Platform: Xbox 360

Rating: 5.5  |  1 User Review  |  Send to Friend

By Sheldon Abba

I was never one for ice hockey; however, the allure of a sport that prides itself on pulling your opponent's shirt over his head and socking them in the stomach forced me to give NHL 2K8 a chance. Unfortunately, it still wasn't entirely worth it. Controlling your player looks and feels amazing but the stick handling was whack city. Different players allow for better handling but your movements appear obvious to opponents especially if you're playing your homies. "Superstar moves" are ill but you need six fingers to pull some of them off. Still, the graphics are pretty smooth and 2K did hold it down with super-realistic action, but even so, it hardly makes up for the low quality of controller use. Another disappointment is the Player Development System, which initially sounds great, but the fact that you can earn massive experience points for your player and still not make him noticeably better makes the feature pretty much useless. You get development reports but they are like reading a science journal, which I don't like doing for school, let alone a game. Besides some new metal tracks, the music and commentary basically follow the same formula as the last game. All in all, 2K failed to move into the fore front of quality hockey games, a trend that continues from their last edition, which also sacrificed game play for extra features that didn't make the game better.

GAMEPLAY: 5.1
Slick movements and "prostick" puck control let you manipulate the puck using the right trigger but two oddly placed speed burst and shoot buttons placed on the bumpers make game play feel like your doing something dirty.

GRAPHICS: 8.7
As I said before the graphics are pretty off the chain but you could always just watch ESPN. Ill graphics do not make up for shit controls though.

SOUND: 6.9
The soundtrack is full of metal I can't say I'm backing Korn, but commentary by Bob Cole and Harry Neale are pretty funny.

VAULE: 6.7
For some the multiplayer online league's may make up for other shortcomings, but don't count on it.

OVERALL: 5.5
Just didn't do it for me. I would rather play "Blades of Steel" for my O.G. Nintendo than play this high-end piece. But hey if you're a serious puck head, you can always fox with it and decide for yourself.

1 User Review

Rating: 3.1

By: i can't feel my face

as long as theres EA' NHL 08...2k8 will never be taken serious

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