NHL 13 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.3 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 33
  3. Negative: 8 out of 33

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. NeonCryptorchid
    Sep 13, 2012
    8
    Does the new skating system take a little fun out of the game? Maybe for casual players but most hockey fans are hardcore and want a realistic gaming experience. The checking system in nhl12 was good,NHL 13 has to fix the games biggest flaw,checking is soooo bad. My biggest complaint is the ps3 online games. Very,very bad all around so far,ill stick with it but going to ps3 from Xbox last year,its very dissapointing.… Expand
  2. aspentitan
    Sep 22, 2012
    6
    I've amended my score from a 8 to a 6 because after one short week EA decided they did not have enough faith in the new play engine and they toggled gameplay as close to last years version as much as possible. With that comes the horrid momentum engine which abolishes the whole meaning behind the stats of each player. So now players all feel the same again and the game is no longer hockey. Avoid this game it is now no more than a roster change from NHL12 with slightly more animated goalies. My old review was as follows:

    NHL 13 is an extreme evolution over both NHL 11 and NHL 12. I must admit I got my wish they have decided to remove the horrid momentum engine from previous NHL's and just rely on stats of each individual player. When you crack open this game you can really feel the difference between the individual players, no longer are they all the same and controlled by some fake momentum engine which controls the big picture. Now, you are fully in control of building your "RPG" team, do you decide to go with quick and nimble players who will get pushed around or do you go with slow moving brutes. At least this year the game has allowed you to be in control of what happens on the ice and as a player strategy and vision will be key. EA has definately headed in the right direction and this is a must own. I'm not prepared to give this game higher than 8 at the moment however because the game does show some typical problems of EA rushing out games. I'm an owner of the Stanley cup collectors edition and it came with codes for packs, both codes say they were successful but packs are not anywhere to be found. You also get EA pucks for logging in daily and logging in today, the second day, free pucks are not given out. There also seems to be a bit of a problem with AI receiving the puck. For a rebuilt engine it is frustrating that some design remnants of past versions exist. Now that they made the players individual again, it was not necessary to keep some patch scripting from previous editions. All in all though this is a solid title. It stands out alone from any past version of NHL and I can tell you NHL 11 and NHL 12 in my house just became dust collectors, because this version EA succeeded in making gameplay the most important aspect and this year it is fully in the players control. You now can make a grinding team or an elite team which can skate fast but thats about it, or any type of team your heart desires. For this I am gratified towards EA. I always thought the game should be tuned by the players stats and go from there, and that is exactly what has been built. No longer will it be possible to make a player like Chara a dangling machine or St. Louis a powerhous checker. In this version the name on the back of the sweater will be believable. Hopefully balancing remains throughout the year but for now it does seem what I would expect and I am proud to say I am on board with this years similation (so far). Room does exist for improvement, it seems fighting is now gone (i could be mistaken) and the arenas look like a high school dance rather than a packed coliseum. But gameplay is key for my beyond anything else and clearly this game shines in that area.    … Expand
  3. Charade
    Sep 18, 2012
    1
    Avoid at all costs! Easily the worst edition released in years. I've been playing it often hoping I'd get over it's flaws but it's impossible. The game play is much slower - just turning your player feels like a chore, handling your dman in your own zone is extremely frustrating - you're better off just standing in one place as a defensemen instead of moving into the corners where you're guaranteed to be blown by..I cannot stress this enough they have butchered this aspect of the game, one click boost is a bad gimmick, stick lift is useless, poke checking has changed a bit but I've gotten the timing down, etc. Some positives: goaltender movement and reactions have improved IMO, players automatically skating backwards is neat...that's all I can think of. I'm a hockey fanatic and have gotten EA NHL titles every year so it's not like I'm just entering the series. This is a TRASH title, EA.… Expand
  4. Tsizzle2012
    Sep 17, 2012
    6
    From a 2003-present consistent EA NHL buyer, this year's version is quite a disappointment, but not a failure. The new skating system is decent, but extremely frustrating at times. The game has slowed down tremendously, and the momentum physics make it incredibly difficult at times to maneuver your players on simple passes and routes. As far as checking goes, body checking has improved from '12, but stick-checking has taken a massive, giant leap backwards. Stick lifting is utterly useless, and poking is inconsistent and awkwardly animated.

