This game may or may not be fully acceptable to certain gamers. It depends on what they're used to and how flexible they are for how the gameplay feels and goes. What I'm getting to is the main addition to the game which is an all new skating engine called "True Performance Skating". Most gamers and critics probably perceive this as the most innovative addition to the franchise since the skill stick in NHL '07 that was independent of a player's body. The gameplay may take a little while to get used to, but in the end, it'll hopefully end up making the game feel and look much more like an authentic NHL playing experience. Like other sports games or video games in general have done with newer or altered controls, the game has a tutorial right from the start after a personal thank you from cover athlete Claude Giroux. It tells you all about the aspects of this new skating engine, including acceleration, turning and momentum and overall speed. You'll probably find yourself skating too hard or too fast and wind up skating into defenders and getting stripped of the puck, but this can gradually be adjusted to as you become more aware of just how fast certain players can skate. It's so realistic, it's even like real life driving physics in that the faster you’re driving, the harder it is to turn in. Another thing you'll probably notice eventually is that it becomes noticeably harder to accurately pass or even shoot the puck once you at least come close to reaching full speed. This makes for an incredible experience as it brings a con or drawback to reaching toward your player’s top speed, just like in REAL HOCKEY. it's like driving a car with tighter handling than that of those in the past. It takes some getting used to, but will ultimately provide more control than ever before once you get the hang of it. The addition of the Winter Classic mode is nice for something different and it's also nice to still see some of the remodeled or retro jerseys in the game as well. I can't speak of much more than these two new features considering that I don't have nearly enough time on my hands to play online or even a franchise/season mode, but I couldn't imagine these are disappointing either. What seems to bother some gamers the most about this game is how unrealistically challenging it is on the default pro difficulty. It is true that some gamers may feel somewhat embarrassed or under rewarded when playing on too easy of a difficulty such as rookie, but NHL 13 takes this concept a bit too far. The AI learning bar/meter is turned up all the way for at least the default pro difficulty which probably explains how superior the CPU is as far as making that perfect pass or reading the mind or playing style of the player. Even with a compromised AI learning meter which is only halfway full, you still have to be careful when it comes to at least positioning whether it be your own or one of your CPU controlled teammates. The opposition can likely make you pay for nearly every mistake your team makes and thus makes this significantly more challenging than games in year’s past but rewards you for preventing these mishaps from happening at times so it makes up the difference. I highly recommend you compromise and turn the AI learning meter down so it's only 50% full and you should enjoy a far more even playing experience, provided that you have taken the time to feel out the new skating engine either in free skate or the skating drill at first before playing a game. A crucial aspect of the game is missing in the interactive tutorials and practice modes. As previously mentioned, the faster you are skating, the harder it is not only to turn in but also to accurately pass or shoot the puck. This will cause the player to be frustrated not only because of missing your teammate's stick or the net but also because you ultimately could have potentially missed out on a good scoring chance to extend your lead, tie the game or trim the lead of the opposition. The game is also missing national anthems and interviews. There is arguably only one other downside to this game and that is the replay value. It would have more of this if you could put certain skills to the test offensively or defensively with mini-camp drills as many gamers have done in the older Madden NFL games to practice and achieve medals. However, It's so much of an improvement over a few of the last installments that it would be hard to noticeably top this game for years to come anyway. The main thing EA was seemingly boasting about in the NHL 14 trailers was the '94 anniversary mode, which kind of implies the new fighting engine and additional checking physics are nothing special which is why I don't buy the games every year. You'll probably be torn between choosing whether to buy NHL 14 or 15 if you happened to miss out on NHL 13 but you shouldn't expect anything as impressive as the true performance skating just yet.

I'm a big fan of hockey, I didn't get that much in NHL 12, I got this Game Yesterday. I't is the best NHL game to date till NHL 14. The New Physics engine and New skating engine is amazing. I will play this game till I get GTA 5 or COD advanced Warfare

It is on the edge of fun because it just isnt enough gameplay and I hate the game because any loser can just play it and win and the AI pisses me of a lot