The sport of hockey is very rough and tumble, with the need to always be on your toes. If you’re not aware of who is on the ice and where they are, you’ll most likely notice yourself laying on the ground, having to get back up and rejoin the play. It’s fast, frenetic and there’s a constant worry about injury in real life, which is why the National Hockey League is going to great measures to study how they can make their game safer.
With the upcoming release of NHL ’12, the worry isn’t on long term injuries since it’s a digital representation of the sport. In keeping with its simulation tones mixed with a bit of an arcade edge, EA Canada has done their best to make the hitting visceral and realistic, with a lot of oomph.
Not only can you flatten a guy skating through the neutral zone and put him to the ice for not paying attention while carrying the puck, but you can also put players over the boards, rough up the goaltender and cause chaos in the crease.
The studio released a new trailer for NHL ’12, showcasing its thunderous body checks, desperate goalies attempting to make crucial saves while under siege and some other in-ice action. It showcases some of the aforementioned new features and boasts about the 300 new gameplay enhancements that were made during development.
It’ll be in-stores on September 13, with sniper Steven Stamkos on its cover.
I don’t know about you but I can’t wait to pick up a copy of NHL ’12 as I’m quite eager to test out the new look Toronto Maple Leafs.
Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments.