Great game with a few flaws...
2k8 has a lot to offer, from a deep franchise mode, to create a team/ player features. This is nothing new but is worth noteing. What does 2k8 offer or change from previous years?
Well graphics are a huge + and now are equal to EA series in this reviewers opinion. They also totally reworked controls, though they are not the easiest thing to learn. Most gamers will be turned off by them, however give them time and you will learn to love them.
The new controls are as follows, the right stick is now your "skill stick" or wait "pro stick" sorry who can keep up with marketing names now a days? The pro stick offers total procession for stick handling, but unlike EA's skill stick does not give you the option to shoot with the stick. Which some may like some may dislike, for me both EA, and 2k have there own unique approach to the stick, both work rather well.
Also added to 2k's controls is there sprint option, you now use the a button to sprint, which is faster then speed burst although you have limited control of the puck. It is usefull to go around the last defender or to cut to the outside. The yalso have two button shooting, RB for wrist shots, and hold L then hit RB for slap shots. This sounds complicated, and it is at first. With some practice you have total precision, and really have total control with there new control skeme.
Now for the gameplay: 2k always had a realistic hockey sim, this year as only improved. Better goalie, defense, offense ai. Makes this year that much more challanging. That being said however there are plenty of gameplay sliders to mess around with. Game speed, puck speed, shot blocking, goalie saves, goalie reactions, shot, etc. There are so many to mess around with you can play the game you want. Althought these sliders are nice, I find if you want a true sim of hockey you MUST make your own, and the default settings are pathetic. Which is a major turn off for most players.
How about the franchise mode how does that stack up since now there are waivers, UFA's, RFA's, etc. Well although it may last a while the franchise mode has so many issues regarding GM logic. So unless you turn of CPU trades which is no fun, you may get bored rather quickly. Example of major GM flaws:
Waiver wire: GM's use the waiver wire to dump cap space, however they dump any "over paid" player. Example they will dump most highly paid players for no reason such as you constantly find a Spezza, Sundin, Iginla, etc. This is a major issue, and is completly moronic, this also makes trading some what pointless. Why bother trading a 1st, 3rd, and 1 or 2 good players when I will find an all star players on waivers eventually. Another issue is with trading it's self. Although "trading" works great, they don't accept stupid trades, they include age, payroll, ovr, etc. Are all factors into a trade. This year however they have an option to "offer" a player to all teams in the league and generate responses. This sounds like a good feature except it is majorly flawed. example:
here is the player I want to trade:
Name: Job Bob
Pos: RW
OVR: 77
Age: 22
Pay: 1.5mil
here are trades some GM's may offer
Name: Unkown jerk
POS: RW
OVR: 79
AGE: 21
Pay: 1.25mil
Clearler unkown jerk is better in every aspect, same position, younger, less cap room, better overall. Yet they offer me him for some reason.
The thing is, you can do this over and over to make an amazing team.
Another major flaw with gm logic is free agents. You can start a season there are free agents such as Peter forsberg OVR: 89 right off the start. This would be ok if other teams would sign them. Guess what they don't you have first picks at free agents and can sign anyone you want. What if you don't have cap space to sign these superstars? sign them then trade for an equal player that has less pay.
I even got rid of all free agents above overall 75 by placing them on created teams before I started the franchise, but with all those other previously stated problems, I can still build an all star team after a few games. I even have signed the worst players on the league, and still manage to be number 1 easliy, on the hardest difficulty.
I find the hardest settings, are still fairly easy even when I play a higher ranked team, but I have played over 4 seasons so that may be the reason.
Overall this game has amazing gameplay, but franchise mode has to many flaws to recommend it for someone who plans on playing several seasons. If you want a hockey game, and want to get 1 season or 2 out of I recommend it, however if you are the hockey buff, and want to build a team with smart GM logic, and draft picks. I don't recommend it for the long run. I have not played nhl 08 to recommend that yet either, so nhl 2k9 may be the better wait.
Game play: 9.5/10
Graphics: 8.5/10
Sound: 7.5/10
Value: 8/10
Reviewer opinion overall 8/10 (this is not affected by the other ratings.)