Microtransactions and lootboxes have started making waves for all the wrong reasons in mainstream AAA games of late, but they have been a mainstay of sports games for years, thanks to EA’s Ultimate Team modes, which they have added to all of their EA Sports lineup in the last few years.

Of course, now that EA is under fire for its inclusion of microtransactions in its games, all of them are coming under scrutiny, including its sports games- for instance, take NHL 18. As MP1ST reports, multiple Reddit users have realized that packs that ‘guarantee’ Christmas Collectible cards, for instance, have not gotten what they were promised- with one being told by an EA customer service representative that the items are not ‘100% guaranteed’, even though the pack literally says ‘1 guaranteed Christmas collectible.’

So… this is likely to blow back on EA in a big way. Ultimate Team is the empire on which their fortune is built- if the economy is proven to be a farce and players stop investing in it, EA would be in trouble. I hope they address this issue soon, for their sake.

If that includes you, then you have come to the right place! In this guide, we cover basic tips and tricks, top rated players, earning a lot of coins in the game, a basic guide to the Ultimate Team mode, and a guide to some of the Achievements and Trophies in the game. Okay? So let’s get started!

BASIC TIPS AND TRICKS

• First things first- the game has an unusual control scheme. If you decide you want to play it, spend some time getting used to it, possibly by playing some matches on a lower AI difficulty.
• Passing is paramount- don’t just hold the puck to yourself, or to one player- pass it around so that it is harder for it to be intercepted
• Use the opposing team to your advantage- take advantage of weak points in their formation, leverage their goalkeeper and defenses for rebounds, and do whatever is necessary to gain an upper hand
• Don’t just play offensively! Sometimes, retreat or defensive plays can net you some points in the long run. Be smart about how you play
• If you play as a goalkeeper, the L2 button is your friend. It will help you line up more precise shots.

Make sure to check out the video below to get some better strategies for performing better at the game, as well.

Dekes

Dekes have changed substantially in NHL 18, thanks to the franchise’s drive to be ever more realistic and nuanced. This can entail everything, from altered controls for existing dekes to brand new kinds entirely- in the video below, you will find tutorials for every kind of deke in the game. Good luck!

PLAYER RATINGS

Whether it’s to settle an argument about which of two players is better in real life, or just something you want to know to be able to assemble the best possible team for yourself, these NHL 18 ratings for the top 10 players of each kind will undoubtedly be helpful for all hockey fans.

Right-Wings:

1. Joe Pavelski: 88
2. Blake Wheeler: 87
3. David Pastrnak: 87
4. Jakub Voracek: 87
5. Patrick Kane: 91
6. Vladimir Tarasenko: 90
7. Nikita Kucherov: 89
8. Wayne Simmonds: 86
9. Patrik Laine: 86
10. Phil Kessel: 86

Defensemen:

1. Duncan Keith: 90
2. Ryan Suter: 89
3. Erik Karlsson: 91
4. Drew Doughty: 91
5. Brent Burns: 90
6. Victor Hedman: 90
7. Shea Weber: 89
8. Kirs Letang: 88
9. Roman Josi: 88
10. Alex Pietrangelo: 88

Left-Wings:

1. Johnny Gaudreau: 87
2. Max Pacioretty: 87
3. Artemi Panarin: 86
4. Alex Ovechkin: 92
5. Jamie Benn: 90
6. Taylor Hall: 87
7. Brad Marchand: 87
8. Filip Forsberg: 86
9. Eric Staal: 85
10. Gabriel Landeskog: 85

Goalies:

1. Matt Murray: 88
2. Henrik Lundqvist: 88
3. Devan Dubnyk: 88
4. Tuuka Rask: 88
5. Carey Price: 92
6. Braden Holtby: 90
7. Sergei Bobrovsky: 89
8. Cory Schneider: 89
9. Corey Crawford: 87
10. Cam Talbot: 87

Centers:

1. John Tavares: 90
2. Nicklas Backstrom: 89
3. Patrice Bergeron: 89
4. Connor McDavid: 93
5. Sidney Crosby: 93
6. Evgeni Malkin: 92
7. Steven Stamkos: 91
8. Ryan Getzlaf: 89
9. Tyler Seguin: 89
10. Jonathan Toews: 89

