mode puts you side by side current and historical hockey greats like Jonathan Toews or Wayne Gretzky. Players can instead choose to compete against other customized characters online in a game of three versus three or Ones.
The customization does not stop there. The progression for created characters incorporates a class system that mirrors loadouts of a Battlefield title and attributes like an role playing game. For example, if a player’s character starts at a forward position they will be able to control their play style through choices of class types such as a sniper or an enforcer. Two traits can be active for a character at a time that affect performance with specific advantages and drawbacks to further control how you play.
NHL 19 is available for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.