NHL 16 takes some steps to offer a more welcoming experience

It's about as good a hook as NHL 16's, really, which once again makes you play a full game between the last two Stanley Cup finalists before you can actually, you know, play the game. It's a bizarre choice that has carried over from last year's game and I still don't understand it. But then you actually get into the real game and it's not bad! Compared to the disastrous launch of NHL 15, that's something to be proud of. NHL 15 was criticized for not having enough features, so NHL 16 responded by having a ton of features. You wouldn't believe the number of features. They've got features coming out the-

After the incredibly mediocre launch product of NHL 15 last year, EA Canada did manage to add back some fan-favorite game modes as free DLC. The good news is that rather than making gamers wait this year, those features are already included on disc from the start. One of the game modes that was actually included last year was Be A Pro Mode, which lets you take control of a single player as they play through their career. However, there was no choice of which team you wanted or anything, but that has been drastically changed this year. Instead, after creating a player with the merely okay character creator, you can choose to either be drafted by a random team, manually pick a team, or play through a CHL season and then be drafted into the NHL depending on how well you played.

In fact, EA Canada has taken its fan criticism seriously to the point of actually bringing them in to help shape NHL 16. The “Game Changers” program allowed twelve members from the community to be given full access to the development process, ensuring the features delivered were in line with expectations. Not only were the Game Changers at their studio (and the studio in the Game Changers' living rooms in some cases), but there has been an ongoing 24/7 Skype session to get real time feedback. Having the Game Changers as a resource ensured that EA would deliver the game the fans want instead of the executives. EA Sports wants everyone to enjoy a nice old round of hockey. Gamers who have shied away from the NHL series have every reason to do so. With such a daunting array of player options and deeper mechanics that only the most ardent fans utilize, newcomers may have not approached this series since its inception.

NHL 16 is the most user friendly entry in the series yet, thanks to its persistent on-ice trainer and packed feature set. NHL 16 takes some steps to offer a more welcoming experience for the casual hockey fans of the world. A new "On-Ice Trainer" gives you immediate feedback as you play, with text appearing above your player's head and visual aids like arrows or marked zones telling you what to do, when and where you're supposed to be at any given moment. There's arguable value in having the game tell you when to pass or shoot - those are split-second decisions in hockey, making it impossible to advise effectively - but the strategic assistance alone justifies On-Ice Trainer. Having a sense of when to head to the bench for a line change or where to be and who to cover doesn't just make you a better player, it also improves your understanding of the sport.

And yet, there are points where I'm not sure how I feel about NHL's gameplay. A lot of familiar concepts are there for hockey fans, but it verges on feeling just a bit too much like a video game. I think it's the fact that I'm still playing this game the same way that I was in 2012 for the most part, and that one timers are still money in the bank. Granted, slapshots from the point and the one timers are quite reliable in the real NHL as well, but it often seems as if EA's sim is missing those individual moments of brilliance that make teams like the Chicago Blackhawks so mesmerizing to watch. I just can't shake the nagging feeling that it's not that different from the last-gen versions. It seems ill-advised to try and rebuild things from the ground up, but the next step remains elusive. At the very least, EA Canada can start by improving the deking, which still feels painfully canned and artificial.

If you took a pass on last year's game, NHL 16 is certainly worth a look. It's got enough modes to justify the asking price this time around, and the gameplay fits into those modes well enough that everyone should find something, whatever their skill level.