HOCKEY ULTIMATE TEAM GUIDE

Every EA Sports game has its own variant of the Ultimate Team mode that was pioneered in FIFA. And so does NHL. If you’re a series veteran, or indeed, if you have played any sports game at all in the last five years, you already know what Ultimate Team is, and what it does. If not… well, here’s a quick primer:

• Hockey Ultimate Team lets you build your own fantasy team from players around the world
• Hockey Ultimate Team has a Synergy mechanic- Synergies can either be Players based (so only for players who share a certain trait) or team based (for the entire team). When in effect, they enhance the performance of everyone
• Completing team sets in the game unlock fan favorite players called HUT Heroes
• HUT Legends are even better players you can gain by opening packs, or through the auction house
• Completing sets, participating in competitive seasons, completing Challenges, and opening packs net you new cards, which you can use to build or boost your team, depending on if you get a player card, or if you get an item card
• Booster packs can either be bought with currency earned in game, or with real world money
• Hockey Ultimate Team involves a larger metagame of trying to get higher rated players on your team, as well as using items that can help you gain advantages in games
• Hockey Ultimate Team has multiple different modes you can play- offline matches, online games, competitive seasons, and Challenges

Challenges

HUT Challenges are specific objectives within the larger HUT metagame that you can try and complete to gain valuable rewards. HUT Challenges can be completed either solo or with friends, and fall into the following categories:

• 3-Star Challenges: Play-style and technique specific challenges
• Synergy Challenges: Drop Synergy items as rewards
• Team challenges: Challenges revolving around you playing through various teams to unlock better ones
• NHL Journey Challenges: Longer challenges for your constructed team
• Co-op Challenges: Can be completed with a friend, online or local

Completing the objectives for each challenge can net you valuable rewards: a lot of these can be very simple, and you will complete them naturally. Some might require you to go out of your way a little but given just how great the rewards can be, you should consider doing so.

Sets

As if Hockey Ultimate Team wasn’t already addictive enough, the Set Mechanic takes it to a whole new level- collecting all items within a denoted set net you bonuses, and completed sets can be hugely valuable. There are multiple kinds of sets:

• Collectibles: You can get these from packs of their corresponding rank (Bronze, Silver, Gold). To get Carbon Collectibles, you will need to use an Upgrade set on your Gold set.
• Player Upgrade Sets: Let you trade up your unwanted Silver and Bronze player items for Gold player items. Can only be used once
• Collectible Upgrade Sets: Upgrade your Collectible sets
• Team Upgrade Sets: Use these to upgrade you team  jerseys, logos and arenas
• Limited Time Sets: Available for a limited time only, usually to commemorate real life hockey events
• Draft Champions Sets: Winning games in Draft Champions can net you these cards, which you can use to complete these kinds of sets
• HUT Hero Sets: Complete NHL Themed sets to get a HUT Hero card- multiple of these can complete a set

Returning User Bonus:

If you have played Ultimate Team in NHL 15, 16, or 17, you get a bonus jersey in NHL 18‘s Ultimate Team Mode. If you played Ultimate Team in NHL 17, you can get a one-time bonus of up to five Returning User Packs, each of which will contain 4 Bronze, 4 Silver, and 4 Gold items. How many packs you get will depend on:

• The current Coin balance in HUT 17
• The number of HUT games played
• The number of items in your HUT 17 collection.

HOW TO EARN COINS QUICKLY:

Coins are the currency in NHL 18– ordinarily, you ave to grind for these in game, or you can buy them with real world money. That said, there appear to be certain cheats  in game that you can leverage to earn more coins: please keep in mind that these may be patched out at any time. So just because they work now, does not mean that they will work forever.

https://youtu.be/ZyRZKLtS8o8

ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES

Someone Get That Kid The Puck! 
Play and score your 1st NHL goal in a regular season game in Be a Pro.

That’s Number 50! 
Play and score your 50th NHL goal in a single season as a rookie in Be a Pro Mode.

Win it for Dale 15
Win the Stanley Cup® in Be A Pro mode.

Goose Egg 
Play an entire game and have your 1st shutout in a regular season game in Be a Pro.

Drafted 
Have your Be a Pro player drafted in Be a Pro mode while playing an entire season in the CHL.

Practice Makes Perfect 
Complete all training camp drills.

