Hockey fans, rejoice. Still, the violent nature of hockey has resulted in this game getting a 16 year age limit.

EA Sports has made hockey games for 20 years, and ”NHL 12” leaves no doubt of their excellence in this field. Get ready for action on the ice – build your own career, play as a legend or play online with your friends.

In the “Be a Pro” mode (career mode), you create a player that starts at the bottom of the career ladder. Your performance is measured in terms of the number of tackles, assists and goals you score, and you are rewarded or punished according to your accomplishments. If you manage to gather enough points, you take a step up the ladder of success and get drafted to a better team.

The control mechanics are excellent. You can shoot the puck with impressive precision, and, overall, the game feels really realistic. Making the right move at the right time is vital to scoring goals and passing accurately.

A few adjustments have been made from the previous edition of the game. Some of the new features include the ability to push around and tackle the goalkeeper, the opportunity to play as legends of hockey, and, in addition, there are a quite a few new camera angles available.

Child suitability:
The graphics are great, offering instant replays from different angles; however, the close-ups aren’t the best feature of the game. Even so, the close-ups of violent tackles and fights have resulted in the game getting a 16 year age limit.

“NHL 12” offers nothing spectacularly new; still, the game is well made, entertaining and comes recommended to young people and adults over the age of 16.

Level of difficulty:

3-16 years: Under the age limit.

16+: ”NHL 12” offers countless hours of hockey fun.

Suggested age group: Suitable for young people from 16 years.

Format: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

PEGI: 16, vold, online

Our Assessment: Recommended

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