ESPN NHL 2K5 Reviews

• Fun, atleast better than EA's NHL

  
  By A10EN9IKKOEY97 on 2005-01-21
  ESPN NHL 2k5 is a good game, but not great. I am a little biased, because I enjoy EA sports games more than the ESPN titles...But due to the fact that NHL 2005 from EA is no different than the 2004 version (which i loved by the way), i was forced into buying ESPN...plus with no hockey this year most likely, i had to have some hockey right?
  
  The pros: the gameplay of ESPN is great. The graphics are definitely up to par and the goalies are good enough so that it is actually hard to score on them on higher skill levels. (No longer will you find the score to be 10-7, that is unless you suck really bad or are incredibly good). The hits are realistic only because its not like NHL 05 in that all that game is, is a hits fest. Paul Kariya cannot crush everyone on the ice, and he cannot whoop people in fights. Which brings me to the fight category, which is definitely a great addition to the game. Now you can have range of the whole ice and not just be in a stationary stance like all of the previous hockey games invented. Another plus is the franchise mode in general. There really are so many little details in franchise mode that it is too tough to explain in here.
  
  The pros: So many penalties! Even with the penalties just halfway up the meter (which is the default setting) you can get about 10 powerplays a game. Very unrealistic and quite frustrating when you try to focus a lot on having a good powerplay. I average about 1/12 on the powerplay, which is horrible when you try to stack up to other teams in the league. The commentators repeat a lot of the same things over and over again. You find this in many games, but this game is particularly bad in this category. Not too big of a deal, just a small thing that is easily fixed by just turning the volume down.
  
  Overall, the game is good, but dont expect to be BLOWN away by anything. It is definitely a game worth playing for the year until NHL 2006 comes out (hopefully with some changes than the previous 2 versions :/)
  
  -Bryan
  
  

• a great alternative to ea sports

  
  By A11CUYV4X7SXIY on 2004-09-01
  the last sega nhl game i had was 2k2, and that was a big disappointment, so since then i have been playing ea sport's nhl series, but it was starting to get old. it was the same game with new bells and whistles.
  
  i just got this game today, and i tell you, it was well worth it. it is a very fun and challanging hockey SIMULATION. thats right, it is challanging, AND a simulation. it's not like ea where you can have the game for a day and already be playing on difficult. im on rookie and it is still hard. and this is someone who was winning 12-0 on the highest setting in nhl 2004.
  
  the contact stick is a great idea, and a lot better than ea's bruise control. you hit the right analog stick and, depending on which direction you move it, you can slash, hook, or even elbow. the players move precisely and shoot where you aim. passing is nice and simple, and the fighting kicks ass. it is the best fighting engine i have ever seen. it took ea's new fighting system, and added a sort of mortal kombat aspect to it. very fun indeed.
  
  the graphics are very good as well. the player faces and models, though goofy, are very nice to look at. the proportions aren't quite right, but they still look very good. i love how the helmets shine in the light. the arenas dont look as great as they do on the xbox, simply because they put so much into the game (which i have no problem with), and the ps2 isnt as powerfull as the box, there are no polygonal fans. the arenas all look like their real-life counter parts though. the cut scenes all look very nice as well, and some are sort of amusing. it would have been cool to see more intros, but what are you going to do.
  
  the sound is where this game really shines. all the sounds of the sticks, skates, and especially the crowd, are very well done. when your goalie gets on a streak, the fans start chanting their name. the announcers are very awesome too. im a huge hockey fan, and i usually hate gary thorne and bill clement, but unlike in real life, they actually commentate on the game at hand. when the crowd starts to cheer, they make a comment about it, and when your goalie makes a great save, they show the emotion as if they were really there. i like how they give a little bio on some of the players on your team between whistles.
  
  the skills competition is major fun. the only thing is you can only choose 5 players to do every single event, not 5 for each. other than that minor flaw, it is perfect. the party games and skybox modes are very fun as well. they really add to the replay value of the game. the franchise mode is deep and fun, too.
  
  now one thing i always look for in a good game, and one thing that kind of let me down, was the celebrations. you very rarely get a celebration cut scene after a goal, but when you do, they are very cool. the stanley cup celebration is fun to watch also.
  
  the players still move awkardly as they have in years past, but it doesn't take away from the game one bit. this is definatly the game to get this year. if you do want ea's game, i suggest getting '04 and updating the rosters, '05 seems like more of the same.
  
  

• Best Hockey Game Ever!!!

  
  By ANBB8NK76HGVA on 2005-04-13
  This game is really very very good because it has unbelievable graphics and the players look really realistic. The commentary is really good. They follow the game perfectly. There are also a lot of things to do. You can start a season and then play in the playoffs. You can make trades in the season to get better players. There is also a cool thing in the main menu which is the skybox, which has hockey trivia, airhockey, shuffleboard and a karaoke machine. When you're in your season you can check the standings and the scores. You can also check your schedule and the injuries so far in the season. The last thing is that you can change the uniforms to any modern uniform or any old uniform from the past. Overall, I think this game is very very good!
  
  

• Great

  
  By on 2004-08-31
  I've been anxtious for the release of this game ever since May and now that it's finally here i'm very happy to say that it was worth the wait. I did not purchase ESPN NHL 2004 becuase i thought that this was suppose to come out earlier but, now that i have this game i must say this is better. Eventhough i don't have the older version i have played it and i like this one better. First of all there are many new gameplay features in this game that improve the game a lot. The new intense contact controls let you perform cheap shots, which can be very useful but dangerous because if a reff. notices it you'll be sitting down. The online play has been revamped this year and you can now manage your own leagues. The game is very realistic and has great flow(unlike EA's game). There are also a ton of minigames to play if you get bored of playing a real game. These minigames allow you to break away from the usual game and build up skills at the same time(which is very fun).
  
  There are too many new features to talk about in NHL 2k5 so i'll just have to say you have to buy this game and experience the coolest game on earth! (sorry, but i had to do that!)
  
  Overall: 10/10
  graphics: 9/10
  gameplay: 10/10
  fun factor: 10/10
  sound: 8/10
  value: for 20 bucks of course it gets a 10/10 you can't beat that price for a fantastic game like this!
  
  

• So chill, it's freezing

  
  By A17TDMFBT77CZJ on 2004-10-16
  For years (okay, make it about three or four), Sega has been desperately trying to topple EA's NHL series as imminent rulers of the rink. The NHL series has been great, but as much fun as "NHL 2004" was (awesome fighting engine), I was dissappointed with so much emphasis they put on the defensive game. Hockey is all about striking a balance between bone-crunching hits that would make
  Warren Sapp cry and setting up brilliant offensive plays that would make Vincent Van Gough weep with joy. The sad reality is that there's no NHL this season. What a waste. Oh, well. At least we got the games. If you're an NHL fan and Hockey Night in Canada won't deliver the goods (can you say crappy made-for-TV movies?), the games will. I haven't played NHL 2005 yet, but I have played ESPN NHL 2K5, and it was a beautiful thing. It may not have the incredible customization/franchise options that make EA's series so great, but they have gameplay, and that's what counts the most.
  
  Man, Sega OWNED EA in price this season! For only $20, you can play the closest thing to old-school "NHL 94" with the switch of quite a few gauges. You can make this game as arcadey or as realistic as you want. Developer Kush did an excellent job of customizing gameplay options that EA has yet to produce. However, I would recommend turning the fighting off, since its controls are too simple-minded and don't capture the authentic fights of "NHL 2004". Also, does the NHL series have classic teams? Nope. Yet another reason to check out 2K5. The Skybox has a bevy of great features and unlockables, but the air hockey game is a little stupid. It plays almost nothing like real-life air hockey. My best advice is to stay away from it and play the trivia game.
  
  The commentary in "2K5" is fantastic, but the presentation isn't up to snuff with "ESPN NFL 2K5", and the players may not look like their real selves. No matter. If you're looking for great hockey gameplay and creative features, this is the game for you. Now I just wish they had a half-decent create-a-player/team mode, and it would be perfect.
  
  FINAL SCORE-9/10
  
  
• They tried to beat EA's release date & price... and it shows
  By A2O9GRYIJTEOYR on 2004-09-08
  While NHL 2K5 is a nice step along the development road for the series, the main goal of the product was to beat EA's NHL 2005 out the door and get it out cheaper. Unforetunately, while some improvements are made the quicker and cheaper route shows through and holds this game back.
  
  On the positive side, many great new features were added. The mini games are amusing and a great hockey party game. The dream team ladder tournament, which pits you against various dream teams assembled by NHL players is a great idea, and the inclusion of a minor league team management system in franchise mode adds a ton of depth. They even added in trivia and shuffleboard to the Skybox's Game Room!
  
  The challenge modes are where the first big changes are noticed. In NHL 2K5, all challenges are avaliable to the player immediately - all the level 1 challenges don't have to be beaten to unlock level 2 etc. In some ways this is good: waiting around to win that one Stanley Cup Finals game so you could attack the "Get 5 Big Hits" challenge seemed kind of silly. But there is a negative backlash: now you accumlate points ridiculously fast and can buy whichever unlockables you want very fast. What's the problem? Challenge mode becomes obsolete quickly unless you are dying to unlock the 1932 Montreal Canadains.
  
