NHL 14

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 86 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 86
  3. Negative: 20 out of 86
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  1. aspentitan
    Dec 6, 2013
    5
    I play this game for HUT because I enjoy hockey but this game is terribly broken. The whole idea of fantasy hockey is based on stats and if they left it at that this mode would be fabulous. The game is ruined by three major factors.....a) momentum engine.....an artificial way to make your players behave outside your control for dramatic effect and simulation. Taking away control from aI play this game for HUT because I enjoy hockey but this game is terribly broken. The whole idea of fantasy hockey is based on stats and if they left it at that this mode would be fabulous. The game is ruined by three major factors.....a) momentum engine.....an artificial way to make your players behave outside your control for dramatic effect and simulation. Taking away control from a player is just dumb in an online mode type game and allows players to take advantage of certain software and AI tracking shortfalls. b) constant online tuners....because of the momentum engine everything gets out of balance especially when EA offers promotions there are lots of skilling up going on and to make it fair an artificial adjustment to keep momentum presumably fair among all players. c) momentum adjustments and multipliers....so you can play a lower overall team and have their characteristics boosted to make matchups fair...or more fair......but for me all these compensation factors make me wonder why even bother, the fun of the game should be based on building a team based on stats and than going with it, but all that planning is thrown out the minute you add any deviation such as the three things I just pointed out. Its a fun game and needlessly frustrating. A good simulation, but a bad choice for playing according to your wishlist style without encountering adjustment roadblocks of all kinds....so pretty much everyones teams behave the same and one day checking is overpowered, one day its defense, one day your players slop around, one day they don't. The game is just so random for simulation presentation its annoying. There are about 3 types of goals players rely on scoring all of which entail AI tracking manipulation and everyone in the community thinks they are hot stuff. Decide if you are into this or not. Beware.… Expand
  2. Jalopicus
    Oct 20, 2013
    7
    Best hockey video game in the whole wide room.

    The less time you spend with NHL 14 the better the experience is. The bugs and quirks gradually work their way into the foreground and some of them are familiar as they are retained from previous years. The online experience is inconsistent in performance at best and degraded by exploits at worst. The expansion of "Be a Pro" mode to    Best hockey video game in the whole wide room.

    The less time you spend with NHL 14 the better the experience is. The bugs and quirks gradually work their way into the foreground and some of them are familiar as they are retained from previous years. The online experience is inconsistent in performance at best and degraded by exploits at worst. The expansion of "Be a Pro" mode to "Live the Life" is actually a marginal change and the "Live the Life" aspects often seem quite silly; multiple choice questions to determine your player's personality feels like a desperate attempt to make the game mode different. There's as much fun to be had as any previous year, but don't expect anything overly impressive unless you haven't played an NHL game in several years.

    It's a good game, but for as much potential as it shows it can ill-afford to be anything but a great game. This is a trend with the NHL franchise as each year it markets itself well and makes a reasonably good impression but then gradually reveals itself as an underachiever.    … Expand
  3. Hughish
    Sep 16, 2013
    7
    Hockey is the red-headed step child of the EA Sports gaming catalog. Despite the fact that it is always at the forefront of accolades for sports gaming, it is still relegated to yearly updates that make Madden updates look positively groundbreaking. Despite this NHL 14 is better than its' predecessor and I am not at all sorry that I purchase my copy. Hitting is thankfully overhauled andHockey is the red-headed step child of the EA Sports gaming catalog. Despite the fact that it is always at the forefront of accolades for sports gaming, it is still relegated to yearly updates that make Madden updates look positively groundbreaking. Despite this NHL 14 is better than its' predecessor and I am not at all sorry that I purchase my copy. Hitting is thankfully overhauled and made much more asthetically pleasing as is overall flow of skating. But, scoring is even easier than last year and at times hitting is comically easy (Brad Marchand lighting up Tyler Meyers on the regular? C'mon!). My belief is that EA was trying to make this game more accesible and user friendly for people who haven't gotten into hockey games yet before they made the jump to next-gen consoles. If it works then great, hardcore hockey fans looking for a real-time simulation should probably skip this edition though as the ability to nitpick mechanics is easy pickins'. If you enjoy hockey or the series you shouldn't be too terribly dissapointed in the lack of a graphics upgrade or the fact that the commentary is basically just a stale retread and with a few exceptions the soundtrack has gotten back to being good again so all in all I think the game is worth a look.… Expand
  4. myreview
    Dec 28, 2013
    5
    The new collision system is great and all but, in game be a pro mode goal tending is terrible the only thing you control with your goalie is whether he is in butterfly or standing up, and moving side to side. Your team gives you no support when it comes to cross crease passes, intercepting them or taking out the player receiving the pass. without being able to control your goalie theThe new collision system is great and all but, in game be a pro mode goal tending is terrible the only thing you control with your goalie is whether he is in butterfly or standing up, and moving side to side. Your team gives you no support when it comes to cross crease passes, intercepting them or taking out the player receiving the pass. without being able to control your goalie the system fails to save most of the slot passes whether in position or not.… Expand
  5. fryster99
    Feb 2, 2014
    5
    Disappointed with NHL 14. One of my biggest beefs is the passing in the game which is horrible and results in frequent missed passes and icing. If you press the pass button and aim in the general direction it should go to your teammate, not to open ice as often as it does. Also, your own AI teammates throw you offside all the time, or won't pick up loose pucks automatically, which is notDisappointed with NHL 14. One of my biggest beefs is the passing in the game which is horrible and results in frequent missed passes and icing. If you press the pass button and aim in the general direction it should go to your teammate, not to open ice as often as it does. Also, your own AI teammates throw you offside all the time, or won't pick up loose pucks automatically, which is not realistic. There is also a glitch where offsides is not called sometimes despite the puck clearly coming out over the blue line and back in and touched by offense. WAAAAY too many penalties are called, charging? boarding? its a video game, lets not get carried away and take the fun out of the game by trying to be too realistic and calling everything. Passing needs to be improved, less penalties should be called especially for charging/boarding, and your own teammates should stop throwing you offsides all the time.… Expand
  6. Thief1337
    Feb 25, 2014
    6
    For new players, this will be a breathe of fresh air and a fun game to explore. But for veteran players, this will be just another disappointment. Slight good changes from last year for too much money. The only really good thing this game gives you is the extension of your own competitiveness and matching it with other players either in Online Versus Play (1v1) or EASHL (6v6) to be rankedFor new players, this will be a breathe of fresh air and a fun game to explore. But for veteran players, this will be just another disappointment. Slight good changes from last year for too much money. The only really good thing this game gives you is the extension of your own competitiveness and matching it with other players either in Online Versus Play (1v1) or EASHL (6v6) to be ranked among the best on the leaderboards.

