If you are can keep defeat those Superstar national teams, if you are skillful enough, you can build a team with those castaways and go on earn pucks from exhibition games with them. You don’t need to pay much money to sign the expensive excellent NHL 16 players. With the addition of Doc and Eddie, the NHL 16 game's commentary system has also received a complete refresh. Emerick's commentary is just as charmingly peculiar as it is in real life and it nails his quirky and dramatic tone. Of course, there are some oddities that do pop up from time to time, but so are the shortcomings of sports video game commentary in general. That said, it'd be nice to hear some newly recorded phrases to enter the game through updates throughout the year.

 

Putting NHL players at every spot in your lineup should become your next objective, as it will elevate all of your forward lines to at least 80 chemistry, and make your team a capable competitor in the Online Seasons "Amateur" division. Limit yourself to buying "non-rare" NHL players for 300 coins (these cards have dull, gold backgrounds) and "rare" NHL players for 600 nhl 16 coins (these cards have shiny, gold backgrounds). At those prices, you'll still be turning a profit when getting rid of these beginner cards after they run out of contracts or become injured.

 

EA also spent time working storylines into the broadcast so the booth team better commentates on recent team performance and player streaks. One of the finest traditions in sports is getting recognized in NHL 16 - playoff beards. As the Stanley Cup tournament carries on, players' beards will continue to grow. Check our six playoff beards we hope to see in the game here. "There's more control now," said producer Sean Ramjagsingh in an interview with Polygon. "In previous games you'd always have to go into a glide to receive the pass. Then you could accelerate or stop or whatever. Now, when you get a pass, you can say, 'OK, I want to stop and go the other way as I receive the pass. Or, 'I want to accelerate and take the pass while I'm accelerating. Or, 'I want to keep the puck.'

 

So what about the gameplay you ask? My initial feeling was that EA spent a great deal of time dressing up an engine that wasn’t broken. Sure it had issues but overall it was quite good for its age. In actuality EA has rebuilt the engine from the ground up to take advantage of the horsepower of the next-gen machines. There have been some fundamental improvements. Online play has also been pared down to a versus mode, with one person controlling a whole team just as in other sports games. That would have been fine if it weren't for the fact that previous NHL games let you play as every position, including the goalie. EA promises that online team play is coming, but it will be limited to five-on-five play, with the goalie being the only position that will always be controlled by the AI.

 

The modes that did make the cut include Play Now (exhibition matches), Be a GM (create your own dynasty), Be a Pro (Live the Life’s predecessor), NHL Moments Live (a chance to relive memorable moments from the NHL), Online Versus and Hockey nhl 16 Ultimate Team. So what is there to do in NHL 16 Xbox One? It does feature all of the NHL teams and, for the first time ever, realistic models of all of the NHL arenas. You can play exhibition games along with scaled down versions of Be A Pro (still my favorite career mode in sports, actually), Be A GM, and the Hockey Ultimate Team along with basic online modes. Of course, even the modes that actually made it in are missing features from past versions.

 

On the other end of the ice, the CPU AI does not seem to be as deficient at coverage when you’re on the attack; perhaps too strong in this area, actually. The AI will still do strange things like bunch up four defenders in the center of the ice at the blue line when you carry the puck into the zone, but once they get that weirdness out of their system, they are quite proficient at covering your teammates in the zone and shutting down open lanes to scoring. Combined with how the new puck physics make possession a sometimes-fleeting thing, the AI defense can at times be smothering as you’re trying to establish your offense.

 

That said, nhl 16 Ultimate Team continues to be a saving grace. The inclusion of this mode is a nice one for hockey fans, as you can use unlocked cards to create your own squad and put them to the test against others. It'll see improvements over the next few months as well, but, for now, it's bound to be the "one stop shop" for those who can't hold back from buying this edition of the game.