Knighted 
Win the Stanley Cup as the Vegas Golden Knights after doing an expansion draft in Franchise Mode.

Cup Champs 
Win the Stanley Cup as the 32nd NHL team after doing an expansion draft in Franchise Mode.

Bobble Head Star 
Score the hat trick goal with a player on their Bobble Head night in Franchise Mode.

Developer 
Have a player that you drafted grow to 90+ overall in Franchise Mode.

3 Star Performance 
Complete and win a NHL Three’s Circuit Game with 3 Stars.

King of the Pacific 
Defeat the final boss of the Pacific Circuit in NHL® Threes.

Cooperative 
Complete and win an Online Co-op NHL® Threes Circuit Game.

Star Collector 
Collect all the stars in a NHL® Threes Circuit.

Circuit King 
Win the final circuit trophy for NHL® Threes Mode.

Mascot Sniper 
Have a mascot on your team score 5 goals in a single game in a NHL Three’s game.

League Champions 
Be a member of an EASHL club that has recently won the League Title and return to the Seasons HUB.

Conference Champions 
Be a member of an EASHL club that has recently won a Division Title and return to the Seasons HUB.

On A Roll 
Be a member of an EASHL club that had a perfect record last season and return to the Seasons HUB.

Victorious 
Be a member of an EASHL club that has recently won a playoff cup and return to the Seasons HUB.

Triple Threat 
Complete 3 EASHL 3 on 3 games.

Overtime Heroics 
In an EASHL club game, score the game-winning overtime goal.

You’ll always remember your first 
In an EASHL game, score your first goal as a skater or complete and win your first game as a goalie.

Veteran Club Members 
Be a member of an EASHL club that has reached Level 25.

How Prestigious 
Level up your EASHL pro past Player Level 50.

Flip Biscuit 
Score a goal by flipping the puck back against the grain from the backhand toe drag in any mode.

Extend the Twig 
Deflect a shot with the Defensive Skill Stick in any mode.

Kid’s a Beauty 
Score a goal with a between the legs shot in any mode.

Not My Bottle! 
Knock off the opposing goalie’s bottle from the net by scoring a goal.

Manual Sauce 
Get an assist from a manual saucer pass in any mode.

Tee it up 
Score a goal with a manual one timer in any mode.

Own the crease 
Have a shutout and win a game as a user-controlled goalie in any mode.

Costume Party 
Score a goal as a Mascot in a NHL® Threes game.

Tuck me in 
Score a goal with a one hand tuck in any mode.

Apple a Day 
Get an assist with a between the legs pass in any mode.

First Timer 
Complete a Hockey Ultimate Team Set for the first time.

Master! 
Complete a Hockey Ultimate Team Master Set.

You’ve Been Counting Stars
Earn a total 50 Stars in HUT Challenges.

Championship Belt 
Recently win the title in a Hockey Ultimate Team Season and return to the Hockey Ultimate Team Hub.

A Little Help From My Friends 
Complete a Co-op challenge with a friend.

You’re Crafty 
Complete 50 Hockey Ultimate Team Sets.

Buzzer Beater 
Complete a limited time Hockey Ultimate Team Set.

Competitor 
Earn a HUT Competitive Seasons reward.

Synergized 
Activate a Synergy Style in Hockey Ultimate Team.

OP! 
Have every player on your active Hockey Ultimate Team Lineup have an active Synergy Style.

Drafted! 
Complete a NHL® Draft Champions Draft.

All the Way! 
Win every game in a NHL® Draft Champions Draft.

Ultimate Competitor 
In HUT Competitive Seasons, earn a ranking within every round of a season.

NHL 18 launches today on the PS4 and the Xbox One; and to highlight and celebrate this release, EA Sports has released a brand new launch trailer for the game, which you can now see for yourself below.

It’s a really short trailer – less than a minute – and it shows off the multiple improvements and additions this year’s game makes, including the enhanced Franchise Mode, enhanced and overhauled controls and mechanics, the Threes mode, and new defensive and offensive capabilities. Actually, it’s pretty lame as far as all of that goes- the trailer just shows us some scattered footage, with some quotes about its reception, and… yeah, that’s really it.

But hey, don’t let me deter you from watching it for yourself. You can check out the brand new trailer for the game for yourself below. NHL 18, meanwhile, is out now on the Xbox One, as well as on the PlayStation 4.

