Skating in previous NHL games felt a little stiff and you don’t get that this time around. Using Real Motion Tech (which was also used in Madden and FIFA) players seem to turn on a dime and more realistically work out of tight corners. Most notably, the skating mechanics have improved this year. NHL 19 is a smoother and more authentic hockey experience. Cuts on a DimeĪs I say that, I still don’t want to take anything away from the game. In fact, it’s rock solid but I cannot help but think what more could have been done if EA Sports had dug a little deeper into their wallets. Again, this is not to say NHL 19 is a decent game. Likewise, a single player story, like we’ve seen in Madden and FIFA would be absolutely perfect in NHL 19. The NHL Ultimate Team mode is nowhere on par with Madden’s Ultimate Team which offers far more depth and variety. It boils down to resources and to be perfectly honest, it certainly appears the NHL dev team is shortchanged a bit. When I step away for a minute and take stock with where the NHL series sits on EA Sports priority list, it’s clear it is near the bottom. But was I blown away with anything I saw in the game? Not really but that is okay as NHL 19 should be enough to keep the hardcore fans coming back while maintaining a hockey game that is accessible for newcomers. It looks, plays and offers more depth than ever.

Sure, NHL 19 brings a suite of new additions that unquestionably improve the experience. Like most of EA Sports games, it is all about making those incremental improvements from year to year.

Nhl 19 reviews