[Max Cow Disease]

I've spent some time with the Access trial, and the game certainly plays well and looks pretty good. I haven't delved much into the various modes, but it definitely does seem to be somewhat of a husked version of the series we've come to know, feature-wise. The presentation and gloss is better than it's ever been and the core game is what one would expect, but the underlying substance (which one ultimately would require for true replay value) just doesn't seem to be there.

As for those who were wondering about the Flames' face situation in the game...the situation isn't good. Giordano's face is in the game now, which I was pleased to see, but the remainder of the team is by and large comprised of either generic faces or authentic ones that are incredibly inaccurate (I can't tell, in a lot of cases). Faces like Glencross, Backlund, and Stajan are the same as previous years and are clearly generic, and the only faces I've positively identified as being authentic are Gio, Hudler, and Monahan. Hudler looks about the same as last year, but Monahan looks way worse (his face looked pretty good last year, I thought).

I, like others, have generally defended the franchise and its iterative nature over the years because it has always been a fairly good product even in the years that it seemed like more of a minor update than a new game. However, this year seems more "degenerative" than iterative, and EA has a lot of work to do to get the series back up to the standard of the previous generation. To assume we'd all be so distracted by the new commentary, wavy jerseys, and presentation that we wouldn't notice all of the omissions is a little silly, and I hope they're able to at least partially do right by us on this one. This will be a fun game, and those only worried about having a fun game of hockey to play on their XB1/PS4 needn't worry at the end of the day, but the game as a whole clearly leaves a lot to be desired. As of now, NHL 15 on the new-gen is a lonely and unseasoned slab of beef on a plate all by itself, cooked medium well with a glass of water and no sides, garnish, or fixins.