NHL 21 Review: Videos, Impressions of Gameplay, HUT, 'Be a Pro' and New Features

Developer EA Vancouver hopes to keep the strong upward trajectory intact with this year's release of NHL 21.  

A year removed from adding more modes and improving on-ice gameplay in notable ways, NHL 21 promises many little upgrades to make the overall experience even better—and one massive upgrade to the beloved Be a Pro mode. 

These are lofty goals for another sports game waving goodbye to the current console generation and turning eyes to the next this winter. Whether NHL 21 ends up representing the apex of the series before the leap is a matter of execution, but headlining the release by overhauling arguably the most popular mode in the series is a great starting point in pursuing such a goal. 

Gameplay

Much like FIFA this year, it seems defense is back on the menu.  

Last year grappled with plenty of realism-based upgrades, including better puck physics and overall animations that made the gameplay faster, plus Signature Shots to make the star players really stand out. While one could point out other sports games like Madden had long improved such things, it was still a welcome shift for the series to move to a more weighty, faster experience. 

However, that left defenders fleeing back to their portion of the ice on the defensive. Players adept at zipping the puck around and puncturing defenses wasn't an uncommon occurrence. Fun? Absolutely. Totally realistic like the game seemingly wants to be? Not so much. 

The next natural step in the pursuit of realistic gameplay was the implementation of slips, banks and chips. Slips are especially fun because in past games, players would merely need to avoid a bone-crunching hit from a defender against the boards. Now players have the chance of pulling off an avoidance move, a bit of skill-based play that lets the player past while the opponent skids to a halt or takes a solo dive into the wall. 

The banks and chips are smooth additions too, especially the former because of the creativity it enables. But it's all part of a bigger whole that provides more ways for the player to break a defense. 

A.I. defenders seem to finally do a better job of slowing the puck down in the middle of the ice. That means fewer breakneck possessions and shot-fests, and a more realistic-feeling experience. 

Granted, nothing pops out more than the changes to netminding. There are a ton of new animations goalies will employ, which is a welcome addition. 

This problem isn't 100 percent resolved, but the changes are notable. So too are the revamped controls for using the goalie himself, which now feature usage of the right stick. It feels more responsive than in the past, though there's a learning curve that creates a notable adjustment period. 

Generally speaking, the gameplay isn't without problems. Puck pickups can seem sporadic, with a player's character just skating past it without a glance at times. Teammates breaking away and finding soft openings for passes feels like it could still be better. And defense might ending up feeling a little over-tuned now in modes like three-on-three formats. 

But as a whole, it all adds up to an experience with more weight, defenses not feeling so helpless and a skill gap that should ultimately be a deciding factor, especially in online environments. This year's game feels like a continuation of a trend where it moves further away from animations and is more fluid, making things feel natural.

There's pick-up-and-play potential and skill depth all sports games need to boast these days, though it'll be interesting to see how post-launch tuning changes things over the game's lifecycle. 

Graphics and Presentation

NHL 21 is the best-looking game in the series. 

The broadcast feel from prior games is here again, with faithfully recreated arenas and fans that respond well to the action on the ice. Varying camera angle zooms and on-screen menus give off the air of catching a real game on television. 

Zooming to the ice is a visual treat, with players visibly jawing at each other, while the detail put into jerseys really pops out. Similar detail on instant replays, like the spray of ice shooting into the air and expressions as players take a hit speaks to the effort on the graphics department. 

It helps that the audio presentation is such a strong, robust package again. Players will hear repeated lines like any sports game, but they're all performed well and fit the action. Even voiceovers in Be a Pro mode are impressively done and paint strong contextual pictures that add to immersion. 

Typical complaints still apply, like crowds sounding great but not looking so great upon closer inspection. That's not true of the bench areas at least, with players and coaches sitting over there being well-animated and noteworthy. 

NHL 21 also deserves high marks for creativity with its outdoor arenas for modes such as World of Chel. Things can get goofy given the varying attire players can actually wear while competing on the ice, but the number of different locales is a nice touch.  

