Replaying NHL14, it really hits you how different the AI and tuning was. Sure, the skating was way more linear, and the skill stick was non-existent, but the AI, even on Pro, was challenging enough to be fun and satisfying when you came back on them in the 3rd period.
The game has generally been downhill since Rammer took over.
GM Connected tossed in the can. Live the Life/Be a Pro was downgraded and never touched other than incredibly minimal changes. Franchise/Be a GM was stripped and then slowly built up. Thankfully the new dev for Franchise seems to have a vision.
Everything has been about HUT, and having fancy sounding marketing terms when it comes to gameplay.
Over the last week, I’ve genuinely tried to get into the franchise mode and give it all the time of day. I am a fan of what the new dev head for franchise has added. Hopefully the coaching effects/schemes are tweaked/improved and we get the coaching licence, but overall, I can sit down and simulate seasons, scout, trade, etc until my heart is content.
The issue is when I try to play the AI.
It’s impossible in the most idiotic ways, yet idiotic in what should be simple concepts.
It’s almost like it’s built to create a false sense of a challenge, but in reality creates this imbalanced, unrealistic gameplay.
I played 3 games earlier.
All of them did the traditional, out shoot the CPU by insanely large amounts but either get blown out or barely win.
It feels like every once and 10 games you will get an actual even shot total where your goalie isn’t a total sieve and it feels competitive.
Perhaps that’s by design? Perhaps they intentionally want to push people to the online play, specifically HUT, to get that sweet sweet revenue.
However even then, playing HUT is a chore. You either need to consistently cheese or get cheesed on.
So far this year, I’ll play threes/sixes with buddies once every couple weeks and not touch the game otherwise, which is sad.
