NHL 25 Gives Diehard Hockey Fans Everything They Could Want [Review]

In recent years, fans of EA Sports’ NHL series have had a love-hate relationship with the franchise. Some iterations embrace innovation, tweak gameplay, and deliver a great experience. Some…don’t. Diehards will notice some key changes in NHL 25, but nothing is significant enough to really move the needle.

NHL 25 marks the first time that the series is current-gen only. Because of that, you might think there would be some significant upgrades. Unfortunately, at least for this year, the changes are mostly minor. However, a few key additions will please some fans.

Hit the Ice in NHL 25

Regardless of how you like to play, NHL 25 has a mode for you. For those who like seeing your favorite team win the Stanley Cup, Franchise Mode has some nice additions. Online Versus is back for those who like to battle it out against human opponents, and Be a Pro allows you to create your own NHL player and achieve greatness over the course of a career. As always, the World of CHEL and Hockey Ultimate Team are here, too.

Franchise Mode allows you to manage the inner workings of an NHL franchise, from drafting and scouting to meeting financial goals. There’s a lot of depth if you want to manage every aspect of the club. But, if you just want to play the games and win the Stanley Cup, don’t worry, you can set many minor details to be CPU-controlled. When getting started in Franchise Mode, the game gives you three options. You can play in the 32-team NHL as it exists today, choosing your favorite team to control. You can dive into custom leagues, where divisions and league structure can be rearranged. Or, finally, you can choose to lead a whole new team in am expanded 33-team NHL.

That level of customization is nice, and it’s just the first feature to like within Franchise Mode. Trade logic has been an issue in the series for a long time, and the development team has made a good effort in recent years to fix it. Trades feel more balanced in NHL 25, and—more importantly—more realistic than they did in the past. In the offseason, you’ll try to sign free agents. In doing so, you’ll have to make good arguments to the player about why they should sign with you. Those will need to align with the player’s interests; if not, you will dramatically hurt your chances of signing them. The system is reminiscent of College Football 25‘s recruiting system. That’s a good thing and a good step for NHL 25.

You’ll also use the conversation system to develop players on your team. You can set in-season goals for players, and if they complete them, you’ll see a boost in their development. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s better than the more random and arbitrary systems of the past.

Jump Online and Compete to Win

There are a variety of ways to compete online in NHL 25. First is the standard Online Versus mode, where you can pit your favorite team against another player-controlled team. As you accumulate wins, you’ll increase your competitive rating and climb the online leaderboards. There’s nothing new in this mode in NHL 25, but there doesn’t need to be. The fun of Online Versus is in competition, and the mode provides that.

World of CHEL returns and offers multiple ways to take your created player into online (or offline) competition. After you create your player, you can play Ones, a 1v1v1 mode with a lot of action and creativity. If you’re looking for a little more team dynamic, Threes allows you an arcade experience (including mascots!) and fast-paced action in a 3v3 contest.

The core of World of CHEL is the EASHL, or EA Sports Hockey League. Players can create their own club and compete alongside their friends, with each club member controlling one skater on the ice. They can play against other user-controlled clubs to climb the leaderboard and earn the prestigious label of a Division 1 club. The EASHL has been my favorite part of the NHL series for years, and it feels more balanced and fun here than in NHL 24 or NHL 23, so that’s a nice development.

The best part of World of CHEL is the customization the mode offers. As you level up your player and club, you’ll earn new gear (jerseys, sticks, skates, jackets, and more) that your player can wear while playing Ones or Threes. Leveling up your club allows your squad to have better arenas, jerseys, and more. It’s a nice way to have some fun in a less formal mode while showing off your style on the ice.

Build the Ultimate Team

Ultimate Team is also back and you can once again build your dream team of players from the past and present. Compete in both online and offline modes to earn more packs and coins. In turn, those packs and coins will get you more players to improve your team. There are a couple of big changes to Hockey Ultimate Team, though. First is the ability to earn XP in a brand-new Season XP Path. Regardless of which Ultimate Team mode you play, you’ll earn XP and level up to earn new packs, coins, and items.

The other significant addition is the introduction of HUT Wildcard. Wildcard takes a lot from MLB The Show’s Battle Royale, except here, you can use some of your own players. Draft a team, stay under the salary cap, and strategically place up to three players from your HUT lineup into your Wildcard squad. Then, compete to advance in the Wildcard program to earn rewards. The nicest things about Wildcard are that the games are much shorter than the standard Rivals games and that even No Money Spent players can compete on the same footing.

NHL 25 Gameplay – The Good, Bad, and Ugly

If you’re looking for major changes on the ice due to NHL 25’s current-gen-only nature, you’ll be largely disappointed. The on-ice gameplay will feel very familiar to veterans, with a couple of notable exceptions. The zone pressure system is back, but it does feel slightly toned down from what it was in NHL 24. I might be wrong on that, but it feels more balanced.

Second is the addition of precision one-timers. Early in the game cycle, this addition has arguably broken online play for many. If you time your one-timer correctly, even the most average player will unleash a shot so devastating that the goaltender often has no chance. You’ll know you did it right because you’ll get NBA 2K-style feedback showing green. This is sure to be patched quickly, but for now it’s borderline game-breaking for players who primarily compete online.

Should You Buy NHL 25?

Hockey fans will find a lot to like with NHL 25. The game is far from perfect, though, and the jump to being a next-gen-only game hasn’t resulted in the advancements many were hoping for. Die-hard hockey fans will want to pick up the new title immediately, but more casual fans are better off waiting for a discount.

Verdict: Mediocre

NHL 25 is out now on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles.