Catching the freeze with NHL 22

Hockey is (almost) back! After two shortened seasons, it looks like the league will return to its regular start time in October, giving us a full season of glorious NHL action alongside the exciting debut of the Seattle Kraken.

Hot on your heels with the start of the season will be the latest entry in the acclaimed EA Sports series featuring NHL 22, bringing with it a new engine powered by Frostbite. We recently saw these exciting features for the first time, like the debut of Superstar X-Factors and the return of one of the game’s main stars on its cover, but it’s the next-gen treatment we’re really excited about.

The move to freezing

As a longtime fan of the series, it was exhausting having to watch the other EA Sports titles get the next-gen Frostbite engine update. Now that the time has finally come, I think a real treat awaits us all. Features like differentiated lighting, reconstructed (and re-lit) stadiums, and enhanced shadows and reflections make NHL 22 It seems much closer to real life hockey than ever. Oh, and the ice looks slick as heck, with reflective light sources giving it that smooth, shiny look rather than a cloudy layer of ice. I can’t wait to see how he transforms throughout the game, from a coat freshly polished by Zamboni to ice chipped and skid-worn at the end of each period.

In addition, the player models are significantly improved, with skin and eye shading and dynamic lighting ensuring adequate depth for all characters. This extends to the stitching on the players’ uniforms along with the proper movement of the fabric that will make this look even closer to a realistic NHL game. I can not wait. There will also be the debut of a new in-game presentation with AR-like effects that provide updated stats on ice over the course of the game.

And although many of these features will be highlighted in Xbox Series X | Yes, the new Frostbite engine is being applied to the Xbox One version of NHL 22 In addition, gamers of both generations of consoles will enjoy this new game engine.

Playing with superstars

One of the great novelties of NHL 22 this season it will be Superstar X-Factors. This new gameplay mechanic will elevate the NHL Superstars and put a greater emphasis on their skills on the ice. Traits like Shock & Awe, which grants a power and accuracy exception when firing shortly after performing a deke. Or Tape to Tape, which gives more power and precision to the passes.

Superstar X-Factors isn’t just limited to shooters. Goalkeepers can also have these abilities, providing benefits like exceptional salvage range or quick recovery, as a few examples. These “superhero” abilities are limited to the top 100 players in the game, and while this sounds intriguing, we’ll have to wait and see how all of this translates into the moment-to-moment game that the series is known for.

Matthews part two

Despite a disastrous first-round outing of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season at the hands of the Montreal Canadians, the Toronto Maple Leafs are still considered one of the NHL’s top teams for the year. That’s thanks in large part to the talents of Auston Matthews. As one of the league’s biggest stars, it’s no wonder he gets another shot at becoming a star cover athlete on NHL 22.

While we don’t (necessarily) adhere to superstitions, the last time Matthews appeared on the cover was for NHL 20. That season, the Maples Leafs received an unexpected first-round outing from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Of course, they have been rejected in the first round for five years in a row, even without Matthews on the cover, so our logic here is suspect.

Still, will this season be any different for Matthews and the Leafs? Can he end Toronto’s nearly six-decade drought at the Stanley Cup? We will have to wait and see how the season unfolds. But thanks to NHL 22, Leafs fans, along with other tormented fan bases like the San Jose Sharks (from personal experience) and Vancouver Canucks, can bring their fantasies to life through the game’s expansive Franchise, Be a Pro, and Playoff modes, which lets us lift the Lord Stanley Cup. our virtual heads.

Joking aside, we’re so excited for the upcoming NHL season (bring the Kraken!) AND NHL 22. Look to hit the ice with NHL 22 October 15 for Xbox One and Xbox Series X | S. EA Play Members – If you are interested in spending some time on the ice before purchasing, don’t forget your 10 hour trial before the game’s launch! Then use your membership discount to get up to 10% off your pre-order of NHL 22!

We will have more to share about others NHL 22 game features in the weeks leading up to its release on October 15. For the latest news on Xbox games, keep it locked here on Xbox Wire.