Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 35 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 30 Ratings

  • Summary: The NHL franchise that has won 19 sports game of the year awards over the past two years begins a new era with gameplay innovations that promise to deliver a new standard of toughness, the emotion of playoff hockey on the ice and in the arena, and over 200 gameplay refinements that replicate the skill and finesse that every fan sees throughout the NHL playoffs. A new first-person fighting engine enables players to trade punches with an NHL tough guy. Feel what its like to be on the ice in the skates of an NHL player to throw and dodge punches. Grab and tug an opponent's jersey to land a punch that ignites the fans and sparks your team to victory. Challenge a skill player and an opposing team tough guy will step in to settle the score. On ice toughness and intimidation is taken to a new level in NHL 10 where winning one-on-one battles for possession of the puck along the boards becomes a test of will and skill. Utilizing an all-new board 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. Fore-check defenders, pressure the puck and finish checks to intimidate your opponent into mistakes. Players fatigue, bobble passes, and avoid collisions under threat of constant physical pressure. Inspire teammates, ignite the fans and change the momentum of a game by instigating scrums, drawing penalties, and mixing it up - all after the referee blows the whistle! [Electronic Arts] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. 100
    It's now been four years of exceptional releases since the introduction of the skill-stick and every year has been made steadily better, adding more and more features and refining them to such a degree that it should come as no surprise that NHL 10 is by far the best hockey game put out, a clear cut game of the year contender, and possibly the best sports game ever released.
  2. A nearly flawless title; only the most cynical and jaded gamers will take issue with any of the game’s extremely minor problems.
  3. NHL 10 is EA Sports’ best hockey title yet, offering considerably improved gameplay and another hour-eating mode in Be A GM.
  4. NHL 10, like its predecessors, puts the emphasis on realism instead of trying to grow its base and provides a couple of physical improvements for existing fans. That said, while the series hasn’t advanced in the last 12 months as much as it did 24 months ago, that’s only because NHL 09 was that revolutionary.

See all 35 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Negative: 1 out of 13
  1. FredM
    10
    Amazing game. No more easy victories. Even if you lead 3 nothing after one you can't be sure you will win the game. The controls are hard to master at first but the game only keeps growing on me. I think this is the best sports game I have ever played. There is a real challenge and that's what it is all about. Expand
  2. JimK
    8
    Not so fast! The boardplay is a terrific addition. They have fixed the "glitch goals". However, there is real problem with CPU AI on advancing the puck into the offensive zone and overpassing. Also, your CPU teammates do not break out of the defensive zone properly and it is very difficult to create an odd-man rush. If you own NHL 09, not worth buying until these issues are fixed! Expand
  3. BobA
    5
    This is an average title. It looks pretty good, some of the features work as advertised, but don't be fooled. Most of the 'New'; features here are just repackaged (or not even that) old ones that were removed in the past; like Season mode. Not exactly strikingly new. There are SERIOUS bugs regarding online lag, game freezing, some gameplay bugs and one of the new modes has a serious problem where it has a large probability of freezing ingame. It gives the stench of unfinished, and that's just unacceptable. I'm not sure what game these 'critics' are reviewing, but it certainly isn't the one they're selling on the store shelves. If you just want to play a couple games in a 'play now' setting, it's pretty decent; the fighting is improved, and the after the whistle thing is interesting the first couple of times, but the rest of the modes have just too many inconsistencies, bugs, and general lack of polish to give this anything more than a 5. Expand
  4. chrisa
    4
    k let me start off by saying good graphics, button controls and ya its like a real game. its too bad the online play is riddled w glitches, maybe its my internet connection but all my other games r fine. ive played games where my players r unable to shoot, pass, and even barely skate! i mean ive played hockey my whole life and understand how momentum in a hockey game can be a factor, but an open net isan open net and jus because the other goalie jus made abig save doesnt mean the other team turns into a bunch of tards and cant shoot or pass anymore. guess what im saying is this game is very inconsistent and took the idea of low scoring games way too far! maybe someone hacked my system but the nhl10 i play f d! half the time i play im in control of my players and half the time im not really frustrating and ive quit games i was winning because it sucks soooo bad, seems like its geting progressively worse. whtvr Expand

See all 13 User Reviews