NHL 27 arrived with lofty expectations, promising revamped presentation alongside the already solid gameplay of last year’s iteration. The result fell short of that elite entry, leaving a sour taste in players’ mouths despite several surface-level improvements.
Attention to detail inside arenas has improved significantly. The focus on introductions and real-world goal horns makes the game feel more alive. Instead of a generic soundtrack, EA Sports licensed some of the most iconic arena music of all time. This change makes scoring goals feel like a genuine event rather than a routine animation.
Even the best new elements suffer from sloppy execution. Goal celebrations are a welcome addition, but the camera cuts to the same, generic, blocky fans who still look like they are out of the PS2 era. This pulls players right out of the immersive experience. The presentation itself feels slapdash. Some teams feel true to life, while others have been largely ignored. Unless a fan supports a team that skates out through an inflatable, the experience is likely to be disappointing.
The developer’s focus on these features reeks of a quick addition to the development cycle rather than a marquee update for a yearly installment.
NHL 27 feels like last year’s game regarding on-ice action, for the most part. The computer AI behaves in ways not seen in several years. Defenders no longer attempt to effectively clear the puck while on the penalty kill. Even in 5-on-3 situations, a defender will try to skate the puck out of the blue zone, sometimes over the center line with three forwards on the forecheck. This ruins the flow of powerplays, as goals often result from poking the puck away from a skater who should never have been bringing it up the ice.
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John Buccigross revealed that EA Sports used generative AI to flesh out commentary lines. In theory, this should mean more live diversity and fresher commentary. However, the commentary in NHL 27 is terrible and disjointed. It is also extremely repetitive. Commentators mention a 2-1 game being low-scoring in the third period every single time fewer than four goals have been scored. After the game, the exact same line about “the tradition of thanking the fans” plays, no matter which team is played.
Accuracy is another major problem. A player might poke check the puck away, yet the commentary claims the puck carrier poked it away. During a home game for one team, Buccigross commented about how many empty seats there were, and that “this franchise has struggled to fill the arena.” The Carolina Hurricanes have sold out every home game since the 2021-22 season.
Visuals and Player Models
The player models have received significant online criticism since the release of the game. Some are just abysmal … [Media: https://twitter.com/HabsOnReddit/status/2098425557822108129]
The on-ice action of the game is largely still fine, but despite making changes to puck carrying and dekeing, still feels a step behind last year’s game. The music is a big step forward with arenas feeling more alive, but it’s cold comfort with the myriad issues that have popped up which weren’t present in the past.
The development team behind the NHL series is clearly passionate and loves the game, but it’s apparent they are struggling for a lack of resources. While hockey is a niche sport that will never get the budget of Madden, it also deserves a lot more than it’s getting right now. I sincerely hope that EA Sports gets the message that fans see this as a low-point in the series, and tries to revitalize the franchise. Score: 5/10