    That being said, you'll realize glitch goals are even more present than in its predecessor. Skate in diagonal, pull a wrist shot and it's in the net. You don't need to pull off a leg kick and simulate a real shot anymore.

    Despite all of that, the fight and physical engine is great. Building an enforcer D-man, maximizing your strength and body checking will be worth a lot of hilarious moments.

    The offline modes suck, too. Try to be as immersive as you can, but you'll face an extremely repetitive in-game on-ice experience. Regardless of the league you're in (whether it's the OHL/AHL/NHL) or how good or bad your own team is, it doesn't really matter. The AI acts the same, and acts badly most of the time.

    I still recommend this game for the competitivity, but don't expect much outside of that.    … Expand
  7. rygu
    Mar 5, 2014
    5
    I swear EA pays magazines and game sites to give high grades, or they don't actually play the game just look at the graphics, or they know zero about hockey. This game looks fabulous. It ends there though unfortunately. The goalies are awful even when the AI is all maxed out. One minute they make 3 awesome saves up close, but then they let in a backhander from 30 feet with zero traffic inI swear EA pays magazines and game sites to give high grades, or they don't actually play the game just look at the graphics, or they know zero about hockey. This game looks fabulous. It ends there though unfortunately. The goalies are awful even when the AI is all maxed out. One minute they make 3 awesome saves up close, but then they let in a backhander from 30 feet with zero traffic in front. When you lift the puck for a dump in, the puck literally bounces about your players head everytime. Ever seen that happen in a real hockey game? I sure haven't and have been watching for 25+ years and played it for 8. The computer will poke the hell out of you when you have the puck with zero calls, but if you at anytime poke them and catch their leg once, penalty 100% of the time. If you watch point shots on instant replay on computer goals, the puck will literally go through players' bodies to get to the net. So much potential, but this is a seriously unrealistic and frustrating game.… Expand
  8. clanky9
    May 14, 2021
    5
    lets be honest this aint best nhl game. Its quite enjoyable but its not definitely bad. Tbh this was my first nhl game I only used to play it with family or friends. I didnt play ultimate team or career mode.
  9. Detz
    Jan 1, 2023
    6
    NHL14 is a beautiful, fun game, with many modes and feels like hockey.

    Except if you want to be a goal in the Live the Life mode, which is the only mode I'm interested in playing. Which in that case it's awful. Bugs don't bother me. Yet I can't play more than 4 games at a time as a goalie without quitting in frustration and not playing any more. Your team won't score and they won't    NHL14 is a beautiful, fun game, with many modes and feels like hockey.

    Except if you want to be a goal in the Live the Life mode, which is the only mode I'm interested in playing. Which in that case it's awful. Bugs don't bother me. Yet I can't play more than 4 games at a time as a goalie without quitting in frustration and not playing any more. Your team won't score and they won't defend. Pretty much any shot is a guaranteed goal. Giving up 8 goals on 8 shots in a period isn't remotely surprising.

    Your only chance is if your team gets so much offensive time, you'll get lots of shots at times, just not goals. You hope that you only have to face 1 shot per period and that you'll stop it. Even if you somehow stop 3 out of 3 shots in a game, you still may end up with a 0-0 tie (even if your team has 30 shots).    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

37
#37 Best PS3 Game of 2013
63
#63 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2013
93
#93 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Oct 14, 2013
    80
    One very welcome addition is NHL 94 Anniversary mode. [Nov 2013, p.94]
  2. PlaySense
    Oct 14, 2013
    90
    NHL 14 doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, but then again... it doesn't need to. Deep controls that are both challenging and accessible make for an excellent hockey simulation, strengthened by a large variety of game modes, state-of-the-art visuals and top-notch commentary tracks. If you're into hockey, you owe it to yourself to give NHL 14 a shot.
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  3. God is a Geek
    Oct 9, 2013
    90
    With the benefit of some great training tutorials, before long anyone can be carrying out line changes, deking with the best of them and carrying out a brilliant selection of slapshots, pivots and, of course, brutal punches to the face.
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