Gretzky NHL 2005 is a pretty enjoyable game, and deserves a look from PS2 owners who are hockey fans.
Gretzky NHL 2005 offers the usual exhibition, franchise, and tournament modes, but a nice addition is the World Cup mode, in which eight international teams are available. This mode pits the teams in pool play before they are placed in a tournament. There is also a practice mode which allows you to customize the number of home and away skaters on the ice. Wayne Gretzky himself appears in the comprehensive tutorial videos, explaining the controls, as well as the congratulatory videos that are unlocked for winning your conference or Stanley Cup in the franchise mode, or for winning the World Cup mode.
On first glance, Gretzky NHL 2005 isn't as graphically impressive as either NHL 2005 or ESPN NHL 2K5. There are on ice shadows, but no real reflections, and the ice doesn't deteriorate over the course of a period like in the other games. The referee vanishes into thin air after he drops the puck. However, for a Playstation 2 game, Gretzky NHL 2005 looks better than expected, and it is pretty impressive what the game can do on the PS2 hardware. Player models are excellent, and there are tons of different cutscenes during breaks in the action. The arenas look good, and the pre-game introduction sequences includes team specific props, like the shark head in San Jose or the oil derrick in Edmonton, the laser light shows, and either the US or Canadian national anthem. You will also see championship banners in the rafters, although if you look closely, they are repeated textures. The pseudo glass reflections are nice, and when the puck finds the back of the net, the net swishes.
Overall, Gretzky NHL 2005 does a nice job capturing the atmosphere of a hockey game with the crowd and arena sounds. Rounding out the presentation is audio commentary from the tandem of Emrick and Darren Pang, which gets the job done. Unfortunately, some sounds are recycled, like the clang off the goalpost or when the puck bounces off the boards. A soundtrack of licensed music plays in the game menus.
But gameplay is where it matters, and this is where the game shines. On the default settings, Gretzky NHL 2005 shares the same fast action as NHL 2005, but also feels like ESPN NHL 2K5. The AI is a lot more intelligent on odd man rushes, and will get in position correctly, unlike in NHL 2005. Hard slapshots will occasionally score, but still, the best way to score is on rebounds. When you take a shot, a small target will appear on goal, presumably to show where your shot is headed, and you can move this target around prior to releasing the shot. The controls allow you to clear the puck, dive to the ice to block shots, and also to toggle skating direction. The right thumbstick performs different dekes. There is a give and go feature, which allows you to control a player without the puck, similar to the other hockey games. To perform this, you hold the pass button to perform a pass, and move the passer around, then when you release the pass button, your CPU teammate will pass the puck back to you. The D-pad allows you to select different offenses and defenses. Fighting is implemented, but as long as you can button mash, you'll win a majority of your fights.
The gameplay is not without problems. While the action on the ice is fast, at times your players don't really move quickly enough. One problem with the AI is that it will go offsides often, and simply pay no attention to where the puck handler is, resulting in more offsides calls than necessary. There is also no way to perform fake shots. However, occasionally your player will get bumped while winding up for a slapshot, which causes the shot to be aborted, and gives the same effect as a fake shot, as the goalie was preparing for your initial shot. Sometimes you'll then be able to take another quick shot and beat the goalie before he recovers. Goalies have a short period after they pass the puck in which they seem unable to stop any shots. This can be problematic if you're accustomed to passing the puck with your goalie after he stops a shot, as more than a few passes will be intercepted by the opposing team, resulting in quick and deflating scores.
Like the other hockey games, Gretzky NHL 2005 has a list of tasks that you can accomplish and gain points to apply towards unlockables, which include alternate and vintage jerseys, teams, gameplay modifications, and different versions of Wayne Gretzky.
Granted, there is nothing in Gretzky NHL 2005 besides Wayne Gretzky's likeness that isn't offered or done better in this year's best hockey game, ESPN NHL 2K5, but developers Page 44 Studios should be applauded for succeeding in the tough task of offering a surprisingly good alternative to either ESPN NHL 2K5 or NHL 2005. The gameplay is surprisingly fun, even better than in NHL 2005. Gretzky NHL 2005 is a pretty enjoyable game, and deserves a look from PS2 owners who are hockey fans.