An okay game, but an improvement over NHL 2k10? I'm not so sure...
While 2k did add one or two neat things this year, they also made certain important aspects of the game worse compared to NHL 2k10. I don't want to be all negative, so let's start out with the positives.
Firstly 2k added a road to the cup mode. This is a family friendly mode that up to 4 players can play in a series of mini games, trivia and more with their Mii's. This is easily the best addition to the game, and if you have a few friends or family members to play this mode with, it might be worth picking up NHL 2k11.
Second, they removed the speed burst button to make the game play easier and smoother. This is a welcome addition to the series, and while its execution isn't perfect, it's passable.
After these two additions, the game goes downhill very quickly. Now let's start with the negative additions:
-Broken Sticks: Just turn these off, because they are done so poorly in game. Basically it's just a pain and isn't near as interesting as how EA did it. (In EA you can play without the stick, hand a teammate a stick, etc. In 2k as far as I'm aware, you can't do these things you basically just skate off the ice.)
-New and "Improved" controls: Now the 1 to 1 stick handling is very responsive, in fact it's too responsive. Your player can stick handle left and right at lightning speed. So why is this bad thing? Well for one it's the only way to score. The game is so unbalanced now, if you have the goalies good enough to stop the dekes, you won't see them getting beat on shots, if you set them to get beat on shots, you'll score on every deke. It's just a brutal addition, which completely ruins the goal scoring in the game. (Especially for skilled players looking for a challenge.)
-Puck in Air Dekes (Or whatever you want to call them.): This is just unrealistic, not fun, and ultimately a waste of time. Not only are these dekes not fun or realistic, they can ruin you scoring chances, sometimes you just want to shoot and your player flicks the puck onto his stick. This addition not only looks stupid, it ruins the wiimote controls. (This was a 2k10 strength.)
Now guess what...That's all the new additions to the game. Bugs are still in from NHL 2k10, graphics are the same, menus are the same, and AI is the same. (Despite them calling it improved, it's still just awful and a breakaway fest all game.) Not only do I not recommend this game to a NHL 2k10 owner, I'm not even sure if I recommend it to a non NHL 2k10 owner. I'm struggling to decide if 2k11 is an improvement at all over 2k10, and if you don't own a hockey game, if you should pick up NHL 2k10 or NHL 2k11. My best guess is this...
If you just want a family game and are interested in mini games, trivia, etc. Get NHL 2k11. If you want a more in depth hockey experience. Pick up whatever game is cheaper. NHL 2k10 or NHL2k11. They both have their flaws, and the products are interchangeable in this reviewer's opinion.
Score Breakdown:
Graphics: 5.5/10
Sound: 6/10
Gameplay: 5/10
Overall: 5/10 (Not an average.)
Overall if you played NHL 2k10: 3/10