When it comes to American sports, no one is able to match ESPN. Their broadcast coverage ranging from the NHL to the NFL with the latest news reports, team changes, matches, events, tournaments, exclusive interviews, plus a whole lot more. More specifically, that ‘whole lot more’ is their unbeatable range of videogames that have been building up in popularity over the years, bringing fans of sport an advance line of titles, depicting the NBA, NFL, NHL, Baseball League and others to defeat the leading hold and competition of developers such as EA Sports and Madden.
ESPN NHL 2K5 continues on the enhanced and matchless sporting experience of National Hockey, bringing the same, superb features, controls and graphics of the original, adding to it new and original modes. All fans of the NHL will have to own this game and will not be able to resist getting into the full gear of their favourite team, stick and all, and re-living all of those unforgettable hockey moments right in their very own front room!
Kush Games bringing its worldwide, renowned name to this title, plus with the help of publisher Take Two, along with the licensing of ESPN itself, ESPN NHL 2K5 will blow your mind away with its non-stop action, superb shots and incredible, in-depth gameplay.
So, skate, pass and shoot, right? Wrong! If you thought ice hockey was so simple then guess again! There is a lot more to it than the simple mechanics and the mechanics in NHL 2K5 have been given a most excellent make over. As said, the basics such as shooting and passing are the same as they are in any other title of the genre, either holding down the shoot button or quickly tapping it for the type of shot you want or the simple press of a button and direction to send the puck to a certain team mate. If you look back, you may notice that I missed out skating being one of the basics because it has even had some adjustments; if you press and hold the L1 button then you can skate backwards, excellent for keeping that wall between you and the opposition’s attack. Such quirks like being able to catch the puck in mid-air is here too and if you pay attention to all moves available to you, then you will soon be able to play a mean game of hockey!
Is that it then? No! There is much more! What is the one thing we all know and love about this most wonderful sport of ice hockey? Fighting! That is right, there has been a lot added to the violence of this game. To start things off, whilst in game, you can do the usual such as hook, spear, push, tackle and charge at your opponents but in this new ESPN title they have thankfully added a little more help. With the use of the right analogue stick, known as the ‘Intense Contact’ controls, you can put some all out power into your attacks, ranging from elbowing players in the face, punching them out of the way and all other fun things you can think to do. There is also more fun that can be had such as slamming people into the boards or even into their very own bench area---right up and over the boards! Surely it ends there, right? Heck no! Before in previous titles, when two players would constantly bash one another during a match, it would get to the point when the tension rose so high that the only way they could settle it is with a punch up. In 2K5 the fights has been improved so much! For starters, you can move and skate to practically anywhere on the ice that you wish, there are no limitations, apart from having to stay on the ice. Secondly, you do not just have the simple punch button to tap as like your life depends on it; there is actually some skill involved. Now you can jab, uppercut, grab and weave. Alright, so it is not supposed to be a boxing game, it is a NHL title, so you cannot expect them to put on a pair of red gloves and fight like Tyson or Prince but it is very advanced compared to the boring, usual slug matches.
One of the more noticeable and important features that has been included is the upgraded ‘Season Mode’ that is usually found on all sports titles, but in this NHL title known as the ‘Franchise Mode’. In a few words, in fact one, this feature is simply s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g! There has never been a more advanced and developed career like feature on any other sports game that I have played and I am sure that any game would be hard pressed to compare against it. In fact, NHL 2K5 is so jam packed with extra and added features that this game will have you going on for months and months! First things first, you have to start at the bottom. This new mode has a new minor-league where you can scout for the new talent of the generation, seeing how they all perform back at their roots before they hit onto the big ice and their egos begin to rise! With the recent release of the amazing film ‘Miracle’, staring Kurt Russell (a complete must see!) he goes through the process of watching all of the amateur talent to build a team together that will be unbeatable on the ice in the pro league and Olympics. You can to take the place of coach and build your dream team. After having fun playing around in the minor-league and seeing which of the players you want, you then have to get together your coaching team and to do this you need money. Money? What is this funny thing called money? On sports games you earn a lot of points to spend, right? Well, it looks as though finally they have got it into their heads that to play it like the big boys you need to have the big money too! Using this you can pay for your coaching team and of course, you can then sign on the players. After this you can do all kinds of stuff with your dosh! Depending on whether you like the players or not, you can give them a large salary or one that would insult any real player. You can even create cash incentives and bonuses for them too. So, you have your coaching staff, you have your team, now it is time to hit the ice and play some hardcore ice hockey! Though the true action and amazement of the Franchise Mode does not get to shine until you begin with your first draft team. With your team you can take them all over the world to play off against professionals from all different countries such as places in Europe, Asia to the most obvious, America. Scheduling matches against the cream of the crop from all over the league you are able to put your team to the test to see if they have what it actually takes to be the champions you wish them to be. There are a few things that make the Franchise Mode a tad annoying and very confusing and that is to do with the CPU transactions and configurations mostly. There are simple things that will make you laugh such as the injuries of your players, which seems to occur a lot but you do not mind because, as said, that is all because of the added violence, but the reasons for their injuries can sometimes be right out and make you sit for a moment in puzzlement. Whilst other things, that are of more importance, is if you let the computer configure your team arrangement rather than yourself, the biggest mistake in your life! Not taking notice of the player’s stats at all, the CPU will seem to randomly pick the team out and you will find that even though you have a 90 something stat player, he will have been replaced with a 70 something stat player. Ridiculous, we know. All in all, there is not a whole lot of bad things with the Franchise Mode, in fact, putting these two aside and a few other minor hitches, it has to be one of the best career modes ever created.
