NHL Rivals 2004 Impressions

NHL Rivals 2004 will be the first venture from Microsoft into the world of hockey. The game will be an Xbox-exclusive title and aims to provide the most realistic game of hockey available for the Xbox console system. The game was on display at Microsoft's E3 2003 booth, and we took a long, hard look at everything it had to offer.

Rivals 2004 will feature four main gameplay modes, including single-player, multiplayer, season, and instant rival modes. In the instant rival mode, you begin by choosing between a series of infamous NHL rivals, for example, the Red Wings vs. the Avalanche or the Stars vs. the Oilers. The game will then provide a series of cutscenes and commentary, documenting the history behind this rivalry. You then play a single game between the two teams.

Multiplayer in Rivals will include Xbox Live support for up to six Xboxes at once, meaning six different players from six different locations could feasibly play in a single game. Rivals will also support an online league system via the Xbox Sports Network, a new Xbox Live feature with its own Web site that you can use to hold tournaments and other types of matches against your friends. Stats tracking, rankings, and downloadable rosters will also be featured.

As this is the first NHL game Microsoft has developed for the Xbox, there will not be a franchise or dynasty mode, but the season mode should provide a reasonable facsimile. The season mode will be a single NHL season, played through in its entirety. As you play through, you can make trades for more appealing players, sign free agents, and put players on the injured/reserve list. Minor league players and rookies will be available in Rivals, as well as a create-a-player mode, and any players you create will be available in the season mode.

Rivals will feature a unique characteristics system for designating roles of specific players on your team. The system will have four categories: balanced, sniper, enforcer, and agitator. Enforcer players are your tough guys who start fights and keep your star players from getting hit. Agitators are more defensive-minded players who break up scoring chances and draw a lot of minor penalties. Snipers are your biggest offensive threats with lots of goal-scoring ability. Balanced players are well-rounded in every category, if a bit unspectacular in any specific way. This role-playing system will all revolve around a role button that, when pressed, performs a move specific to that player's category--enforcers will run in and bodycheck a guy or pick a fight, whereas snipers will pull off an impressive deke move to sidestep a defenseman.

Graphically, Rivals is a detailed-looking game. Player models are especially high in polish, with player-unique facial maps and fully detailed jerseys and uniform pieces. Arenas will be totally interactive, with degradable ice, shakable glass along the boards, and fully 3D crowds. Rivals will also include full play-by-play commentary from the broadcasting team of Sam Rosen and John Davidson.

NHL Rivals 2004 will be released this fall. Expect more coverage of the game in the following weeks.