{
  "id": 7578414,
  "title": "NHL 27 review: 1 step forward, 10 steps back",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/nhl-27-review-1-step-forward-10-steps-back",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-15T15:18:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SB Nation",
    "slug": "sb-nation",
    "url": "https://www.sbnation.com/nhl/1128464/nhl-27-video-game-review-ea-sports"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NHL 27 has been a great year for sports video games, with most major franchises getting significant improvements. When NHL 27 was released with its revamped presentation and solid gameplay, anticipation was high. However, the game fell short of expectations. There are numerous small issues throughout the game, but no single mistake is enough to be a deal-breaker. Overall, the experience left a bad taste in the player's mouth.\n\nThe positives include attention to detail in arenas, focusing on introductions and real-world goal horns, which makes goals feel more alive. EA Sports also licensed iconic arena music, enhancing the goal experience. While the goal celebrations are a welcome addition, the camera still cuts to blocky, outdated fans, pulling the player out of the experience. Additionally, the inclusion of iconic arena music makes goals feel more authentic.\n\nHowever, the game suffers from many issues. The computer AI is notably worse, making it feel like a downgrade from previous versions. The developers may have been given a shoestring budget and asked to add new elements, but the result feels like a quick addition rather than a marquee feature of the yearly installment. The intros and goal horns are nice additions, but they feel like superficial improvements that could have been included earlier in the development cycle.\n\nOn-ice action remains mostly fine, but the computer AI struggles with clearing the puck during penalty kills and making effective plays. This ruins powerplay flow, leading to fewer goals and an overall negative experience. EA Sports used generative AI for commentary, but the results are terrible and repetitive. The AI announcer sounds disjointed and sounds like it was generated by AI, making it difficult to enjoy the game. Even when the AI commentary is accurate, it feels generic and lacks the personal touch of previous years' announcements.\n\nOne of the most glaring issues is the player models. While some scans are decent, many look terrible and grotesque, especially when the players emote. The emotes turn the players into monsters, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the hockey fans behind NHL series are passionate, but it's clear that the development team lacks resources. A niche sport like hockey deserves better than what NHL 27 offers, and the author sincerely hopes that EA Sports takes this feedback into account to improve future installments.",
  "summary": "This has been a very, very good year in sports video games, with significant improvements being made to almost every marquee franchise. So, when NHL 27 boasted revamped presentation alongside the already solid gameplay of last year’s iteration, it fostered anticipation that it too would get an elite entry this year. How utterly wrong I […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}