NHL FaceOff 2001
Score: 93% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America Developer: 989 Studios Media: CD/1 Players: 1 - 8 Genre: Sports
Graphics & Sound: I have to say that NHL FaceOff 2001 looks great. Each player, rink, and puck has vivid imagery and great detail. Okay, maybe I'm stretching it a bit, but it does look good. Hey, when the skaters leave lines in the ice, I'm impressed. I guess it doesn't take much, huh? That aside, I still think the game looks good. It runs a little slow, but it looks great. Even the sound effects, music and play-by-play are on the good side. I really can't find too much to say bad about the way the game looks (or sounds for that matter).
Gameplay: There are no surprises here. NHL FaceOff 2001 is a hockey game. You play hockey. No super skaters on fire with brick walls in front of the goal - just plain old hockey. NHL FaceOff 2001 allows you to play in Exhibition, Practice, Season, Playoff, Tournament, and Shootout Modes. I'm sure I don't have to go into to great a deal about each mode. Exhibition plays lets you put any two teams up against each other just for fun. In Practice Mode, you can learn and get better acquainted with the game. Season mode allows you to play a season with any team(s) of your choosing. If you want to enter a Playoff or Tournament without having to play an entire season, NFL FaceOff 2001 offers modes for that as well. There is even a 'home run derby' so to speak. In Shootout Mode, you try to score and defend goals against an opponent. Most of the game is concentrated in the Season Mode. Here you can function just like an NHL hockey team. You can draft, sign, and release players. I found the game to run a little bit on the slow side, but then people with slow reflexes will benefit from that. I also found the buttons to be a bit confusing at first, but I quickly got used to them. The main thing I noticed about the gameplay was that everything is there. Every rule, every option, every fight ... everything. If it's in hockey, it's in NHL FaceOff 2001. Again, the game runs a little slow, but other than that, it plays great. Hey, it even has realistic ice physics. What more could a toothless fan want? If you're aboot hockey, you're about NHL FaceOff 2001.
Difficulty: Just like life, NFL FaceOff 2001 is as hard as you make it. Literally. You can change styles, difficulty levels, speed, time, fatigue, auto subs, rules, penalties, injuries, puck halo, and auto aiming options, just to name a few. I suggest starting with the Exhibition or Practice mode, because the game does take some getting use to. It's not one of those that you can just jump into. It's also not one of those that you just cannot beat either.
Game Mechanics: I liked the realism additions in the game, but I still think it runs too slowly and choppy. Of course, it does look good, but the gameplay suffers a tiny bit. I found the many, many controls to be difficult at first, but once you get used to them, they work out great. One of the best features of the game is the fight. I mean, what's a fight without a little hockey. NHL FaceOff 2001 even has special controls for the fights. I think this is a well put together, complete hockey simulation. The game looks great, has everything you could ask for, while playing at an acceptable level. Anyone from Canada to south Louisiana can appreciate NHL FaceOff 2001.
-Storm, GameVortex Communications AKA Jeremy Kelso
NHL 2000 Sammy Sosa Softball Slam