EA NHL 26 Review – On Thin Ice?

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As a passionate hockey enthusiast, I’ve had the pleasure of diving into EA Sports NHL 26 – the latest addition to EA Vancouver’s annual sports video game franchise. This year, they’ve rolled out enhancements in gameplay, and introduced modes like Be A Pro, Ultimate Team (HUT), and others. But the question is, are these updates worthy of your investment? Let’s explore!

EA Sports NHL 26 Review – What is NHL 26?

EA Sports’ NHL 26 is a video game that simulates ice hockey, complete with real-life teams like the NHL and PWHL, their players, logos, stadiums, and other elements. Similar to other EA Sports games such as F1 or FC, it’s released annually, providing a new edition every twelve months.

2021 back-to-back Stanley Cup winner Matthew Tkachuk graces the standard edition cover of the game. Accompanying him are his brother Brady and father Keith on the deluxe edition cover.

You can purchase EA NHL 26 on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5.

Gameplay – NHL 26 Review

Prior to starting NHL 26, my main worry revolved around the Frostbite Engine. This engine, initially designed for Battlefield, has been adopted by EA Sports for numerous titles over the past ten years. Generally speaking, I’ve noticed that its implementation tends to affect sports gameplay in a detrimental manner.

In other sports games like Madden and FIFA, there’s often criticism about Frostbite’s player movement being excessively sluggish. Spinning in Madden can feel as if it requires years of practice, while moving in FIFA might as well be impossible unless you’re using an overpowered team. However, EA Vancouver appears to have struck a balance with their implementation of the engine, ensuring that gameplay remains enjoyable.

However, I’m glad to say that my gameplay experience with NHL 26 was pleasantly surprising.

In essence, the gameplay of EA Sports NHL 26 resembles its predecessors, making it comfortable for players who are returning. However, this doesn’t mean that newcomers or non-hockey enthusiasts will feel left out. The game is designed to be accessible and enjoyable without requiring specific knowledge of terms like Deke or Hip Check. While maintaining a familiar feel, EA Sports has made efforts to enhance the gameplay, aiming to deliver a more entertaining and realistic experience overall.

Without a doubt, the most significant enhancements you’ll notice in gameplay are the overhauled X-Factor mechanism and the innovative Goalie Crease system.

At its release, NHL 26 boasts 28 unique X-Factors, each divided into three levels to show their effectiveness. While there’s a decent variety of X-Factors, it isn’t so much that they begin to overlap. Moreover, the three tiers provide distinct differences in terms of performance.

A player who possesses the Ankle Breaker X-Factor at the Elite level will significantly outperform one with the same skill but in the Specialist tier when it comes to creating space on the court. On the other hand, a player boasting an Elite Big Rig X-Factor can expect a 55% enhancement of their strength.

Experiencing a diverse range and distinct differences among the X-Factors creates a sense of individuality for numerous players. Engaging in a game with Nathan MacKinnon contrasts significantly from collaborating with a player such as Sidney Crosby.

Beyond simply enhancing the gaming experience, this feature additionally boosts collaboration aspects when playing modes such as Franchise and HUT. The fantasy drafts within Franchise become more interactive due to X-Factors, allowing me to strategize about the skills I prefer for my team members.

The Goalie Crease System enhances the AI’s performance by providing additional save animations during matches, thereby improving the AI goalies’ capabilities this year, particularly in saving shots. Overall, I found the system quite effective, as the AI goalies appeared more competent in their save attempts compared to previous years.

As a struggling goalie, I’m not qualified to evaluate whether the new system significantly outperforms traditional methods for hardcore Goalie players. However, I do sense an improvement, but my understanding is limited. Nevertheless, since I enjoy playing other positions, I personally haven’t been greatly impacted by these changes.

Enthusiastic players of NHL 26, known for their tenacity, will likely discover loopholes in the game system, as they have done before. Although it’s clear that EA Vancouver acknowledges the need to refine the system, this also underscores the intense dedication fans have towards the series. In essence, I believe the revamped Goalie Crease system has enhanced my AI’s performance, a change I am certainly pleased with and won’t hesitate to praise.

A particular aspect that didn’t particularly excite me was the player Tendencies. I acknowledge the developers’ efforts to mimic the behavior of real-life players in the game, but unfortunately, it leads to repetitive actions from the AI, which can become monotonous and seem less authentic.

It’s understandable that specific players prefer playing in particular styles, given specific scenarios. In this case, it’s no surprise that a player like Alex Ovechkin tends to line up on the left side during power plays. However, the issue arises because he often does so across all situations, rather than mixing it up.

When facing particular Superstars during gameplay, I’ll get a sense of their predictable actions in certain scenarios. In reality, players would learn and modify their strategies instead of repeatedly using the same moves.

As a dedicated gamer, I’d say that while the developers seemed to have a solid concept, it appears they fell short in its execution. It just didn’t feel as polished or well-realized as we had hoped.

In simpler terms, it can be said that the gameplay enhancements in NHL 26, generally speaking, are commendable. However, I find the Tendencies feature a bit redundant. On the other hand, I am quite fond of the revamped X-Factors and Goalie Crease System.

Be A Pro

In the latest edition, NHL 26, developers have made substantial improvements by eliminating much of the excess found in previous versions. Rather than engaging in Pricey Pond Hockey, players will now compete in the World Juniors tournament, showcasing their talents to spectators.

One of the discarded elements by EA Vancouver this year was the expensive Pond feature, instead opting for an increased focus on interactions with the media. Despite this change, you’ll continue to engage with your agent, coach, and teammates throughout your career. However, the frequency of these conversations has been streamlined to only include those that are significant.

Engaging in dialogue with the media might just be the most significant interactions for you. Every time you address the media, keep in mind that your words can significantly influence your professional path.

Certain dialogues may influence the characteristics you’ll gain, while others might assign objectives for upcoming games. However, all these interactions contribute to enhancing the game’s complexity, providing reasons to strive for in every match.

To put it simply, I have a complex feeling towards this system – there’s both affection and annoyance. What appeals to me is the concept of incorporating media more into one’s career. It’s gratifying to observe our ‘Be A Pro’ character being commended for excellent performances or constructively criticized during poor ones. This feedback contributes to the genuine feel of the product, making it all the more engaging.

Occasionally, I find that obstacles impede the functioning of the system. Instead of an evaluation based on team performance, success often hinges on attaining specific objectives within matches. This means that even if you perform exceptionally well individually or collectively, failure to achieve a required number of objectives (such as goals or assists) can still lead to criticism.

Additionally, I believe that the frequency of character meetings could have been more spread out for a smoother pacing. For example, one instance where I found this particularly challenging was when I had to meet with my agent, coach, and a reporter all in a single sitting. While this may be understandable during the early stages of a career, it gradually transforms into an added hurdle between you and your upcoming game each week.

My main issue with Be A Pro is the Challenges needed to unveil X-Factors. Despite my appreciation for the new X-Factor system, I believe some of the prerequisites for unlocking abilities are downright unreasonable.

It’s clear that acquiring an Elite Tier X-Factor could potentially require several years. I’m quite fond of the concept that one should earn their X-Factor through a challenge. However, it seems the developers need to revise the method by which players obtain these abilities for a more streamlined experience.

Some X-factors might necessitate achieving a Stanley Cup victory, while others could demand a specific duration of play, or perhaps something else entirely that could potentially stretch on indefinitely.

The developers might have designed the system to be more straightforward, particularly with respect to how experience points (XP) are accumulated and used. Instead of organizing your weekly training regimen, I find it more appealing if XP could be directly allocated to attributes. While this isn’t a revolutionary idea, it has proven effective for quite some time.

In a nutshell, I don’t merely harbor unfavorable emotions towards the new features; rather, I appreciate the overall World Juniors experience and the enhancements made in its presentation (which will be discussed further). Additionally, it’s important to note that poor performance could lead to demotion to the minor leagues.

The chapter organization sets up bite-sized objectives, providing a sense of rapid advancement through the season. Given the numerous games in an NHL season, these tasks serve to divide it into manageable pieces, thereby making the experience more enjoyable.

Wrapping up, I’d say Be A Pro was alright, but not all the changes made by the developers were successful. While I acknowledge their attempt to make the game more player-centric, there’s room for improvement. Instead of primarily focusing on bowling and expensive pond games, they aimed to emphasize the main player character, but it could have been executed more effectively.

Hockey Ultimate Team (HUT) – NHL 26 Review

It appears that HUT has been incredibly popular this year, but to put it straightforwardly, I’ve never been particularly fond of the concept. To be even more direct, my enthusiasm hasn’t changed this year. Granted, there’s a fresh Cup Chase mode, seasonal programs, and an updated salary cap system. However, despite these new additions, it just didn’t appeal to me as I had hoped.

The concept of assembling a fantasy team with both veteran and fresh players seems appealing in theory, but personally, I’ve never been fond of the Ultimate Team mode found across various sports games (not just NHL). The idea of tirelessly earning cards to compete online against individuals who’ve already invested substantial resources for an elite roster doesn’t appeal to me.

As a dedicated gamer, let me tell you about something that’s been bothering me lately – microtransactions! Here’s an eye-opener: 20,000 NHL Points will set you back around $150. That’s roughly the price of two brand-new games! Now, I’m aware it’s not only NHL that employs this strategy, but let’s face it, that doesn’t make it any less frustrating.

