NHL Faceoff '97	
SCEA, 1-4 blocks, 1-8 players, $59.99

Let me start this review by saying that I LOVE HOCKEY GAMES. I own NHL 
Faceoff 96 and NHL PowerPlay 96, so comparisons will surface where relevant 
in this review. My first impression of this game was that it is just 
last year's version with a ton of great improvements and additions. That 
said, let's get into this:

Graphics (8/10): The graphics are virtually unchanged from last year. 
There are new animations for all players and goalies, and new presentation 
screens, but overall the game looks much like last year. Of course, last 
year's graphics were pretty darn good, so why the 8? I would rate them 
higher if they had actually done more work to improve on them, but as it 
is they get an 8. Goalies can now do butterfly saves, cover up, etc. Players 
can skate backward, hip check, fake shot, give and go, one timer, etc. Sony 
continues to trump up the fact that "all 26 arenas are included." They did 
this for NFL GameDay as well, but the truth of the matter is that every 
arena is actually the same. All they do is slap a new logo on centre ice and 
call it the "actual arena." The same playing perspectives exist, giving 
Faceoff '97 a leg up on Powerplay 96, which has only one far away view.

Sound (10/10): Again, the sound is very similar to last year, which means 
that it is quite good. Added sounds include new checking sounds, and 
different skating noise. They changed last years sound when you hit the 
crossbar (now it is a wimpy 'ting' instead of a hearty 'clang.'). Also, they 
should have changed the goal siren. The fog horn in Powerplay 96 is much 
better. So, why the 10 in sound? Two words: the announcer. This is THE BEST 
announcer I've heard in a hockey game. When the home team scores, you get 
(with much enthusiasm and embellishment) "Canucks goal scored by 
AlexanderrrrrrrrMooooooooogillllneyyy." If a player has multiple goals, 
he will say "his second of the night" or "his third of the night, for the hat 
trick." He'll also let you know if it was a power play or short handed goal. 
The crowd reacts accordingly to the situation, but boos more than last year, 
especially if the home goalie lets by a soft one.

Options (10/10): All options are here, every stat, every play mode (even 
practice), basically all bases are covered here. This department really sets 
the game apart from Powerplay 96, which was woefully short on options. Team 
strategy can be changed so you can trap, get more offensive chances for a 
specific position, run specific formations. I won't go into more detail here, 
since you can get that info from Sony's site.

Gameplay (8/10): This section will be split into multiple sections, since 
this is the most relevant part.

AI: This is a major improvement over last year. It actually feels like you're 
on the powerplay or shorthanded. Defenseman pinch in and actually take part in 
the offence this year! Teammates will actually try and get in front of the net. 
This is obviously where the developers spent the majority of their time. One 
complaint: The goalies are actually easier to score on this year. Playing on 
All-Star with ten minute periods, my Canucks beat the Flames 9-8. Granted these 
aren't exactly great defencive teams, but still it shouldn't be this easy to 
score. 

Penalties: All the penalties are here, including penalty shots, and majors. 
Also new this year is the two line pass, which cuts down on the number of 
breakaways. Speaking of breakaways, if you have a reasonably fast player they 
are very easy to score on.

Powerplay situations: As I've said, now it actually feels like you're down a 
man or up a man.

Passing: There's a new passing interface that you can use in addition to the 
traditional 'nearest man' pass. If you hold down L2, a symbol will come up 
under each player. You can be sure of who its going to, but I find that the 
game moves too fast to really worry about exactly who its going to. You can 
also drop pass, flip pass, and do some other passing moves.

Shooting: Wrist shot, Slap shot, Fake shot, what more do you need?

General: The game still moves too fast, but at least its not too slow like 
Powerplay 96. The new passing control may be revolutionary, but I prefer good 
old fashioned aim and pass. On defence, it really helps to be able to skate 
backward. Sure, the animation may not be the best (for lateral movement, it 
looks like the electric slide), but it sure feels good to give a crunching hip 
check. Another area where this game excels over Powerplay 96 is in the 
responsiveness of the controls. Control is very tight like last year, though 
it will take me some time to master some of the new moves.

Replay Value (6/10): This is a guess, since I just got the game, but I can 
already tell that the goalies are just way too easy to score on. I hate having 
to handicap myself by playing Edmonton all the way to the Stanley Cup on 
All-Star level. On the positive side, the abundance of stats will keep me 
simulating seasons for the rest of the year.

- Chad Peterson