The playoffs gave me something to look forward to. I was broke and miserable, but my Penguins had a shot at the Stanley Cup. More than that, they had a chance at back-to-back wins, something no team had done in nearly twenty years and no team had done since the NHL introduced its salary cap. I was in a rough spot, but as long as it was time for playoff hockey, it was a good day. Every game was exciting, every win exhilarating, and every loss heartbreaking. In the end, they ran the gauntlet. They won. I got to watch my favorite player (Marc-Andre Fleury, for those interested) lift the Cup for the last time as a Penguin, something that wouldn’t have been possible without him. I got to experience that when I needed it most.

The Penguins got me through those months. That’s the power of sports: the ability to be a part of something bigger than yourself, to share hope and heartbreak, loss and joy, with people across the country and the world. Hockey gave that to me when I most needed it. Needless to say, when a copy of NHL 18 slid across my digital desk, I was excited, but a little nervous, too. After all, I was the poor guy who’d had to review NHL 15.

"NHL 18 impresses from the jump. The first thing you’ll notice is the game’s slick interface. The menu is laid out like the apps on your phone as a series of squares."

I shouldn’t have worried. NHL 18 impresses from the jump. The first thing you’ll notice is the game’s slick interface. The menu is laid out like the apps on your phone as a series of squares. Pushing down on the analog stick from the main menu bring you to the menu, which is well laid out and easy to use. You can even pin your three favorite modes to the main menu for easy navigating.

There’s a ton of game modes in NHL 18, so the easy navigation is a plus. There’s the standard fare: Play Now lets you jump into a head-to-head match, Season lets you guide your favorite team through a season, Playoff mode lets you jump right into the playoffs with the team(s) of your choice, Online Versus lets you jump right into an online match, and Practice Mode lets you, well, practice. Pretty self-explanatory stuff.

The real excitement is in what’s new. Franchise mode has received a face-lift, allowing you to play as the Vegas Golden Knights or start the NHL’s 32^nd franchise. The customization options here aren’t spectacular, but they are good enough that you should be able to create a team that feels distinctly your own. You can now request a trade in Be A Pro. EA Sports Hockey League and Hockey Ultimate Team return, the latter with the welcome new ability to complete individual challenges that reward resources for upgrading your team.

"These are all excellent upgrades, but by far the best is the introduction of new teaching tools. Playing a sports game is a lot like playing a fighter. You have to know what you can do and how to do it, and the whole thing can be a bit intimidating to new players."

These are all excellent upgrades, but by far the best is the introduction of new teaching tools. Playing a sports game is a lot like playing a fighter. You have to know what you can do and how to do it, and the whole thing can be a bit intimidating to new players. NHL 18’s solution to this is a mode called Training Camp, which is presented by Hockey Canada. Camp features detailed tutorials on passing, shooting, playing defense, faceoffs, and basic and advanced deking. The tutorials will show you simple videos demonstrating the techniques, and then ask you to do them yourself. It even features videos that explain offsides rules and techniques like dumping the puck.

The problem is that it doesn’t go far enough. It doesn’t teach you, for instance, how to fight, or how to play goalie. There’s a practice mode for the latter, but this is a game with a pretty complex control scheme and given that other EA Sports titles, like Madden, will essentially walk you through every aspect of the game, NHL 18’s learning tools feel a little sparse, even if they do an admirable job of teaching you the basics.

The biggest new mode is NHL Threes, which is a 3-on-3 game mode that is more arcade focused and takes place on a smaller rink. In terms of feel, it’s like a cross between the NHL and professional wrestling, a comparison which is only aided by the announcer, who can politely be described as “obnoxious.” The mode itself is pretty fun, though, and things like money pucks, which are worth twice as many points as a regular puck, keep things interesting. It’s also available as a mode in Hockey Ultimate Team and EASHL. It’s a good mini-game overall, and great if you have friends over for couch co-op.

"The presentation here is impressive. Player likenesses are recreated in stunning detail, and the animations are smooth and believable."

In fact, playing co-op in NHL 18 is remarkably easy. Pretty much every mode supports some kind of multiplayer, and you can play almost all of them locally. In an age where local multiplayer looks like it has about as much of a future as cassette tapes, it’s nice to remember that local multiplayer is what brought most of us into video games in the first place.

