As a longtime fan of EA’s NHL franchise of games, I’m astonished at how many positive, impactful changes come with this year’s iteration, NHL 23. There are a lot of things that make hockey video games fun, including fast-paced action and tight controls. In reality, the things that make this year’s release so wonderful don’t reinvent the wheel in those regards. Instead, they ornament what works about this series with great new additions to expand the experience.

Let’s first talk about the new features of NHL 23. Firstly, the introduction of mixed women’s and men’s national teams is an excellent addition to the game. You can utilize these new rosters in your Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) card-collecting mode, but I’ll be upfront and say I didn’t spend much time with that mode. Online at large, however, works very well in NHL 23 thanks to the addition of cross-platform play between generations of consoles. PS4 and Xbox One players face off while PS5 and Xbox Series X|S opponents take each other on. 

In terms of new animations, NHL 23 feels like the most significant leap forward in graphics since the launch of those new-gen consoles. Animations for last-chance puck-saving dives and dekes look gorgeous, as do your new celebration options. Everything from winning the Stanley Cup to scoring a goal feels more personal with such influence over how you celebrate your achievement. Another on-ice feature that looks great are the ice projections. Things that you would expect in a live NHL match like lights and projected logos look amazing with the power of new consoles.

The all-new Crowd Engagement Score algorithm is also effective, allowing fans to react realistically to every big moment; hear explosive cheers after winning a tense shootout and feel the home crowd’s boos when you head to the penalty box. New additions to the X-Factor abilities you also see in Madden 23 are great ways to let your star player get an edge and send those new, more responsive crowds screaming for joy.

Lastly, a thing that I wish other franchises in the sports video games world did was to allow you to make on-the-fly coaching changes by simply accepting suggested adjustments. Assisted coach adjustments come up on-screen while playing that suggests a more aggressive offense or preventative defensive scheme and you simply accept the suggestion to see your AI teammates play differently. It’s a shift in automating the more advanced elements of plays in hockey that are noticeable without having to draw up Xs and Os yourself.

As for the other elements we know and love about the franchise still ring true, including some of the tightest controls in all of EA’s arsenal of sports games. Passing is still challenging enough to now allow you to zip the puck down the ice without ever making an error. Likewise, even perfect aim won’t net you a goal every time. There’s so much room for variation here that even an exhibition match once or twice a day won’t feel stale for months. 

While most of my time has been spent playing with the new additions to Franchise Mode, I think this is going to be a great game in my rotation for well into 2023. If you don’t purchase these yearly sports games annually, then I highly recommend having NHL 23 be the one you grab. With major improvements to the already fine-tuned formula, this is a new-gen experience fit for anyone interested in NHL hockey.

An Xbox Series X Review Copy of NHL 23 was provided by Electronic Arts for this Review.

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NHL 23

$69.99

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Great features implemented into EA's NHL system
• Coaching on-the-fly is great
• Animations and visuals feel new-gen

Cons

• $70 is a hefty price