Every year I get my hopes up, thinking, “This is it: this will be the year the EA NHL finally comes together and reaches its full potential,” and then I spend dozens of hours playing a game that’s almost exactly like this one , which I played previous year. There are uncommon exceptions; even though I had issues with NHL 24, the constant pressure system and exhaust engine at least added something fresh to the overall gameplay, and NHL 21’s Be a Pro mode became a staple. Unfortunately, it looks like NHL 25 won’t be one of those exceptions. Keep in mind that these are just my first impressions of NHL 25 after just a few hours on the ice. But you can only make a first impression once and I’m not too confident at the moment.
Mechanically, I haven’t seen many significant changes yet, but at least on the surface it’s clear from the get-go that NHL 25 is the first game in the series made exclusively for current-gen consoles. The graphics are keen and the action looks better than ever. The animations are smoother and there’s something satisfying about watching the ice wear down. Players now look more like humans and less like animatronics, so zooming in on faces will no longer provide a lot of nightmare fuel. We cannot say that no positive steps have been taken.
However, Franchise is the only mode that has been significantly changed compared to last year’s version. The most noticeable change is that the newly designed hub menu is sleeker and easier to analyze. But there were also actual additions to the gameplay. For example, GMs must convince free agents to sign with their team if a player’s interest in the organization is too low.
How they do it is up to them. Maybe by promising to let them play in the first line. You can try to charm them, but if you fail, it may completely kill their interest in your offer. Players can actually negotiate no-movement or no-trade clauses in their contracts, something NHL players have been pushing for for some time.
GMs can also discuss with head coaches what the team should focus on in the offseason, which essentially provides the team with buffs and nerfs throughout the season. Players can also be addressed via a conversation system so that GMs can develop them individually. Season and on-ice game goals can be assigned, which will lead to reinforcements if the player is successful. I haven’t yet had the time I need to see how much of an impact these types of decisions will have on Franchise gameplay, so I won’t be able to say for sure whether they make a difference until my last review.
You may be wondering what’s different about Be a Pro this time. Well, it’s not. Even the intro videos seem to be identical, which is doubly bad because I had the same complaint last year. The whole mode feels just thrown into each part with minimal effort and attention. I’d love to have some sort of story mode that was more than just text bubbles and response choices like those annoying mobile game ads, but I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.
So you could say I’m not thrilled with what I’ve seen so far, but we’re still in the early days: I haven’t touched the online modes yet, although I briefly only opened the HUT pack to make NHL 25 freeze halfway through the loot box animation. I hope I don’t encounter too many glitches like this again. I’ll be sincere and admit that the franchise mode has never really appealed to me as this type of sports sim management isn’t what I personally look for in a hockey game – I’d rather be on the ice than in the office – but I plan to give it a fair chance and see if with I finally like this mode with the fresh changes.
But based on what I’ve played so far? I’m just not terribly impressed with NHL 25. Since this is the first NHL game exclusively for current-gen consoles, it’s a shame that it seems to still be stuck in the same last-gen ruts.