    +Positives: Tons of modes, realistic movements (particularly shooting), rating system
    -Negatives: body/stick checking is VERY awkward, skating    … Expand
  5. TheMarker_1
    Dec 5, 2012
    0
    Looking for a great present for someone this holiday season? Well look elsewhere because NHL13 is a complete waste of $60 and whatever it costs to fix anything that you broke because you were infuriated by this awful game. Now, I know what you're thinking, "Is this really a bad game or is this guy just exaggerating because he got mad at it once or twice?" Fact is, it really is a bad game--a terrible game, and I'll tell you why. Every year EA Sports spares every expense to make a new hockey game. Each game has a gimmick, something slightly different from the last version that makes it "better". This year's gimmick was a more realistic skating engine that was intended to simulate real skating physics. I bring this up because this was the ONLY improvement from last year. Now, what makes this game bad after EA took a big step in the right direction with a realistic skating engine, is the all new luck factor that EA put in the game. The luck factor insures that the team that plays worse will have a much greater chance of winning than the good team. For example, the team that tries to set up great plays will always be stopped by the goalie, that is if the defensemen don't stand them up on their way into the zone. On the other hand, the bad team walks past the computer defensemen and takes a bad shot that magically goes in. I can't tell you how many times my team has lost a game because the other team walked around our defense and scored on a shot that their goalie saved only minutes ago, or because they scored on a floater from the blue line. Also, the hitting is like something taken out of Batman when Batman hits Bane with all his might and doesn't even scratch him, while Bane sends him flying with the flick of the wrist. Constantly in this game I've gone full speed (my speed is 90 by the way) at a guy and didn't even knock the puck away when I hit him, and then he brushes past me and my guy literally flies up in the air and lands on his head. I could go on and on for hours about how bad this game is, but for the sake your wallet and the safety of anyone around you while you might play NHL13, just trust me when I say to avoid this at all costs.… Expand
  6. philcarbo
    Sep 26, 2012
    1
    Bugs, bugs, bugs! Bugs everywhere! This IS NOT hockey!
    The game is broken and EA as the nerve to say it was designed this way. People pays good money and they've got the right to expect at least a game that is working. How metacritic and IGN came to a score of 85 in their reviews tells me I shouldn't trust these sites much before buying a game! Thanks to metacritic tough for having a User     Score. Where to start?

    The menus are terrible. Not only don't they look good but they're slow. Speaking of slow, simulation takes so long you'd think it will never end! You'll need at least half an hour to simulate off-season in Be A Pro. New goalie animations are great. The thing is not every goaltender has the skill to pull them off. Well, not in this game... any 45+ rated goalie can make those saves. Also on perfect plays, the goalies always finds a way to stop the puck... but a soft wrist shot from the blue line and you get a goal! The new Ai. Opponent CPU's will almost always predict the play you want to make. On the other hand, your teammates have absolutely no idea. You can tell about one minute in advance when the opponent CPU will score a goal... They get in the zone, your teammates will instantly become stupid and will not want to touch the puck. Now the opponent CPU will make perfect passes in your zone for about 20-45 seconds, will shoot and will score. You will have no control over this. No matter what you do, you'll never get the puck back until they score. Be A Pro has always been an exciting mode since it was introduced in the game. Imagine making your place on an NHL team and become a legend! Now imagine that scenario in real life : you're on the first line, you've scored 20 goals and had 7 assists in the first 4 games of the season... Amazing isn't it? Not for your coach who will send you a message saying that your stats aren't good enough and puts you on the 2nd line. Makes sense to me! Not. Still in Be A Pro. There was a bug where when you simulated your **** you'd always get back during play, never at face-off time. EA fixed the problem with the last patch... now you never get back on the ice during play, always at face-off. Thank you EA.

