Epic NHL 2025 Gameplay: The Ultimate Hockey Experience

I hope you aren't expecting any huge changes to EA's latest NHL game because you'll be sorely disappointed. If you were, franchise and Be a Pro modes are almost identical to their NHL 24 iterations, with very slight additions brought forth to HUT and World of Chel. It's in the gameplay and presentation where NHL 25 differentiates itself the most from its predecessors. This is technically the first exclusively NextGen NHL game, though it still feels like little more than an incremental improvement. We're used to EA advertising incremental editions as brand-new features by now, but the series seriously needs to inject some changes into its modes. That said, NHL 25 is good fun and feels more sim-like than ever before. Let's discuss all the small improvements and how they add up to make NHL 25 what it is.
Speaking of gameplay, graphical improvements are the most immediately noticeable change with this year's NHL game. Well, kind of. NHL 25 is technically the first game in the series to be built from the ground up for NextGen consoles. Yes, that means folks relying on PS4 and Xbox One to play the newest sports titles have finally reached the end of the console's lifecycle. NHL 25 utilizes its NextGen exclusivity through its Sapien Technology graphics overhaul. Players look more like their real-life counterparts compared to last year, thanks to a complete refresh of character models. That said, I wasn't blown away by the graphics. There are still uncanny facial animations and low-res audience members that players have gotten used to over the years. Animation, however, is improved in ways beyond visuals. Reactive animations are new to NHL 25, realistically portraying a skater bracing for impact or narrowing their body to fit through a small opening. These reactive animations transfer to better gameplay as the hitboxes are more dynamic and flow with the action more realistically.