It’s another year therefore it’s another season and that means it’s time for NHL 25 which is based on the current National Hockey League season. EA has been doing some great work in the sporting titles, and for a person who loves sports titles, it has had me excited. NHL 25 has some of the biggest updates to date built into the title and taking it from me they are super noticeable.

The biggest change in this year’s title is the introduction of Ice-Q, this utilises the potential of the current generation of gaming. Ice-Q delivers a new next-gen vision control, overhauled AI player behaviours, and more reactive animations to make this game look and feel realistic. The next-gen visual control system has added precision whilst navigating on the ice which took me a little bit to get used to as it feels different from last year’s title. It adds precision to what the puck is doing and makes defence easier once you have gotten used to the system.

The AI has been overhauled and needless to say, gone are the times when AI are stupid which is both a blessing and a curse in disguise. Your teammates are smarter in their situation but the opposing team is also in the same boat, so moving the puck around and putting it into the net is more difficult because the goalies are borderline god-tier now, but hearing the song that plays when you score makes it all worth it which we will talk more about later.

The reactive animations again took a little bit to get used to but it made being on the ice look amazing, how the animations are done makes it look so fluid and realistic and one of the things the developers wanted to do was make collisions less likely, but the developers have never played NHL with me and body checking someone into the wall is my speciality.

There have been some great gameplay additions on top of the addition of Ice-Q with the first one being “Skill-Based One Timer”, which will show an indicator when your teammate is in the prime position to do a skill-based timer and doing this is not super simple. I was missing the net more than I was scoring which is not much different from how I normally play.

Checking has been overhauled and this had me excited after reading about it as that is my favorite thing to do. There have been new check reactions added and the outcomes from the animations look so good and make me wanna do it more often. The last one ties into the Ice-Q a little with improved goaltender awareness which means they make much better decisions now so it’s harder to put the puck into the net than ever before. 

I loved the franchise mode last year and it’s been updated again with a couple of new additions that make the experience easier and more enjoyable. They’ve added the franchise hub which makes the menu a little better to navigate and puts it all in the same place. You can scan through all the league leaders, standings, and match-up information and see everything from the hub which also saves some time and frustration. Contract negotiations have been reworked and it’s not as simple as meeting the salary cap and clicking the sign button anymore. You need to negotiate with the player and show their team why your team is the best one for them to be playing in.

With the updates to contracts, the GMs have also had some love being able to pull some shady business if you are so inclined. The last thing that was updated in the franchise mode was a new conversation system between you and the players but you need to be careful as the GM can overrule if wanted. It makes for a much more immersive experience whilst playing franchise mode and I’m keen to see what else can be brought in the future.

They’re always saying presentation is everything and that is not forgotten about, EA has made some great little additions to this year’s title with how it’s presented and obviously how the game handles.

EA has introduced something cool called “The Grudge Match”, which is great as there are some awesome grudges in the NHL if you watch it, and if there is a grudge match playing the broadcast changes and revolves around the rivalry, which looks sick and different from a standard game. EA has listened to the community and the classic scoreboard placement is back in the top left-hand corner so people can stop stressing about something being different. 

The next feature I played around with when I was wall-checking people was the new infinite camera system which allows you to play with replays and have fun with different camera angles to get right into the nitty gritty action. The hyperstage has also been added which is adding more of an immersive feeling to the game with the commentary and how it’s put across, this can go into all game modes which is a sweet little addition for sports lovers.

Last but not least with the presentation side of things is the coach’s reactions, and it is cool seeing them throw tantrums when something is not going their way or even better yet, celebrating when you are dominating the opponents. 

This game has never excited me much because I don’t follow the NHL enough to know which players are good or bad, unlike FC. Ultimate Team is still one of the fan favourites with sports titles where people can unlock those amazing packs to unlock some of their favourite players. The developers have added a new “Wildcard Mode”, which will test your squad building and management skills.

The rulesets will change for various reasons, which can affect your salary cap so don’t get too comfortable with your players as you might need to move them around. The XP has been changed so regardless of what game you are in, all the XP will funnel its progression into one path so there is no confusion and frustration. 

The game mode everyone loves is back with World of Chel. It’s introduced some new features this year which judging from EA’s other titles is becoming a current thing for their titles, which brings people back to these game modes. All World of Chel content that you purchased with NHL Points in NHL 24 will now be carried over to NHL 25, and some of the content purchased with World of Chel coins will also be carried over which means you are not losing hours worth of progress in this year’s title. 

Be A Pro is back again and unfortunately feels a lot like last year with having to make a player of your choice. Apart from the improvements with the character models, you choose what championship you want to play and then the main job is to do what the coach wants, get the best score in the game, and make sure everyone is happy. But like I said it feels the same as last year and I would have loved to see another storyline added or something to keep people wanting to come back to this game mode. 

I mentioned earlier in the Ice-Q that this one felt more real with player movement and puck behaviour, so I recommend playing around with the controls to get more comfortable, as this is the most real NHL has felt and it humbled me. There are some extensive changes you can make with the controller layout which all comes down to your playstyle and your experience with the title, you can also customise the controls to how you want them key bind-wise.

There is something about hearing Sandstorm by Darude starting up when you put the puck into the net which pumps you up something wild, and don’t tell me you didn’t just start humming the tune. I love the audio in sporting games at the moment, from the audience screaming to hearing the commentators talking about the game, and how your performance is wild, I love it. Whoever is in charge of making the soundtracks for these games needs a pay rise: you get a mix of Green Day, HARDY, or even Imagine Dragons, with many more packed into that mix, and it gets you singing along whilst scrolling around on the menus or playing around with your Ultimate Team. 

I love the graphics more and more every year, from how the actual rink looks, down to how realistic the character models look. Gone are the times when you created a character looking like my drawings, poor. The character models had an overhaul using the EA Sports Sapien Technology, all of the roster of NHL 25 has never appeared so alive. I’m also proud to announce there is no more grain hair and your luscious locks can look amazing when you are not playing and wearing your helmet.

The clothing looks amazing and with the cloth technology built into their system, it has never moved and felt so fluid. It does not stop with the player models, the UI that EA has put in looks real, it looks as if you’re sitting there and watching the NHL, with the immersive lighting, camera angles, and the audience getting involved in the game.

If you are a fan of the NHL or love playing the NHL games this is the perfect title for you. It’s a sports title where you can sink your teeth into the sport of Ice Hockey, or if you are a little like me, body check as many people as you can before one of them turns around and wants to punch on and then the game begins.

Written by: Hayden Nelson