Xboxist

NHL 10 Demo Slams onto Xbox Live

Good news ice hockey fans! The season is about to start next month and that can only mean one thing: a new EA SPORTS NHL title. The publisher is claiming that this year they have big gameplay innovations in store for long-time players, and to prove it they've put a demo up on Xbox Live. Like always, the demo is currently only available to Gold subscribers. Silver members and PS3 owners will be able to grab the download starting on August 27th.

The demo showcases two new game modes: Battle for the Cup and Be A Tough Guy. Gamers can experience the emotion and drama of the third period of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Championship between Detroit and Pittsburgh in Battle for the Cup. The new mode features playable injuries, the ability to intimidate the opposing team, and line-matching to shut down superstars all in front of frenzied towel waving crowds with storylines that carry across the entire series. Play as your favourite team's enforcer in Be A Tough Guy, where it is your job to protect your superstars, fight when needed, and finish all checks. The enhanced Be a Pro mode also includes a prospects game before heading to the draft and watching your name appear on the NHL draft board.

Fighting is once again a highlight of the ice hockey experience. NHL 10 features a new first-person fighting engine that enables players to trade punches with an NHL tough guy. Winning one-on-one battles for possession of the puck along the boards becomes a test of will and skill utilizing a new physics engine. Players can use their body to shield the puck on the boards and then kick-pass it to teammates. Bigger, stronger players pin opponents to the boards while fanatical fans bang on the glass, just like real life. Master the techniques of both these game-changing features with tutorials, available on the demo.

The developers at EA Canada are serious about hockey: NHL 10 features more than 200 gameplay refinements that replicate the skill and finesse of hockey and deliver "the most responsive and authentic action ever for the series." Players can one-time loose pucks, score from their knees, knock pucks out of the air and lift a leg to fake a shot on goal. A new 360° precision passing mechanic delivers control over the speed and direction of passes so players can bank passes off the boards or play the puck into space for teammates to skate on to it.

Are these refinements enough to justify yet another EA sports purchase? Check out the demo and let us know what you think in the comments below.