Trying to persuade EA Sports to eliminate Ultimate Team microtransactions is as futile as asking a star athlete at the peak of their career to take a salary cut (it’s not going to happen). Therefore, unless consumers demonstrate their dissatisfaction by reducing their spending on these transactions, it seems likely that the mode will persist as it has for some time.

In summary, HUT (Heroes of Uberqwirk) remains HUT. Those who appreciate the gameplay style will likely enjoy this year’s updates. For those who don’t prefer it, there are numerous alternative gaming modes available to explore.

Franchise – NHL 26 Review

This year, the franchise didn’t get much recognition. However, it’s worth noting that the Utah Mammoth are now participating, and not just referred to as “Utah Hockey Club.” If that offers any comfort, I guess it’s understandable given their primary focus on that aspect last season.

To elaborate on what I previously shared, the enhanced X-Factor System has truly elevated my enjoyment when it comes to team management. The process of constructing a team, selecting players, and negotiating trades all feel significantly more thrilling as I strive to create a dynamic roster filled with various talents.

In summary, while the improvement for Franchise wasn’t direct, it was still noticeable. Among all the game modes, this one stood out as my favorite.

Graphics & Presentation

One of Frostbite’s standout qualities is its ability to make games visually stunning, and this certainly holds true for NHL 26. The game boasts impressive player models, uniform designs, well-detailed rinks, and lifelike crowds that collectively contribute to an immersive gaming experience. Furthermore, the stadium lighting and smooth player movement only enhance this visual appeal.

The enhancements made in presentation by “Be A Pro” are noticeable across multiple aspects. Whether it’s Draft Night or the Stanley Cup celebration, the fresh scenes are quite enjoyable to behold. Additionally, the new camera angles and analysis provided by ICE-Q 2.0 significantly improve the overall gaming experience.

Menus in this game still appear to carry over some sluggishness from past versions, although it doesn’t halt gameplay, it can become quite bothersome. During transitions between menus, there might be unexpected glitches that could lead you to inadvertently click on something else, which may further cause the screen to malfunction and add to the frustration.

Generally speaking, NHL 26 performs smoothly with appealing graphics. While this didn’t influence my review grade significantly, high-quality visuals are always a plus.

Or,

NHL 26 runs and looks great for the most part, though it didn’t change my review score. However, better graphics can only make things better.

Audio

In addition to its visually appealing design, NHL 26 boasts an immersive auditory experience as well. The smooth glide of players on the ice, the swift passing and accurate shooting of the puck, and even the satisfying sounds that emanate from my controller upon scoring a goal all contribute to the authenticity of the game’s sound effects. I find myself thoroughly captivated by these details.

Beyond this, the music in the game complements well too. It aligns with the sport’s ethos and provides a pleasing ambiance while I handle my Franchise. In summary, no complaints to report since I encountered no issues at all.

Verdict: Is EA NHL 26 Worth Your Time & Money?

EA Sports’ NHL 26 may not revolutionize hockey video games, but it offers an entertaining experience with multiple game modes that will keep Hockey enthusiasts entertained for numerous hours.

In the latest revision, the X-Factors significantly enhance the enjoyment and novelty of NHL 26 gameplay. Although there are just 28 factors, I appreciate their high quality and distinct differences among each tier. This variation greatly improves modes like Franchise, particularly in terms of team creation, making it more engaging and enjoyable.

In simpler terms, I found two main issues with the game. Initially, I felt that the enhancements made to the Be A Pro mode seemed somewhat insufficient. While I appreciate that unnecessary dialogues were eliminated, I believe there could have been further development in this area.

Additionally, I must admit that I’m yet to fully immerse myself in the “Ultimate Team” feature common to most sports games, and NHL 26 is no different. The new Hut Seasons and HUT Cup Chase didn’t particularly grab my attention. However, if you’re a fan of Ultimate Team, I have no doubt you’ll appreciate the efforts the developers have made this year.

Instead, the issues are often eclipsed by the enjoyable gameplay, the compelling franchise and GM mode. Additionally, there are numerous customization options that enhance my control over the gaming experience.

This year, I’m finding it even more exciting that AI goalkeepers are improving significantly. With increased trust in the AI, I feel more comfortable taking risks in my plays, which might have seemed too daring previously.

If you’re someone who enjoys games like Be A Pro or HUT, NHL 26 looks like it would be a great new addition to your sports game collection. However, if you’re really into Franchise mode, you might not find it as appealing. But don’t worry, when it comes to gameplay and overall enjoyment, NHL 26 definitely delivers!

Score: 8/10

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2025-09-09 23:15