EA Access has given gamers firsthand access to NHL 15’s lack of features.

Sports gaming website Operation Sports noted that NHL 15 is missing several modes and features. Though EA is assuring that some of these are going to be introduced in future patches, the list is strikingly large:

Modes/Features

• No GM Connected
• No Online Team Play (when this is patched into the game later this year, it will use real NHL players and teams)
• No EA Sports Hockey League
• No EA Sports Arena
• No Online Shootouts
• No Live the Life
• No Be A Legend
• No Winter Classic
• No tournaments or Battle for the Cup
• No season mode (you can only play seasons in Be A GM, which is limited to NHL teams)
• No NHL 94 Anniversary mode
• No custom music support
• No create-a-play designer
• Cannot customize each team’s AI
• No create-a-team
• No way to edit individual players
• Practice mode is now limited to one skater vs. an AI goalie

Gameplay

• No custom camera option
• No Action Tracker replay highlights
• No Top 3 Stars at the end of games.

Be A GM

• Yearly draft is fully automated by the CPU
• Cannot play the AHL games for your chosen franchise
• Players sent down to the minors do not accumulate any season stats
• No fantasy draft option
• No preseason games

Be A Pro

• No option to sim ahead to the next shift
• You only play in the NHL; you cannot play for minor league teams
• The Memorial Cup tryout period is gone. You now begin by picking an NHL team, or by letting a random CPU team draft you.
• No All-Star game

Ultimate Team

• Cannot play against your friends
• No tournaments
• No mobile app

[List from Operation Sports]

In the wake of The Sims 4, which we recently reviewed, NHL 15’s lack of features seems unfortunate, but not particularly surprising. Moreso, even if the lack of features can be addressed in future patches, it does suggest either a highly limited crunch period for release or lazy or underfunded development cycles.

EA, via Polygon, has assured gamers that missing features would not be an issue, given the company’s incessant need to take few risks. However, what sort of action plan EA has devised to mitigate fallout from this minimalistic rendition of virtual hockey is unknown.

To use an appropriate sports metaphor, the ball is in their court.

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Joe Yang

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Unnecessarily wordy human being, MA graduate, and former Buddhist monk. Moonlight scholar with an interest in ludic components and narrative interplay. Co-ordinator and email jockey at Project Cognizance.

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