    Poke-check. The number one weapon of this game is the poke-check. Since the new skating system makes it almost impossible to hit the puck carrier, there had to be another to get that puck loose. This other way is the poke-chek. And it works well. Too well in fact. It works when you're not even in range to touch the puck. It works through other players bodies. It even works through the net! So yes, if you want the puck, don't try to hit because it won't work. Don't try to lift the stick because you'll get a penalty 9 out of 10 times. Poke check! It always works and you'll get a tripping penalty about 1 ou every 50 poke check you make. Online matching system.
    Amateur clubs who just started playing can end up playing against high rated elite teams. Reminds me of that South Park episode where the South Park Pee-Wee team plays against the Detroit Red Wings.    … Expand
  7. petrynewborn
    Oct 31, 2012
    2
    The biggest problem with this game is the EA servers, they are totally overloaded if you live in Europe. Also has frame-rate issue with PS3. Not loading well on the machine and that gets really annoying. They probably tested the game much more on XBOX
  8. VidsRule
    Mar 6, 2013
    8
    Sports games have come back into my completely. I have't loved them since mid-2000. But we're back baby. The fact that the computer doesn't lose the puck no matter what and we lose the puck even if the computer taps us- omg frustrating. It loses a full point but you know what? I'm lovin the game.
  9. Cardinal
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Its disgusting that EA is allowed to release this product. They've taken NHL12 and made it worse. And NHL12 was bad to begin with. A total cash-grab, Don't listen to the journalists because they must've been bribed, no one in their right mind would have given that game an 8, to give it a 5 and above is just wrong.

