This year's entry in the perennial hockey simulation will keep much of what has already made the series a critical darling in recent years (including the much-vaunted "skill stick" and the eye-pleasing graphics engine).
But the producers have promised a bevy of new features and 200 gameplay tweaks to help make NHL 10 a more authentic - and much more physical - brand of hockey than its predecessor NHL 09, itself a winner of several sports game of the year awards.
NHL 10 Set to Get Up Close and Personal
Any hockey fan worth his or her salt will acknowledge that fighting still plays an important role in the sport.
Despite naysayers who disparage this aspect of the professional game as brutish and anachronistic, dropping the gloves is still every bit as prevalent in the "New NHL" as it was in the bygone era of heavyweight pugilists like Stu Grimson, Tie Domi and Bob Probert.
Bottom line, fighting gets an instant rise out of players and fans alike, and EA Sports looks to tackle this previously overlooked aspect of their game in NHL 10 with a new first-person fighting mode.
While it may sound a tad gimmicky (remember the breakaway cam in NHL 2002?), the new point of view will at least offer a breath of fresh air as it replaces the tired side-by-side punchfests that featured in previous NHLs.
As the name suggests, the first-person mode will allow players to see through the eyes of their team's enforcer, allowing a much more visceral experience as they grab jerseys, dodge punches, and do the on-ice tango.
The break-out of fisticuffs in NHL 10 will also reflect what's actually happening on the ice as enforcers will step up to the plate if a skilled teammate is being knocked around.
This is a welcome change from the scuffles in NHL 09, which would only occur if the controlling player went out looking for trouble and actively initiated a physical confrontation with the slash button.
Grinders to Get Their Share of the Spotlight in NHL 10
In addition to fighting, EA Sports is devoting much time to improving the battles for pucks along the boards and the game's overall "toughness" factor.
Board battles, and the impromptu shove-matches that stem from them, play a huge role in the real NHL. Every NHL hockey player, whether they be a first-line star or a third-line plumber, must possess the skill and willpower to fight for the puck and come out with it after a pile-up in the corner.
In NHL 10, players will have the ability to shield the puck against the boards and kick the loose disk to teammates, actions that will utilize the game's new "board physics engine," which will see pucks and players alike bounce off the wall realistically.
As expected, bigger players, like the Bruins' towering defenceman Zdeno Chara, will easily overpower smaller skaters in these new board battles by pinning or knocking them off the puck.
EA Sports Shoots for More Hockey Realism
Not to overlook the finer points of the game, the developers are beefing up the series' already well-defined passing and shooting mechanics.
Players will now have a new, liberating 360-degree passing system at their disposal that will allow for accurate bank passes off boards and through-passes ahead of the play to set up teammates for quick breakouts.
As well, shooters will also have the ability to one-time loose pucks and fire shots out of mid-air, simple elements that have been sorely missing in EA's current-gen NHL games.
Physical play will also realistically affect players' ability to make a pass or fire off a shot as harassed and fatigued skaters will flub passes and fan on the puck.
Another authentic addition that will surely win over fans is the ability to instigate dust-ups and draw penalties after the whistle has been blown.
In the NHL, short and spontaneous scrums (usually around the net) happen several times a game after the play has been called dead. And yet this has never accurately been portrayed in a hockey video game. NHL 10 hopes to change that.
Hockey hooligans, rejoice!
NHL 10 is set for release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this September.
