With an NHL lockout now a definite the hockey season may be in jeopardy. One thing for sure is that the virtual season will go on. For true hockey fans, will NHL 13 be able to fill the void of what could be a lost season? I played Madden 13 and it was the best Madden I have ever played. I know that they have different teams working on them but I was hoping that seeing what they did with Madden that the NHL team would not let the notion of a possible sports game of the year award slip through their fingers.

We all heard the excuse that they only have a year to make the game and we get that. But we the fans also pay sixty dollars every year for it as well and expect huge improvements and additions to the franchise. Shame on us? Maybe. The demo really impressed a lot of people, myself included. My main concern though was the demo showed that they only updated the main parts of the game leaving pretty much the same menu infrastructure from NHL 09. I mentioned this in my demo impressions preview that they really should have updated the menus more and chose not to. So is NHL 13 going to be as devastating to fans as a full or partial real NHL lockout? I will tell you what I think.

From the start of game you will be greeted with the pretty much the same menu as the last couple games which I have pretty much made clear is. I will say that does make for easy navigation but I really liked how the Madden team redesigned their menu system and even Tiger Woods was different. But let’s just put the menu scheme aside and just say, yes we would have liked an upgrade but so be it.

NHL 13 is the most realistic hockey experience you are going to play. Hands down and that won't be the last time I say that. They have a balance of simulation and arcade style that blend together perfectly. The way you play the game will change right from the first drop of the puck and let me tell you why. First up we have True Performance Skating. This feature give you the most freedom to skate on the ice however you want and you are only limited to your player’s skill. What does this mean? Let’s say you have a player that is extremely fast but when it comes to makes cuts on the ice a tractor trailer has a better turning radius. That player will be able to fly up the ice skating by everyone. Sounds pretty sweet right? Sure it is, until your crash head first into the boards then the other team picks up the puck as you recover from a collision with glass and boards. You’ll really have to get to know your team and there strong and weak points. True Performance Skating will give you the most satisfying game play experience ever.

Mastering True Performance Skating is going to be important because the AI has received a boost in the IQ department. The AI are noticeably smarter than any of the previous games. This will also cause you to play the game differently than you have in the past. I have played over fifty games and still end each game impressed with how the AI plays. They react to the play and actually think before you act. They’ll get into passing lanes, poke check and pretty much make a fool of you at times. They even score goals way more than last year and it’s downright scary at times. You really have to play the AI just as you would a real player. To be honest I would rather be matched up against a human controlled player any day. The AI will still have its dumb moments here and there but not nearly as much as you are used to. Dumping the puck isn’t a major problem as it has been before and the dump and chase actually works pretty well with the new skating system. The AI will occasionally make some rather idiotic dumps.

Goalies also have seen some upgrade love. They have a lot more animations making their saves look way more believable. Goalies will not let you get in close like last year. If you do get near the crease you will be greeted with a poke check that will end up in a lost scoring chance and probably a loss of the puck. They have also included desperation saves which are really cool and inject some excitement during the game. You will get that sinking feeling in your stomach when the rebound shot you just took gets saved by the goalie out of desperation. Even though you missed your chance to score the feeling that it gives you is real. If you can sneak one past a diving goalie you will not only be rewarded with a goal and a great feeling but you will also net an achievement. One thing that some gamers will notice is that the goalies are definitely quick from post to post. Almost too quick. But I think I would rather have that than a non-reactive goalie.

The sounds of the game really captures the experience of the game from the crowd chants to the light of the lamps horn. You’ll definitely get pumped up when playing. Nothing will give you more goose bumps than when the games on the line on your home ice in double overtime and you are the one that lights the lamp. The crowd will just erupt in cheers and it truly is a one of a kind experience. Gary Thorne and Bill Clemente are back with the play by play commentary and its smooth and true to life most of the time. There is some new dialogue added but just not enough to break up what we have been hearing for the past couple of years. From the slap of the puck to the sounds of players crashing into the boards they are all there and all sound authentic.

GM Connected careers which made its appearance in Madden this year now makes an appearance in NHL 13 as well. GM Connected is an extension of the popular offline mode Be A GM mode. In essence, GM Connected allows for up to 750 players to play in a league online. The positions of the league would be the Commish, Team GMs and Players. One team can take on up to 24 players and you can play online against others or against the AI. You really could just take control of one team with a few guys and play against all the other AI teams in a league. This is a pretty cool game mode and one that will make the football fans wish they had the same in Madden.

There are plenty of other modes to play in NHL 13. Hockey Ultimate Team returns with single player and online multiplayer action. You can jump into NHL Moments Live which will let you play some classic moments from the past season. There is an option for 2012-2013 moments but at this time who knows if there will be any with the lockout. Be A Pro and Be A GM modes are also here for fans to enjoy and even legends are now included in the Be A Pro mode. And of course you have online play including the EASHL. So there is no shortage of game modes or hockey in NHL 13. You’ll be playing this game all year long and probably more if there is no real life hockey.

The visual have also seen improvement from the player models and animations to the advertisements along the boards it. The actual player’s faces have received a face lift looking close to the players that they represent. The facial expression are much more realistic as well. I have noticed some awkward moments in the game that do not take away from the experience but are noticeable. When you are in the penalty box the referee helmet becomes distorted and changes color. When a player goes into or out of the locker room the player’s jersey no matter what the color are blue for a split second. And the one that drives me crazy the most is the choppy graphics at times. When you are skating up the ice this should not happen what so ever and I am not sure what is going on because its not like there is a ton of action on the screen. This is the only thing that really takes away from the game experience and it affects not just your skating but there is a delay when you shoot or pass the puck. I know it’s week one for the game being on the market and EA servers are pretty infamous for choppy gameplay online during this week. But this is the first thing that has come out of people’s mouth when I ask them what are their thoughts on NHL 13. Hopefully EA is working on the issue or it works itself out.

Like all other NHL games before this one replay has been a staple of the series. NHL 13 is going to keep you on the ice like never before. True Performance Skating will have you constantly trying new moves dekes and setting up scoring opportunities. I played well over one thousand games online last year and I’m not embarrassed to say with all the new features I will probably double those game played this year. If online is not your thing then there is plenty of other options for offline play. If you are a hockey fan then by all means you should have this title in your collection. You’ve probably heard it over and over but it’s definitely the most realistic hockey game to date. Hats off to the EA Hockey development team for a job well done. One word for this game: Fantastic.