Full review explaining the pros and cons in great detail.
The cons:
NHL 07's got bugs and I mean LOTS.
Then there are the stupid bugs from 06 that have made their way back
in, such as goal and penalty cutscenes disappearing after about 8 or
more goals have been scored in a game. But there are things like
goaltenders having equipment from teams they played for a year or two
ago (Khabibulin has his Tampa set), board advertisements missing from
the ACC and a few other arenas, goal horns are still fake and crappy,
looks like I'll have to change that again. And the crowds...how boring
really. I'm not sure if you've played 2006 FIFA World Cup by EA, but
that game hands down has the most amazing atmosphere, you feel like
you're watching the game in the stadium! They do this by great
commentating and a LOUD and interactive crowd. In NHL 07, the arena
goes silent and all you hear is dull skating sounds.
Speaking of sounds, some of them are ridiculous. Players seem like containers made of composite plastic and metal pieces because they make the strangest crashing and banging noises when they fall to the ice. Apart from those issues, the sounds are improved a bit.
Apart from that, the highest difficulty was a joke. The AI was
averaging 2 or 3 shots on me and most of my shots from the slot or
point were going in. Also, the upper glove is the new money goal this
year...I had to downloaded a slider editor and edit things until it
became realistic enough to enjoy. Other than that, I enjoy my Anaheim
Ducks season and am looking forward to the playoffs which EA said were
revamped.
Penalties, penalties...90% of the penalties in this game are high-sticking and 50% of those look terrible in the replay. You'll see players getting high-sticking penalties for skating past one another and barely touching.
Now onto the controls. If you get frustrated easily, buy a gamepad for this game. I've gotten used to the crazy controls on my keyboard but they're absolutely disgraceful, especially due to the lack of redefining them properly.
The goaltending is a MAJOR improvement over NHL 06, but an improved manual control would've beeen welcomed. Basically, you can only move the goalie to cover a shot and they move quite slow laterally, making it easy to leave a whole side open in a split-second. I'm not
sure if you remember NHL 98, but you could do anything you wanted
with the goalie. There was a whole array of moves and saves to do
using a combination of the arrow keys and the shoot button, depending on where the puck was positioned.
Pros:
What can I say? The AI is outstanding. Your teammates are capable of making plays and position themselves properly, either to send an opponent to the ice or intercept a cross-crease pass. The opponent AI has been greatly improved as well. No longer will they spin behind their own net waiting for you to take the puck. They set up plays behind the net and pass to wingers and play their positions perfectly.
Graphics are exactly as they were in NHL 06. This is one department I've been pleased with in the NHL series for some time. This year EA has added a nice blurring effect to backgrounds in cut-scenes.
Thank you EA for a proper soundtrack since NHL 2004. Of course, they skimp with the licensing fees by grabbing artists trying to make a name for themselves on the market, but this year's game boasts a wide selection of talented newcomers.
The fun is back. I'm finally having fun playing this game, everything after NHL 2004 has been a frustrating experience but it looks like EA straightened up by improving the gameplay this year.
After downloading the roster update (well done EA for making it so quick this year), I find the rosters up-to-date and fulfilling. The coaches are all with their respective teams and retired players are out of the teams. With the exception of Keith Primeau of course, but let's forgive EA for that, he did announce it quite recently ;)
Some nice additions have made their way in, such as new cut-scenes and a few new play-by-play and commentary lines. You'll also see new details and little things, such as sports drinks on a table near the player entrances. Cute.
And it seems like EA has strenghtened their ties with Dodge/Daimler-Chrysler this year as a 2007 Dodge Nitro stands upon a podium near the outdoor rink and also provides the "3 stars" presentation. And Jim Hughson can't get enough of saying "Dodge" ;)
Disappointments?
The shootout mode. I was expecting the type of shootout that the next-gen version provided, the type of shootout gamemode found in NHL 98 that directly took you to instant action between two teams. Instead, it is free-for-all with shootout rules.
Goal horns? I expected them to be realistic this year but was once again proven wrong. The goal celebration cut-scenes are way too short to include the authentic goal horns and music. I'd like to see multiple replays for goals, just like the FIFA series.
Again, the crowd. Although this time they finally cheer when the home team scores, the crowds are as dull as heck and do nothing to create the atmosphere of a wild and exciting hockey arena.
Overall, the game is very playable but I'd advise tweaking it to suit your needs. I'll definitely have fun until NHL 08. So get out there and win a Stanley Cup, keep your stick on the ice!