NHL 09

The NHL 09 was an important milestone for the series: it introduced two modes at once, which then did not disappear anywhere. “Be A Pro” allows you to start a career as an individual hockey player and make your way into the lineup, performing the tasks of a coach on the ice. The second is online club matches, where live players take different positions and play full matches against each other. Both ideas stuck for years. The traditional part was also not affected: the club lives in Dynasty Mode for a whole season, or even several, and between matches you need to deal with the composition, finances, training and mood of the players. Scouts are looking for youth, veterans are aging, and management is patiently waiting for results. On the ice, the game has become more responsive: skating, passing and shooting are more accurate, and collisions look more convincing. Commentators and replays are designed in the spirit of television, which is why a single match looks almost like a real broadcast. Online club matches are a special pleasure: the team is made up of real people, everyone plays their role, and victory depends on how you interact. In addition, there are full-fledged seasons, tournaments and friendly matches, and the difficulty settings allow you to both play on an equal footing and destroy the computer. The presentation of matches, replays and commentary create a complete broadcast feeling. NHL 09 is still often called the best part in the entire history of the series - for its balance between depth and clarity. The game works great both as fast online hockey and as a long single season.