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NHL 14 vs NHL 15: 5 Key Differences

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As the first NHL game for the PS4 and Xbox One approaches we are taking a look at the NHL 14 vs NHL 15 differences that gamers will see in September.

EA Sports skipped a NHL 14 PS4 and Xbox One release last year, leaving fans who upgraded wanting for a next generation hockey game. Now the Xbox One and PS4 NHL 15 release is less than a month away and EA is sharing some of the updated features.

We’ll take a look at the NHL 14 vs NHL 15 features that hockey fans and gamers can expect. The NHL 15 release is on for September 9th.

NHL 14 vs NHL 15 – PS4 & Xbox One Love

The NHL 14 vs NHL 15 comparison highlights many upgrades possible only on the Xbox One and PS4.

The NHL 14 vs NHL 15 comparison highlights many upgrades possible only on the Xbox One and PS4.

Right off the bat the biggest difference between NHL 14 vs NHL 15 is that the Xbox One and PS4 get a bigger and better experience. After skipping over the consoles last fall, NHL 15 delivers a lot of new features on PS4 and Xbox One. The Xbox 360 and PS3 NHL 15 release still includes updated NHL Collision physics, but NHL 15 is all about the new consoles.

Prepare to upgrade if you want the best looking NHL 15 experience this fall. Here’s our look at the NHL 14 vs NHL 15 key differences based on what we know so far about the new EA NHL release.

Better Collisions in NHL 15

In NHL 14 EA introduced a new Collision Physics engine, adapted from FIFA, to deliver better physic that include speed, body size and more into the impact. This delivers better looking contact and more realistic outcomes when you deliver a hard hit. In NHL 14 EA was able to make it easier to make the right hit, for more realism and a better overall outcome. The video below showcases NHL 14 collision physics.

In the Xbox One and PS4 NHL 15 release EA Sports is able to up the ante with physics for every player on the ice. This requires the power of the new consoles, and it means you’ll see more realism and reactions will better match a real life scenario.

Expect to see this shine when you are involved in multi-player collisions and especially as you fight for a last-minute goal and things go from hectic to crazy. The NHL 15 video below shows how this will come to life.

It’s clear in this NHL 14 vs NHL 15 comparison that EA cooked up something magical for the new consoles. Another major update in NHL 15 is puck physics.

First in NHL 15 the puck can hop over a stick, squeeze through an opening and deflect unpredictably.

NHL 14 vs NHL 15 Players, Equipments & Arenas

The arena, player gear and player faces are part of delivering a realistic gaming experience. If you look at NHL 14 vs NHL 15 you’ll find major changes for the new consoles.

EA leverages the same technology that UFC did to bring more realistic looking players to NHL 15. The NHL 14 vs NHL 15 player models highlight the major difference in player likeness and the equipment that they wear, including how it looks in the game.

EA boasts that the stick, skates, pants and jersey are captured to deliver more detail in NHL 15 and dynamic cloth, “bring the speed of the game to life.”

An NHL 14 vs NHL 15 player model screenshot shows the more realistic hockey players in NHL 15.

An NHL 14 vs NHL 15 player model screenshot shows the more realistic hockey players in NHL 15.

On top of the players, the arenas now show more detail than ever on the PS4 and Xbox One. The new consoles offer the power needed to show details of every NHL Arena in a much bigger way. The crowds are also more lifelike, with four times the animations and fans that are cheering you on. The crowd also reacts to the plays in ways that were not possible before.

Better Stick Control

In NHL 14 EA gave us the Enforcer engine, more dekes and True Performance Skating, and with NHL 15 we get a boost with better stick control. All of this builds on NHL 14 and adds in right stick control for the hockey stick. This combines with the True Performance Skating to help players skate circles around the defense.

As the video above highlights, in NHL 15 you can control the skating with your left stick and your hockey stick and puck with the right stick.

NHL 14 vs NHL 15 Vision AI

When you compare NHL 14 vs NHL 15, the player AI is one area where you’ll see vast improvements according to EA’s new feature rundown. It’s frustrating to watch your computer controlled team mates miss out on a major play that is developing or respond oddly to where the puck is and where it is going to be.

Players are smarter in NHL 15, and should open up passing and shooting lanes like never before.

Players are smarter in NHL 15, and should open up passing and shooting lanes like never before.

In NHL 15 the new Vision AI promises to help keep the players on your team in position and anticipate plays before they happen. This means when you are in the offensive zone your team mates will make room and open up passing and shooting lanes instead of grouping close by.

You can also use the D-Pad to change your strategy on the fly. If EA delivers on this promise, expect smarter players and more fun in NHL 15.

12 Comments

12 Comments

  1. Rich

    08/11/2014 at 10:10 pm

    Finally, will this put a stop to the no-talent glitters who have no skill and rely on game flaws to win? Will NHL 15 expose the cheating no talent scrubs with the new improvements or will it be the same song and dance where cheaters can exploit AI weaknesses and certain types of shot that go in when they stink and have no chance?

    • Doug

      08/12/2014 at 8:03 am

      Someone’s a little bitter

      • Brian

        08/12/2014 at 9:14 am

        sounds like someone is a not talent glitcher commenting about someone being bitter because they know its true??? I do think so

      • Rich

        08/12/2014 at 9:39 am

        Yeah, Doug must be one of those cheap game flaw exploiting glitching scrubs feeling a little sensitive.

  2. Chris

    08/12/2014 at 12:09 pm

    Oh please. So many crybabies. There is not one online game mode where you can’t prevent your so called “flaws”. Sounds like you guys need to brush up on defense and stop blaming the game just because you don’t understand how to play it.

  3. ryan

    08/12/2014 at 7:22 pm

    Sounds like chris is right. The defense is where its at. Little baby kane cant skate circles when hes on his back

  4. Rich

    08/14/2014 at 8:43 am

    I like how ^^Chris and ^Ryan pretend like they know what they are talking about. First of all, we all control forwards on a three man team, so defense is up to the AI. Second of all, it’s so easy to skate circles around the AI (literally) and without exploiting the “hold the A button algorithm rending me checkless/pokecheckless skating in your cheap circle , max your agility, make your guy 5’7″ when your not, 127 lbs when your not, pump up your balance, puck control, and strength, circle spinning go-in-the-slot toe drag opposite post glitch wrist shot” If you don’t acknowledge that, like the tons of other knowledgable hockey players do, then you are a non-fundamental having, only played hockey on a console, cheap, glitching, game-flaw exploiting scrub. Our team, unlike you and other glitching trash cans, play in our position. We don’t do the “mites-on-ice pile up in the corner to prevent the break-cheat” because we take what we learned from “actually” playing “real” hockey with coaches on high level teams, and bring it to the game. However, EA forgot to program that hockey in and only recognizes the “pattern memorizing, non creative, ugly, hideous, predictable, over used, non talent having, trashy glitch goals” that you score likes it’s ground hog day! Sit down and shut up you scrub!

    • Luke

      08/14/2014 at 3:15 pm

      Someone sounds really bitter. Like an Ovechkin-esque player who doesn’t backcheck. Did your “high-level” coaches remind you to do that, or were you too busy blaming your defence or goalies to listen?

      • Rich

        08/14/2014 at 8:03 pm

        Hey Luke, you STINK! YES, my “high-level” coaches taught me back checking was more important then scoring a fancy goal. The problem isn’t a back checking issue, it’s an AI “doesn’t do anything at all except skate itself into a corner and wait for a cheap glitchier,” such as yourself, to come take the puck because “ice tilt” comes to the rescue like “welfare” for lazy untalented people, and provides “handouts” in the form of wins. In other words, what I’m saying is…”ice tilt,” a built in cheat engine for no-talent scrubs such as yourself, steals wins and redistributes them to losers like you, “EA Welfare,” because it thinks me being good and earning a high overall by getting a legend 3 card is unfair, so to level the rink, it keeps…”no-talent, all fundamental lacking, console hockey strategizing, game flaw exploiting, taking advantage of every in game glitch scrub” like you in games you don’t deserve to be in, even when you are getting your face smeared up and down the rink. You wouldn’t know hockey if you got ran over by a zambonie after a “real” fan decked you in the face and threw you over the glass onto the rink in the 3rd period of the Stanley Cup finals for the team you are a “band-wagon” fan of you “glitch” defender, which eludes to me what I stated in the first place…you STINK “you stale, baking-in-the-sun-all-day, full-of-hot-steaming-terds from worthless Canadians, TRASH CAN!

        • Chris

          08/18/2014 at 10:09 am

          What a moron. The AI is stupid, what a shocker. The solution… don’t play all three forwards. Defense wins games. I’ve played the game all my life, it seems that you owe thanks to your “high-level” coaches for not booting a know-nothing like yourself from the team. I would love to play you on the ice… I love crybabies who whine about things that are under their control and yet don’t have the talent necessary to do anything about it. Go crawl back under your bridge and stop embarrassing yourself.

  5. Aug26Handy

    08/15/2014 at 3:38 am

    Well this is a video game and not real hockey. So the majority of real hockey goes out the window and you play to defend the glitches. If you dont like people exploiting the AI defense then go recruit some human defense and play 5-6s. Then you might run into some “real” hockey.

  6. Y_U_MAD_DOE_613

    08/30/2014 at 7:55 am

    I donno i feel like when i see someone attempt a glitch it makes it easier to defend because u know what hes gonna try everytime coming down the ice. If ur defense is poo glitcher or not u will get scored on

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