  (Speaking of unlocking teams, Sega Sports apparently didn't get a Hall of Fame lisence, and so the unlocked teams are mostly filled with "C Center" and such. Some are obvious -- #99 on the Kings for example -- others are not -- I know that #5 from the 1932 Habs is on the tip of your tounge! You can probably edit and fill in your favorite teams, but this means even less reason to go for those historical teams you are less interested in)
  
  Stepping away from the features, the gameplay remains very similiar to last year's ESPN Hockey, which is definately a good thing. The gameplay of NHL 2K5 was superior to all hockey games ... Sega knows it and didn't toy with a good thing. The graphics are still passable as well, although there is a marked improvement in player face models.
  
  The place where the game starts to slip and show signs of its cheaper and rushed development is in the presentation. A lot of the commentary is reused from last year's ESPN Hockey and any new blurbs added in quickly become stale as well. There are almost no goal celeberation scenes at all ... only about half the goals will even get a replay and the game only shows the goal summary on about 25% of the goals.
  
  I don't know about you, but I'd think replays on all goals and especially GOAL SUMMARIES for each goal shouldn't be too hard to conjure up after each goal. You can still get this info on the stats screen in the main menu, but it really would be much nicer on the screen after the goal. They did it last year, what's so hard about doing it again?
  
  Other than these nagging presentation issues and just average graphics, ESPN NHL 2K5 is a solid hockey buy. It should keep the video hockey fan happily occupied until the release of NHL 2005, and the price won't break anyone's bank account. If you are tired of EA Sports or if NHL 2005 flops as badly as 2004 did, NHL 2K5 could turn out to be the best hockey bargain ever.
  
  
• Great game, but way too buggy
  By A3KY7X73RXJW0A on 2004-10-24
  This is one of the most fun sports games on the market, but unfortunately it feels half-finished. In their rush to get the game out before EA's, Sega left a number of glaring bugs in the game. The minor bugs include annoying ones such as the seemingly random calling of two-line passes even when the puck is either not passed or has not crossed any lines; comic ones such as the equally random announcer comments (e.g., it could be the first period with tied score, and the announcers will start talking about how one team "has really dug itself a hole in the scoreboard here in the third period"); and bugs which are simply weird: Editing anything (even hair length or stick color) about a player makes that player's rating go up. Each of these categories has plenty of company.
  
  Most notable and infuriating, however, are the numerous freezing bugs related to Franchise mode (one of the game's most-touted features). The basic situation is that the computer cannot always properly handle its rosters, and if a hole appears (due to a trade or injury) that it cannot fill, the game will freeze when you attempt to play a game. This basically forces you to play with injuries and CPU trading off from Day 1, or risk losing your entire season partway through. This bug is simply inexcusable, since it completely wrecks any sense of realism, and is so glaringly obvious that even the slightest amount of testing should have caught it. There is no excuse for bugs of this caliber to have reached a shipping product, and Sega owes its customers something for this.
  
  That being said, actual gameplay itself is unmatched. If you're looking for just a great hockey game that's fun to play and has lots of different modes to keep you entertained, this is the one to get. If you want a good Franchise experience and don't mind working around a few mind-blowingly stupid bugs, it's also worth checking out. But if you want a polished product that the company has clearly taken pride in making, move along; there's nothing to see here.
  
  
• Good Game
  By A3LZ6TWFR159D6 on 2004-09-09
  2K5 is a good hockey game at a great price. The gameplay is great once you up the level to pro or all-star. The mini games add some extra fun to the package and the franchise mode has a lot of depth to it. However, there are a couple of short comings that need to be mentioned. First if you are expecting the same type of ESPN presentation that NFL 2K5 had, you will be very disappointed. There is basically no presentation at all, espcially for the PS2 version. Also there are a few issues that I have with the franchise mode. The first one is that when you simulate the open dates between your hockey games players always get injured for 1-2 days forcing you to change your lines, even though they will be healed by the next game. The other, which I have not personally experienced yet but have read on message boards, is that after 2-3 seasons the Free Agent list is populated with a bunch of players rated 80 or higher while cpu controlled teams have rosters full of players ranked in the 40s to 50s. I'm not sure what this might do to the gameplay, but it seems like an oversite on the developers part. If think you can handle this issues then this game is for you, because like I said the gameplay itself is great.
  
  
• EA SPORTS LOSES AGAIN!
  By A2FVPTS77ALKLV on 2004-10-18
  ESPN HOCKEY IS THE LATEST IN SPORTS GAMES THAT BEAT EA SPORTS. BOTH GAMEPLAY AND GRAPHICS ARE FAR BETTER THEN EA SPORTS NHL 2005. THE GAME PLAY AND PRESENTATION ARE AS CLOSE TO THE REAL THING AS YOU WILL FIND. EA SPORTS PROVES THE OLD SAYING "JUST BECAUSE IT COSTS MORE DOESNT MAKE IT BETTER" ESPN NHL2K5 PROVES THIS THEORY. AT $20 WHAT A BARGAIN. IT COSTS LESS THEN THE COMPETITION AND IS 10 TIMES BETTER. TRUST ME STAY AWAY FROM EA SPORTS. ESPN IS KICKING THERE BUTTS.
  
