NHL Faceoff 98
SCEA/Killer Game
1-8 players, 4-5 blocks, $39.99

I've been a big fan of this series since its inception, so I bought 
this when it first came out. Unlike others on the Net, I really enjoy 
this game. NHL 98 may be a great game (I haven't played it yet) but so 
is this. The graphics have been totally redone for this year, and we're 
looking at all polygons now. Let's get it on:

Graphics (10/10):
Just amazing. I have never seen a hockey game with this resolution and 
speed. The Canucks and Hurricanes are in their new uniforms, and every 
player has his number and name on his jersey. Even the ref looks and 
skates realistically. Good graphics are nothing without great 
animations though, and the game comes through here too. Players dive, 
get knocked off balance, get nailed to the boards, bury slap shots, tip 
one-timers, give out hip checks, and level others with cross checks. 
Goalie animations are varied and well-done also. The skating animation 
is just so fluid! Each arena has its own centre ice logo (even the 
Molson Centre!). I do like the advertisements along the boards, unlike 
some critics. 

Sound (6/10):
Needs work. The crowd is eerily quiet almost the whole game. Organ cuts 
are good, but too short. The sound of a puck hitting the post is still 
too loud and not quite right. The skating sounds are not as obtrusive 
as last year. One thing I will note is that I love the menu music. Its 
a subdued synth number that is a VERY welcome departure from the 
bombastic heavy metal of other sports games. One saving grace on in-
game sound is the slam of a player going into the boards. This alone 
boosts my scoring by several points. The announcer is back and he has 
more of those enthusiastic goal calls. I love this announcer!

Interface (10/10):
Basically the same as last year. Quick, easy to use, all the options. I 
give Sony points here for using a memory card access that is fast and 
reliable. EA has yet to get this right (anybody play Triple Play 98 and 
get it to work for a whole season?). I like the Edit Lines option in 
Rosters. This lets you control who plays for the CPU. EA should have 
used this in NHL 97 (don't know if they fixed this for this year).

Gameplay (8/10):
I like to play a more realistic brand of hockey, so I slow down the 
game speed (just like in Gameday) to about 20. This game actually uses 
defencemen in the offencive zone! Icon passing is back for those who 
don't like the traditional point-and-pass. I use a mixture of both. I 
like the way some one-timers have the receiver wind up and bury the 
puck while others have the receiver just tap the puck. Redirected shots 
are a great way to score, and this year the puck doesn't fly off the 
goalie like a bouncy ball. This sets up rebounds for the warhorses in 
the trenches up front. Be careful not to go in that crease though! You 
WILL be called for a crease violation and the goal WILL be disallowed. 
Defence has been improved also. No longer can you hip check a guy from 
the other side of the rink. You must get in front of him and take him 
out. They seem to have left out the poke check and hook, which is a 
real disappointment. 

Stats/Season Play (10/10):
This year we get more stats to keep, and the stats viewing screens are 
very fast. This scores big points. How many games have you played where 
it takes forever to scroll through the teams? Not here. Thankfully, 
they added plus/minus as a tracked stat this year. SH, PP, GW, GT goals 
also. Suspensions and injuries (not as many as last year) also occur. 
Last year's game had a definite injury bug (remember losing your entire 
selection of forwards?) and that has been fixed.

Difficulty (9/10):
Some say this game is too easy, but I have trouble winning consistently 
on Veteran with the Canucks (maybe that's why). Unfortunately, the 
difficulty is hard for the wrong reasons. The player's goalies are just 
plain dumb. They let in way too many slapshots, and also the occasional 
red-line floater will drift in over their heads into the net. This is 
FRUSTRATING! Basically, if you leave a guy open for a slapper, he will 
score, Even if you are playing with Roy or Brodeur as your goalie!

Overall (8/10):
This game would be just about perfect if they would fix the goalie 
flaw. This is a serious error because it is such a critical part of the 
game. The game is stellar in just about all other areas, and is still a 
fun game to play.

-Chad Peterson