Electronic Arts NHL 23 for PlayStation 5

Product Information

The mode continues to come across as an afterthought rather than a main attraction and it's a real shame for anyone looking to live out their NHL fantasies. The biggest change anyone ought to immediately notice about NHL 23, particularly because that change is on the cover, is the inclusion of Women’s International players in the IIHF World Championship. Sarah Nurse’s X-Factor, as an example, increases her shot and passing accuracy after taking a hit, but to what actual effect or amount isn’t clear. Canadian goalscoring machine Sarah Nurse makes history as the first female player featured on an NHL cover.

Ultimately, while NHL 23 isn’t a step backward per se, the move forward is so small, so minuscule, that it may as well not have moved at all. The color commentary thinks this makes a difference though, and those snippets sound more like marketing than actual information.

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In a case of unlucky timing, NBA 2K23 allowed for a similar idea when it was released last month, yet also offered the actual players from those legacy teams. This translates to the players too, meticulously defined down to freckles (where needed), precise jersey stitching, and visors gleaming in the light.

So grab your friends and gear up for the most dynamic, connected, and visually rich version of Chel yet. Revamps on the audio side make strides too, creating one of the most authentic in-arena soundscapes in sports gaming. Last Chance Puck Movement adds another layer of authenticity and excitement to gameplay with 500 new animations related to player contact and description plays. NHL 23 features new X-Factors like Trevor Zegras' "Skilled Up", Sarah Nurse's "Relentless", and AI upgrades that help AI-controlled players utilise their X-Factors for more impactful and realistic contributions on the ice.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that NHL 23 brings something ground-breaking with the inclusion of stumble actions and loose puck plays, but they do really add to your immersion when playing.

But as it seemingly is every year, not every aspect of these games was given the TLC it needed, in fact it feels more like modes were just ignored, and pulled straight from NHL 22 without any improvements or changes. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Once the NHL series and EA’s other annualized sports games leave the PS4 behind, that year’s entry should hopefully be another step up. By including full IIHF women’s team and tournaments, not just custom players, NHL 23 makes hockey video game history, even if NHL is the only option on the market these days.