The Franchise Mode is not all 2K5 has to offer, oh no. As said, there are a whole lot of extras piled into this title but rather than it being a mish-mash of poor modes that have had no thinking behind them, you will find yourself engrossed in all of them non-stop. Other features that were in previous titles are still here such as the amazing skybox with all of its records, unlockables plus the games area, which has had the addition of a shuffleboard for you to test your skill on along with the air hockey table. With the unlockables, there are old jerseys, teams, plus some classic games. Also in addition is the new Dream Team mode where all of the famous commentators and people of the sport have put together their very own dream teams for you to compete against, unlock and then use in the game yourself. There are around 20 in total for you to get and it is well worth the play. As said, there is so much for you to do in this new title but this mode will only hold one play through of value, due to the fact that all of the dream teams are exactly that, dream teams---a team put together out of the most amazing players in the NHL. Then there is the skills mode where you will have to put your players to the test and perform certain tasks to achieve.
Another addition to the game is the new Party Mode, which is so much fun and can involve up to four players to take part. Within this mode there are fun games---hence the name ‘Party Mode’. There is another arcade style ice hockey game like the one that featured in the previous title but then there is the battle mode where the partying really begins! Firstly you will have to choose how many of the ‘mini-games’ that you want to take part in, then the team you wish to represent and finally the player who you will use. In this games it is all about the fun and you will soon come to realise this when you begin and see for yourself the manic pace and hilarious settings that you can tune and tweak to make the games the time of your skating life. Some of the games are pretty simple, such as having to race against the three other players around a marked course on the ice and the first one to the finish line wins. However, there are some of the games that really test your skill and speed, making the choice of your player very significant, such as having to score as many points as possible in your opponent’s nets whilst being attacked and trying to defend your on territory against the all-out onslaught. Ever played a game called bulldog? Well, in the Party Mode there is a game of “it” (a game everyone knows how to play) but with the violence of bulldog; if you can hit the other player to make them “it”, whether it is with your stick, fist, leg, shoulder, it does not matter, just as long as you are not “it” when the time runs out!
Unlike recent sport titles such as WWE Smackdown VS Raw, with the most pathetic online modes or mode rather, which is so simple and pointless, NHL 2K5 utilises a lot of the actual in-game play and features into the online mode. Trading is a big plus and the most noticeable, allowing you to trade any of your players with others throughout the world, plus rosters too, having the choice to download a few from the online archive. One major relief and blessing is that the excellent games in the Party Mode have been put into the online mode, which means that if you get bored with your mates (or you do not have any) then you can connect online and show everyone that you have what it takes! Not forgetting of course that there is the usual game mode found on all online sport games where you can play a match against someone around the globe with your amazing NHL team.
There is nothing to fault graphically about this game, of course it does not look like real players on the ice but that is because gaming has not yet become that advance, however it is of a very high quality. Along with that, the sound too is all up to scratch. All of the players have their own unique look and there has been some attempt to make them look like their actual photo and most of the time you can see the likeness. The jerseys are all bright with the colours of each team, all with the numbers and names clear on them and the rest of their gear looking splendid with the shine of the rink lights on their helmets, the wood effect of their sticks, the shine of their blades on the ice and the chunkiness of their padding. One of the best times to see the actual players in action is during some kind of ruck-up or an actual fight to see them slug into each other, the harsh glare in their eyes and anger on their faces. Another positive and noticeable thing is the crowd and the fact that they are not just 3D but that they actually look like people and not some cheap and crap model frame of what is supposed to look like the human race! However, a funny moment is when the fans cheer and throw all of their hats onto the ice and all of a sudden the mass of material caps disappear! The movement of the game, the frame rate, is smooth and fast, the animations of all of the players, the puck and even the shattering of the plexi-glass window are beautiful and the stadium and ice rink itself looks just like the real thing. Sound wise, 2K5 probably has got the most commentating that I have ever heard within a sport game and this is by no means a bad thing, in fact it is superb and makes the game thoroughly enjoyable as the pair of commentators introduce you to the match, comment on one of your amazing goals or gasp and cringe as you slam another player onto the ice. One of the incredible moments with the sound was when one of the players slammed a puck home but it completely missed the goal and shot right through a sheet of plexi-glass; the shatter and explosion of the shards was so cool I think I replayed it through, again and again. From the crowd cheering to the sound of ice grating, from players grunting, to pucks slamming into the back of the net with a metal thud of victory, this game has it all sound wise and you would be doing yourself a favour turning it up really loud to get that phenomenal NHL experience!
There is no mistaking, and it does not take a lot of words to say this, that ESPN’s NHL 2K5 is the best ice hockey title of ALL time! There is no other than can match up to it and though there are some fine thinks that could be looked at, this will be a game that will never be forgotten or left on a shelf to collect dust. You will be playing it for weeks on end, match after match, season after season and will not want to put it down. Over the years, sports games have gotten better and better and now, the bar has been raised to such a high standard that next year they will struggle to improve it further. For any NHL fan this is a must have! Pull on your jersey, skate into town and claim this game!
Tobias Rowe
