A deafening cheer erupts as Steve Bernier delivers a crushing check on LA Kings' forward Jordan Nolan, which sends the puck flying across the ice and right into the clutches of New Jersey Devil Ilya Kovalchuk.
He speeds past the first line of Kings' players, splits the defenders and charges goaltender Jonathan Quick with the ferocity of demon. He pulls up for the shot and sends the puck screeching through the air and right into the net. The Devils take a 4-1 lead with only 30-seconds remaining in the period.
I wish there was more action to describe, but EA Sports' NHL '13 demo is short lived, a thrill existing for only the final 5 minutes of the game. It is not enough time to truly gage the greatness of the title, but it is enough time to have some fun.
The game sports some great physics and players move around rather realistically. The game looks similar to last year's edition but has more animations. The players move slower on the ice than in the past. I found the game forcing me to play defense rather than my usual run-and-shoot style of play.
The control system takes some practice and the new Vision Control is a great addition to the game, allowing player to simply skate backwards, which comes in handy. I really like using the L-stick to hustle for the puck and the R-stick to take hard shots on the goaltender. The computer does have the unfair advantage of being able to skate circles around you, but practicing with the free skate mode improved my skating enough to deal with it.
The Goalies sprawl, dive and move fast and wide, when a puck is flying at them. The battles at the net were truly intense and I felt my heart jump into my throat whenever an opposing player had a shot on my goal.
Gary Thorne's play-by-play rarely captured these gun-wrenching moments. Thorne is good at his job, but much like other EA Sports titles the commentary gets repetitive quickly.
Unfortunately, demos never allow gamers to experience the game mode most of us spend all of our time in, Franchise mode. So I can't say whether the games new GM brain is actually going to work or if the new player progression system is worth investing $60 on. But for what the demo was, I give the game a 8/10. The game is strongest where it counts-on the ice.
The game will be released on Sept. 11 or 13 for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.
Watch the game's trailer below...