The best Hockey Game ever, read my review to find out why...
The Good parts of the game...damn...there are alot of good parts, but I'll try to name the major ones. First, the gameplay is simply fantastic. The opponent's AI is amazing and actually learns from your actions (if you keep attacking the same way, the AI will notice and clamp down on that part of their Defence). Also, if you played last year's game...it just wasn't fluid or realistic. It was nearly impossible to get set up, but in 08 it is very smooth, a much better frame rate, and it is the most realistic hockey game ever made...bar none. The skating is so fluid its like your watching a real game, and setting up plays is very easy, and also looks like a real game. The commentary is excellent and improved alot from last year. They sometimes comment on how you need to move into the slot more and its really amazing. Some new features that were added were goalie mode, which is awsome. You can be your own goalie and get a 3rd person view of the goalie via behind the net. This is a great feature because now instead of being the one who scores, you can try and hold the fort and maybe come out with a shut out! Another great feature is the addition of the AHL to not only play now games, but Dynasty mode. Now, when you pick your NHL team in Dynasty, you can play any minor league game you want. This is an awsome feature because its a great way of seeing the young kids in the minors that you might consider calling up. The graphics in 08 are also off the charts, with player models and textures all looking like their real life counter parts.
Now I'll move on to the bad parts, well...the only dissapointing part of the game in my opinion is the forcheck. It is nearly impossible to cause a turnover of the puck on the forcheck, EA should try and fix this as soon as possible, hopefully by the next game. Also, your teammates AI is improved from last year, but still has room for improvement.
Overall, NHL 08 is the best hockey game ever made, it has great gameplay, great graphics, and great presentation! If you are looking for a great Hockey game that is worth your money (NOT crappy NHL 2K8) then NHL 08 is clearly the game for you.