NLH 26 Video Review

NHL 26 reviewed by Marc Deschamps on Xbox Series X/S. Also available on PlayStation 5. Narrated by Alan Knight.NHL 26 is a competent entry in the series from EA Vancouver, even if it doesn’t do enough to stand out either from past years or other sports games. It still plays well enough, and after all these years there’s still something exciting about banking a goal in, or setting up the perfect pass. I rarely found myself unhappy with the actual gameplay, no matter how familiar it felt. On top of these things that worked well before, there are some small improvements that are welcome, like enjoying our collections of Ultimate Team players offline. At the same time, this series has stagnated visually, with relatively ugly players and crowds contrasted against beautiful hockey rinks. NHL 26 has left me feeling like I’ve just watched a 6-5 overtime win in April when my team has already been eliminated from playoff contention: there’s enjoyment to be had, but I can’t help but hope they get off to a better start next year.