  
• Still looking for a great hockey game...
  By A2TBGSDGW251SP on 2004-10-26
  I'm a big hockey fan, and always wanted to find a great hockey game for my ps2.
  Last year I bought EA's NHL 2004, hoping that it would be an excellent game - you can see my review on that page to see my review of that game. The bottom line was that the game had some great points, but lots of low points too.
  Lots of reviewers in other places went on and on about how great NHL NK5 was, how it was the best hockey game around, etc. etc. So I got the game, even though it is made by SEGA (which I haven't really liked in the past).
  I have to say that I was disappointed.
  Pros: The gameplay is pretty good. Some of the on-ice animations don't look as realistic as they do on EA 2004. The movement is very smooth, and it is pretty fun game to play. The commentary is awesome, but the rest of the sound isn't anything to write home about.
  Cons: The menus look like something you'd see in a super-nintendo game. I'm embarrased for the programmers this looks so bad. Franchise mode isn't as interesting as it is in EA 2004. It's much harder to navigate around to get things done. The gameplay is better than EA 2004, but still not as much fun as in earlier hockey games (I still like NHL 95-it's just fun to turn off penalties and hit like crazy). The graphics should be updated, the camera angles are too far away, and defense is too hard.
  Why is it that there are so many fantastic football games out there, and so many poor hockey games? (Okay, I know the answer - there's more demand for football games. But you'd think they'd be able to share some programming with each other and improve the rest of the sports games!)
  
  
• BEST GAME EVER!!
  By on 2005-04-11
  I think this game is very fun because it has very good graphics and it has a lot of fun options. You can also start a season and play the playoffs.
  
  
• Oh my god, this is fun!
  By A1VR1W21LV4ZME on 2005-12-05
  My brother got this game for ten bucks, and let me say this; it was well wroth it! I'm not a hockey fan, I don't like most sports games, and I'm not a huge video game geek, but I had loads of fun with this game. It's perfect for two player action, really intense. Screw this review, I'm gonna go play it right now.
  
  PEACE!
  
  
• Excellent Game, Excellent Price
  By A18IAOX0633QH4 on 2004-10-02
  I purchased this PS2 game because it only costs $20. You can't beat that price for a new sports game. After playing the game a few games, I was pleased with the results. The gameplay includes smooth graphics, great sound, decent commentary, and a simple interface. After spending more time playing the game, I soon discovered the extra features that put this game over the top. There are many multiplayer games that are fun to play again and again. Although I didn't purchase the game because of the extra "party games," I am pleased with the lack of monotony that this game brings to the table. I would recommend this game to any hockey fan or to someone that wants an enjoyable (and not too difficult)sports game.
  
  
• Mediocre at best..
  By AP9YUCBK7EJUW on 2004-12-19
  Okay, all in all is this game worth $20? .. Maybe. Is this game the greatest hocky game ever? Definatly not. Lots of little things were left out...how hard would it have been to show who scored the goal afterwards?? I mean come on, that's basic game programming 101..I'd say rent it before you buy..it's not for everyone.
  
  
• Extremely Playable
  By AKM5X760TQ8SK on 2004-09-07
  Maybe it is not fair reviewing this before I saw EA's hockey game for this season. When I like something though I feel the urge to review that product ASAP.
  And I do like this game. The controls are not as basic as EA's so that always takes some adjusting as I switch back and forth between playing EA 2004 and ESPN SEGA 2k5. However the graphics are more than adequate as one reviewer already mentioned I enjoy the helmets reflection and other details as well.
  The francise mode is very deep. My one critique is that although Sega has added scouting (a very admirable move) to the off-season it is not a very player friendly feature as it took me at least 2 tries before I even began to get what it was all about and have still not mastered the fine art of sending my scouts abroad(not neccessarily a bad thing as learning this increases the replayablity of game). Still it could have been set up a little closer to their Footballs scouting and easier(at least for me) to get gist of sooner.
  I have yet to win cup so can not comment on the celebrations but am ready to be dissappointed as I won Superbowl in football 2k5 and felt little letdown after being emotionally high getting there. Which sequeuys into one more comparision I wish they added a Sportscenter like their football has as it would be entertaining feature.
  
  Overall this is not a 5 star game. It is very fun and as hinted and blurted replayable. The other game modes are little gimmicky but add to a very fun product.
  
  

• ESPN NFL 2K5
• Madden NFL 07
• Playstation 2 Black Console Slim
• PlayStation 2 Memory Card (8MB)
• PlayStation 2 Dualshock Controller Black