by
Ted Kritsonis
Faze Video Game Editor

Given the nonsense surrounding the fiasco that is the NHL lockout, some diehard hockey fans can at least create their own memories this season with games like Gretzky NHL 2005. As corny as that may sound, it’s the reality NHL fans face these days.

But Gretzky NHL 2005 is much more ambitious than that. For starters, it’s up against very tough competition in ESPN’s and EA’s hockey titles, both of which are entrenched in a battle to carve out the largest piece of the NHL video game market. 989 Sports’ old NHL Faceoff franchise never came close to matching its competitors, which is why there isn’t much faith around this game — even if the Great One’s name is on it.

But once the puck has been dropped and the game is on, Gretzky 2005 actually plays better than many might have expected, myself included. The overall mood and atmosphere can be electric at times, and the replay cutscenes are admirably done. In fact, the overall ambience is probably just one step below EA’s game, which is a nice achievement since its predecessor had no ambience to speak of.

The players move relatively smoothly and team jerseys look great, but don’t expect player’s faces to be a match because some are way off the mark. Jose Theodore looks more like Mats Sundin when he has his mask off, and more examples like this are everywhere in this game. Another glaring problem is that everything seems to be backwards in close ups of players after a whistle. Any player that’s left-handed appears to be right-handed and vice versa. Same with goalies; a goalie who catches with his left hand will have his catching glove on his right hand.

Aesthetic issues like that don’t really bode well for a game that has a lot of pressure to do things right in order to impress gamers, but at least the gameplay shows more highs than lows. The physics of the game are generally well done, since you aren’t always able to land a big hit, and shots will deflect off legs in front. Not only that, but a player will have a tough time taking a shot in an awkward position. Instead, he’ll dump the puck deep in the zone if he can’t get a shot off.

Gameplay modes are pretty standard except for a new one called Rivalry, which is a neat concept. Since rivalries have been a bit of a rarity in the NHL over the last few years, this is an idea that works. By playing a series of games against certain teams, you can create a heated rivalry that will see the intensity move up a notch with each game. And of course, you can unlock a variety of items, including the Great One himself.

Online play is a straightforward experience. Nothing here really stands out as extraordinary, but at least things run fairly smoothly, whenever people are actually online that is. There seems to be a chronic shortage of gamers online for Gretzky 2005, and I’m not sure it’s because they’re sick of hockey.

With all that said, Gretzky NHL 2005 made some huge strides in the right direction by getting some key little things right. It’s not a great game, but it is a good one, and a significant improvement from the old NHL Faceoff franchise. There won’t be any hockey this season, so giving this game a chance is a much better option than the two sides talking in a boardroom.

Publisher:
Sony Computer
Entertainment
Developer:
Page 44 Studios

Platform:
PS2

Rating: 7/10