    Lets hope that 2K gets another chance to make a NHL game, because with th    is on the market a new NHL game with better features is long over due. Its sad because us who love hockey is stuck with this horrible abomination. Don't buy it, buy it pre-owned or borrow it, hell, steal it. Dont give EA money for this garbage.… Expand
  10. KONFLIKT
    Oct 8, 2012
    8
    NHL13 is a game of solid improvements mixed with minor and overlooked flaws. The skating engine brings some much needed realism to the game. Anyone complaining about it has obviously never really played ice hockey before, as it is the most realistic skating the series has ever seen. On the down note to this system is the lack of ability to square up for a shot when you don't have the puck as the "vision control" button is now the skate backwards button. So if you play LW and are left handed, have fun trying to get into a positive shooting position anywhere near the net, The loss of the ability to square to the net when you want to has really ruined online play for me. As the act of receiving passes and getting off that quick shot or redirect has become an exercise in frustration. So I suggest if you are lefty, play RW this year as you are more naturally in a direction orientated towards the net and in a better shooting position. Another mistake to the skating system was to make the skaters reach top speed simply by holding up on the left stick. What is the use of the L3 button now, as you can get into "Hustle Strides" by simply holding up. This also eliminates smooth, controlled, heads up skating through the neutral zone. So expect to fight your pacing if you decide to skate in one direction too long, as your skater may burst into "Top End Speed Mode" This usually leads to misdirected passes, inaccurate shooting and skating into too many body checks. As I said this isn't a problem as much with the physics or skating engine as much as it is bad game design and control management by the NHL13 development team. The skating engine is fantastic, it's implementation could have been better if not for lackluster game testing and control management.......but hey, this is EA Sports we are talking about here. Get it out the door and make that money, we'll "Tune" it later. As far as "Hockey IQ" AI goes, you will enjoy these improvements more offline than online as well. Online CPU players are still dumb as a stump and can't make 6 foot passes, but offline in season or GM Mode the improved AI and Forechecking schemes really do shine. The issue of poke checking is one that may annoy a lot of you out there as well. As I like to call it "Phantom Poke Checking" You know, the poke checks that seem to be from beyond the length of the poking players reach and knocks the puck away from you with the force field it created as it bended spacetime?? Those can be quite annoying, especially near the net with the super aggressive, over pokey goalies joining in on the fun. As for the stick lift....just call that the penalty button. How one can be called for a slash on an upward motion is beyond me, I understand the high stick, but a slash from a stick lift is a bit ridiculous. It's more like the Russian Roulette button, will I get a Stick Lift, a Slash or a Hook. Overall this game plays very well if not for a few poor design decisions within the implementation of the skating engine it would be damn near perfect to me. The graphics and lighting have really taken a step up, as well as the entire presentation package, even though Bill Clement and Gary Thorn's lifeless play by play has grown tiresome. So if you are a hockey junkie as I am, this is definitely a must buy game. If you are on the fence, maybe a rental or a borrow from a buddy will help you decide. It is still a solid hockey title from EA, and I still applaud them for trying to make progress with each edition.… Expand
  11. Gamer_007
    Oct 7, 2012
    5
    NHL 13, is an ok game, but there is absolutly nothing fabalous about it, it just doesnt ring a bell, ther graphics arent so entertaining to me, it is alittle dissapointing because other EA`s sport games improved, like FIFA 13.
  12. jvidner
    Oct 26, 2012
    8
    For the first time in my adult life, I've kept a copy of an (EA Sports) NHL-game for longer than two weeks. I absolutely love it! The new physics-based skating system works like a charm, and you have to be clever as a defender not to let people through. (You keep wanting to hit someone on open ice to a point that you forget that the forward is coming at you in 120 mph, and easily skates by you.) A must buy for every hockey-fan!… Expand
  13. Vodkaphile
    Nov 15, 2012
    5
    There are indeed some positives to draw from the latest installment of the EA NHL franchise - the skating is incredibly improved, a proper deke is extremely effective, AI goaltending is also greatly improved. However, the huge downside hits the people that like the physical side of the game. The fighting is still laughably done and incredibly unrealistic, the end-of-fight animations (all two of them) are awful and (again) unrealistic, hitting is insanely horrible this time around with the new physics system not able to handle the old checking system (it's not uncommon to hit someone and have them bounce, tumble, or go airborne in a way that is physically impossible) and that's not to mention that hitting people to begin with is an experience comparable to catching flies with chopsticks.

    I cant count the amount of times I simply bounced off of a player when hitting him at 100mph awkwardly as if the game couldn't register what had just happened, not to mention using the hip check button to deliver a check to the groin of an opponent with your face is more effective tenfold than using the actual hit button.

    The stickplay is also weak, poke checking is weak, lifting sticks is near useless, and the game still suffers from cape syndrome - where you get the puck anywhere near the net and 5 players and the bench too are draped on you like a cape, making you unable to pass, shoot, or do anything until Zdeno Chara hulk smashes you into the ice and injures you for 8 weeks.

    One-timers are still clunky and near impossible on classic controls, and the animations on most players that aren't A-level are hilariously inaccurate.

    Overall the game has much, much room for improvement, but the fact that certain systems of the game that are hurting have been unchanged for years shows EA is content to let the franchise stagnate into mediocrity.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Armchair Empire
    Nov 10, 2012
    75
    All in all, NHL '13 is another solid game as we would come to expect from EA Sports; some areas for improvement that I would like to see personally but otherwise not a horrible way to spend the lockout.
    Read full review
  2. PSM3 Magazine UK
    Oct 23, 2012
    91
    Think pinball FIFA and you're halfway there. A fast, frantic sports sim, with simple controls that belie hidden depths. [Dec 2012, p.104]
  3. Destructoid
    Oct 10, 2012
    85
    NHL 13, at its most basic level, is just fun to play when you get right down to it, even for someone who might only watch hockey during the playoffs and Olympics, or not at all.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »