NHL 25 seemingly had a lot of potential as the franchise finally left the last generation of consoles behind, leaving fans expecting big things for the series that had been on a downhill trajectory for a few years. Instead, what we got felt like little more than a roster update with a few new features sprinkled in.
As a result, NHL 26 has a lot of ground to make up to turn this franchise back in the right direction, and they at least show some signs of promise here. Read our review to see what we mean.
Skate for the Cup
The gameplay has always been one of the stronger aspects of the game each year, and that trend continues with NHL 26. With the leap to next-gen consoles only last year, we also saw a pretty big leap in visuals thanks to the mixing of the existing Frostbite engine and the use of the new Sapien Technology at the time to take character models to the next level, though not quite to the level of detail seen in some of EA’s other franchises. Gameplay also got an upgrade last year with the introduction of ICE-Q AI technology to make the on-ice action all the more realistic with player animations, reactions, and more, which has now gotten a further upgrade with ICE-Q 2.0.
Taking the foundation already built last year, ICE-Q 2.0 now utilizes NHL Edge tracking data to bring NHL superstars to life even more so than in the past. NHL Edge is the puck and player tracking technology that is used by all teams, so you can’t ask for a better way to emulate the players within NHL 26. The impact of ICE-Q 2.0 can be seen through player Attributes such as top speed, slap shot power, and many more help to differentiate between different types of players. Taking things one step further are the Tendencies that are built around habits that help to bring individual players to life. As of launch, there are 22 unique Tendencies that can affect both on-puck and off-puck behavior. While a more casual fan may not notice anything special here, hardcore fans will definitely notice how these allow players to perform like their real-life counterparts better than ever before.
There wasn’t too much in the way of presentation upgrades this time around, but the biggest addition was that of the Delta Center, the home arena for the latest expansion team, the Utah Mammoth. This comes complete with the goal horn sound effect used in the actual arena too. On a broader level, the game’s dynamic lighting has been improved to where replays and different moments of the presentation look better than ever. Lastly, the mesh nets in the goals have also received a visual upgrade, so they react more realistically than ever before.
NHL 26 offers a number of different game modes to choose from, and the majority of them are very much as you have seen in recent years. Franchise is back again and lets you take control of a team as the GM of a team, in the existing NHL, a custom league, or even a 33-team expansion draft with custom rosters. Unfortunately, if you played Franchise last year or the few years before, you’re going to know exactly what to expect here. Considering we just had Madden finally go through a long awaited revamp of its Franchise, the dated variation we see here sticks out like a sore thumb. However, at least EA having other series finally redo the stale Franchise mode gives hope for the future.
A Much-Needed Revamp
On the other hand, the star of the show in NHL 26 is easily the career-oriented Be A Pro mode that received a substantial revamp this year. When creating your new Pro, you get the option to either take the route of starting in Europe or start in the CHL’s Memorial Cup. Either way though, you will participate in the World Juniors Medal Round and where you go from there before the draft is dependent on your starting choice.
Similar to Madden 26’s Franchise mode upgrades, NHL 26’s Be A Pro also adopts a chapter setup that helps you to better know where you are in your career and what goals you are currently working towards at any given time. These chapters include situations such as the NHL Draft, roster battles, and playoff pushes, as well as attempts to win the Stanley Cup. I think this works perfectly here and takes away any concerns about the mode being aimless with you just playing game after game.
Right away, you can already tell a solid improvement when it comes to dialogue for interviews and such. While your player still doesn’t have voice acting for his answers, the questions being asked are at least voiced to add a little more liveliness to these segments. On the downside, some of the voice actors used here are incredibly monotone and almost robotic, so it’s a bit of a mixed bag overall. However, this is merely a nitpick, as each of these dialogue choices actually matters and often leads to consequences if you answer them in certain ways. As you make decisions, your player’s personality will be shaped into one of two directions: Influential or Confidential. These work in tandem with your on-ice performance to affect your career trajectory in very interesting ways that make the entire journey worth playing until your career is over.
Each week, you are given energy that can be used to upgrade aspects of your character, including Brand, Management, Teammates, Health, Skill Training, and X-Factor Training. How you spend these is totally up to you, so you have to be careful not to mismanage them week to week. I learned quickly how important it was to keep my Health up here too, as it can go downhill quickly if you aren’t using Energy on it. The method of managing your player week to week this way added another layer of strategy into the mix that felt just right here in Be A Pro mode.
Microtransactions Central
Hockey Ultimate Team does not get anywhere near the upgrade that Be A Pro received, but it still got some new features that make it a bit more interesting for those who enjoy this style of game mode. As always, HUT is a card-collecting game mode that is largely powered by microtransactions for those who don’t want to grind incessantly. Returning this year after much fan request is that of seasons, which allows for a much more dynamic experience throughout the year, thanks to season-specific rules, rotating team captain themes, and special combinations to get boosts. Involved with this are new Seasonal Captain Chemistries through items that can provide you with captain chemistries for your HUT team for that specific season. There are also now flexible line chemistries that allow you to more easily gain boosts for your lineup, which came in quite handy when first starting out, especially.
HUT also now has a few new methods of play, including a great mode for beginners that are first jumping into HUT. Cup Chase is a new offline mode that allows you to take part in a short 18-game offline season against the computer to try and win the Cup. For those ready to jump online though, there is Ranked competition online that is ready for you to take part in as well.
World of Chel also returns in NHL 26 and is always a lot of fun. You can take your Be A Pro created skater into World of Chel and take part in various events, whether they are live or quick play events. This is where the game offers a season pass for you to work towards to unlock near cosmetics for your skater and then take them into games. As always, World of Chel always feels best when you have a group of friends to create a club and take on the competition together, but it’s still fun as a solo experience as well. Even so, I do feel like this mode is starting to feel a bit stale and will need more of a refresh at some point before it wears out its welcome.
Verdict
NHL 26 provides a much-needed upward swing for the series that has been treading water for a few years outside of the visual upgrades in the previous entry. The lackluster Franchise mode is still a disappointment, but improvements to other modes like HUT and especially Be A Pro mode have helped to move the franchise back in the right direction. There’s still a lot of work to be had in the future with even Be A Pro mode that helped to elevate the overall NHL 26 experience over just feeling like a simple roster update, so hopefully this game can serve as a solid foundation for next year’s iteration.
Score: 7.5/10
Pros:
- ICE-Q 2.0 using NHL Edge statistics
- Be A Pro revamp
- HUT enhancements
Cons:
- Franchise mode feels almost untouched
- Lack of major changes outside of a few modes
NHL 26 was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.