If this all sounds pretty famialir...it is. As a whole, the NHL series was always in a very good spot. The bigger leap here will presumably happen on the next generation of consoles, but for now, the strong presentation package doesn't take away from the strides made elsewhere in this year's game. 

Be A Pro, Features and More

There's no way to avoid it—this year is all about Be A Pro.

The mode seemed to be ignored for a few years, only getting minor improvements while major additions were made elsewhere. But Be A Pro is back front and center, and it delivers some major improvements. 

It's clear that upgrading the mode was a big emphasis right away—the menus have been entirely revamped to model after other modern sports games. It's a little thing, but it works wonders to have more information on the screen. 

Little about the beginnings of the mode are unfamiliar, though. Players make a pro, then choose where they start their career and if they should jump right to the NHL or work their way up through smaller leagues. 

It's when meaningful conversations start to come into play that the game really flexes just how much it has changed for the better. These are just text conversations, but the game often presents players with difficult choices that offer bonuses to some areas while detracting from others. It's a similar story in media meets, as a failed promise can have ramifications on player ratings. 

This happens on the ice, too. In the past, a coach's challenge would pop up with a task for the player to complete in a given game. In the spirit of immersion, there's now a little cutscene at times where the coach calls the player over and these text pop-ups dish that challenge and likewise show the ramifications of completing or failing it. 

It helps that the actual impact of the conversation options are helpfully displayed on screen in real-time. At some of its most basic elements, players can choose the team route to have better relationships, while the individual route could mean bigger gains in endorsements and even social media followers. 

Players can also choose how they invest their salary cash, which leads to perk and ratings consequences. 

All of these little details (including a well-presented radio show that recaps the player's events while in the menus) add up to a robust experience. It's the most immersive create-a-player mode a hockey game has seen in a long time, and while most of the presentation pluses are surely only geared toward the player's rookie season, that stellar launching-off point likely means players won't just put down the mode. 

While Be A Pro mode seems overwhelmingly like the most popular mode in the series, NHL 21 still offers plenty in its other staples, too. 

Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) makes a return as expected. Players open a starter pack and away they go in the card-collecting bonanza, earning rewards for playing in solo experiences like Squad Battles or taking things online in weekly competitions or seasons. 

There isn't anything too unfamiliar here, though the same gameplay loops, while improving the team via rewards, remains a rush. Add in smooth menus, a familiar auction house and the usual trappings, and HUT has just as many legs as it did a year ago. 

World of Chel still figures to be a major point of player retention for the game's lifecycle. Dropping into Ones competitions or NHL Threes tournaments is an absolute blast. The more arcade-based modes seemed to get the general gameplay improvements too, which refreshes the experience and arguably makes these modes the best they've been to date. 

For those who don't want to take things online in pursuit of something like the EASHL Club Finals in Chel, players can hop into a separate NHL Threes mode for exhibitions, which is a similar story for Ones.

The new HUT Rush seems like an inevitable marriage between HUT and World of Chel. Players get to compete in seasons on outdoor arenas while earning HUT rewards. There are some fun stipulations for the quick matches too, with something like first-goal wins rules making for tense throwdowns. 

Also noteworthy is the presence of NHL 94 Rewind, a take on the Sega Genesis powerhouse from all those years ago. It boasts modern rosters but controls and graphics from the classic game and is a brilliant blast from the past for players who played the original. It's a pre-order bonus, but it's a fun romp for those perhaps burnt out from the usual modes. 

Like its predecessors, NHL 21 deserves plenty of praise for its staggering wealth of control options. Players tell the game how recently they've played or explain their comfort level, pick a general difficulty and also pick from a number of control options, including the usual skill stick controls or hybrid options. 

Conclusion

NHL 21 feels like a big step in the right direction for the franchise. 

While the big elephant in the room is whether the series will keep the momentum going into the next generation. Whether it's going all-in on the simulation aspect or seeking out arcade-styled tournaments, players will get the best on-ice feel yet for the series. 

With Be A Pro and its long-awaited upgrades and gameplay the big focal point, NHL 21 is a proper sendoff for the series on the current-gen consoles.