EA Vancouver's NHL 27 continues the franchise's trend of incremental updates, focusing on small enhancements rather than groundbreaking changes. While the core hockey gameplay remains strong and enjoyable, the overall experience feels largely unchanged from previous installments, particularly in its presentation and modes. The game exclusively targets PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, a move intended to push graphical boundaries, yet NHL 27 often appears visually dated.
New modes are absent in NHL 27, with players returning to established options such as Franchise, Build a Pro, World of Chel, and HUT. The user interface and menus remain identical to NHL 26, potentially leading some players to mistake it for last year's game. This visual stagnation, a recurring criticism for the series, persists despite the move to newer hardware. While some minor graphical issues from NHL 26 have been addressed, such as the logo clipping on certain screens, other problems persist.
Character models for both players and the in-game crowds are a notable weak point. The crowds, in particular, exhibit dated animations and appearances. While player models are slightly better, helmets often mask less refined designs. Veteran coaches, without the benefit of headgear, can appear as poorly rendered custom characters. However, moments of visual polish do exist. The ice surface is rendered attractively, showing realistic deterioration and snow buildup during gameplay. Small details, like scratches on the penalty box glass, add to the realism for those familiar with the sport. Arenas have also seen improvements, with digital versions more closely resembling their real-world counterparts. Enhanced environmental details, accurate goal celebrations, and Jumbotron videos contribute to a more authentic atmosphere. The game's music selection has been updated to feature popular tracks commonly heard at actual hockey games, a change from NHL 26's focus on newer artists. Each song is accompanied by a blurb explaining its history with a specific team or the sport in general, a welcome addition that enhances the overall presentation.
At its heart, NHL 27's gameplay is solid and continues to deliver an engaging hockey simulation. The core mechanics, refined over many years, provide a satisfying experience with a good balance of depth and accessibility. The game accurately captures the speed and physicality of hockey, and scoring remains a rewarding action. A significant on-ice addition is the implementation of team-specific playbooks. These allow players to tailor their team's strategy to better match their playstyle or the nuances of the real-life NHL squads. Choosing a playbook can influence AI teammate behavior, adding a layer of strategic depth and encouraging creative play.
The Be a Pro mode, which lets players guide a single created character through an NHL career, remains largely unchanged from NHL 26. Elements like press conferences, with their repetitive and often uninspired questions, feel stale. The mode lacks fresh content, making it a less compelling experience compared to the core gameplay improvements. Similarly, commentary is a significant area where NHL 27 feels dated. The dialogue is often generic, lacking specific references to the teams or situations on the ice. The commentators' repeated use of phrases like "crunch" for a hit, even in situations where it could be a clever pun (like during a game against the Syracuse Crunch), highlights a missed opportunity for more dynamic audio. News headlines generated between games in Be a Pro also suffer from repetition, often offering critiques that don't accurately reflect player or team performance, and exhibit less variety than in the previous year's iteration.
Minor immersion-breaking issues also surface. In Be a Pro, a player might be incorrectly kept off the ice for a faceoff late in a close game. Furthermore, the crowd's reaction to deficits doesn't always align with reality, with fans sometimes appearing indifferent to significant score disadvantages. While EA Vancouver has put effort into replicating arenas, these visual efforts are sometimes undermined by gameplay and presentation elements that feel stuck in the past. NHL 27 offers a competent, familiar hockey experience, but its lack of substantial new content and persistent visual and presentation shortcomings prevent it from feeling like a true advancement for the series.