NHL 14 Announced, Coming This September
The next game in EA Sports’ ice hockey series will take some elements from their other franchises and tweak them for the ice. EA Sports has announced that NHL 14 (which we saw on Polygon) is scheduled to be released on September 13 in Europe and September 10 in North America.
Some new additions to the series are NHL Collision Physics and the Enforcer Engine. NHL Collision Physics is powered by the same tech that made so many people chuckle whilst playing FIFA – the Player Impact Engine. Also, the Enforcer Engine (based on Fight Night’s engine) will see new jostling mechanics introduced and will make the third person perspective fights more realistic by taking player strength and size into account. General Manager at developer EA Canada Dean Richards is notably hyped about the direction of the series:
“We’re very proud of the history of innovation that the EA Sports NHL franchise has produced on this console generation, and this year we’re amplifying that innovation by leveraging technology from teams like FIFA and Fight Night. This year fans will feel the speed, skill and aggression of NHL hockey like never before, powered by some of the best EA Sports technology to create the best game we could ever imagine.”
1,000 new skating animations have been introduced in NHL 14, along with an updated version of NHL 13’s True Performance Skating which will lead to more responsive controls. The game is also said to include a better dekeing system as it is now controlled using the left analog stick and one button.
The Be a Pro Career Mode sounds pretty interesting because it looks like their attempting to create a more immersive experience by having players affect relationships with fellow team-mates, fans and the gaffer via off-the-ice interactions such as media interviews and whatnot.
You can check out the trailer for the game, below. It features some Dropkick Murphys, which is never a bad thing.
NHL 14 will be released on September 13 in Europe and September 10 in North America for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
Colm Ahern
How's things? I'm the video guy and would love if you'd watch the things I do like Debatable and For Your Amusement. I spend the majority of my days explaining why The Wire is the greatest TV show ever and clamouring for a Pop-Punk revival(c. 1994) whilst singing in my best Axl Rose-esque voice. Do not say professional wrestling is “fake” around me or, he’ll bore you with, what I like to call, “the risks they take”. Henrik Larsson is my hero.
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