Whatever you pick, things have never looked or sounded better on the ice. The presentation here is impressive. Player likenesses are recreated in stunning detail, and the animations are smooth and believable. Crowds are similarly detailed, and the NHL franchise remains one of the few where the crowds feel more than an afterthought, even if you’ll see the same fans a lot and there is some weird crowd clipping going on.

The sound design is also excellent. Big hits sound loud and painful, and slapshots feel powerful. The one issue here is the commentary. Mike Emerick and Ed Olczyk sound great, but the commentary feels very general, often referring to “they,” “this player,” or “this team,” and it won’t take long before you realize just how canned everything is.

" NHL 18 is mechanically sublime. The skating, which has long been a series strength, is exhilarating, and the precision is that of a practiced magician."

These presentation issues don’t carry over to the gameplay. NHL 18 is mechanically sublime. The skating, which has long been a series strength, is exhilarating, and the precision is that of a practiced magician. If you get beat by another skater, it’s always because you did something wrong. It’s like you’re on the ice yourself, and that feeling of precision is rare in sports game.

NHL 18 introduces a number of new refinements on offense and defense, too. The new deke system is easy to use and well-animated, and the new defensive skill stick system offers its match on the other side of the puck. These systems feel balanced against one another, allowing the player options while respecting individual player skill. They don’t respond well to spamming. Misuse of the former will lose you the puck, while overindulgence in the latter will lead to a mound of penalties.

No matter how you spend your time, playing NHL 18 simply feels right. There’s a level of precision and skates on the ice feels natural, and the new updates are, universally, good decisions that add something to the game. Of course, there’s still improvements to be made. The commentary needs to be updated, and Be A Pro still feels generic, especially after modes like Longshot in Madden 18 and The Journey in FIFA. But these are minor qualms in a game that feels this good and has this much to do. It’s something they can fix next year. Right now, hockey’s back and month early. And that’s more than enough for me.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

The often overlooked runt of the EA Sports lineup, NHL is nonetheless a fantastic series that continues to silently captivate players every year. NHL is not a game series you associate with Europe traditionally- nonetheless, at Gamescom, Europe’s biggest game show, EA Sports showed off a new trailer for it.

The new trailer shows us a lot of the new game, primarily the franchise mode, which fans of the series should instantly be able to identify. One of the new things in this year’s Franchise Mode (well, I say new, but it used to be a thing back in 2000-01) will be expansion drafts.

You can get more details for yourself below by watching the new trailer. NHL 18 will launch on September 15 for PS4 and Xbox One; unlike EA’s other big sport franchises FIFA and Madden, NHL 18 has not yet made the jump to the Frostbite Engine, although hopefully, next year’s entry will allow for that.

EA Sports is supporting the Nintendo Switch with a rather impressive version of FIFA 18, but other EA Sports franchises, such as Madden and NHL, have not yet made the jump to Nintendo’s portable console. It seems, however, that they may at some point in the future.

Speaking to DualShockers, Clement Kwong, Producer of NHL 18, mentioned that while a Switch version is not in the works for now, it could well happen with a future iteration of the franchise. “While we always continue to assess opportunities, so it’s not to say that’s a hard no, it’s not on our radar at this time,” he said.

The NHL series has traditionally been very slow to transition to new paradigms and technology- a full current generation version of the franchise did not happen until two years ago, and unlike Madden and FIFA, the games still have not adopted Frostbite. So this slowness in jumping to the Switch is honestly in character for the franchise.

That said, however, NHL 18 will be supporting the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, as Kwong confirmed that the game will be enhanced on both those platforms to DualShockers. “NHL 18 will be enhanced [on the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro],” he confirmed.

Which should be good enough for now, especially given that those platforms are far easier to get an existing PS4/Xbox One game running on. NHL 18 is due out on the PS4 and Xbox One next month, on September 15.

The silent, unsung hero of the EA Sports lineup, NHL, continues trudging along, with yet another release this year- NHL 18, which will take upon the gargantuan base that last year’s game provided, and then continue to build on it.

It will do so chiefly via way of mechanical and gameplay changes, including new attacking and defensive moves, better and more creative AI, and also, 3-on-3 gameplay for the first time ever in the history of the series. You can check out the new trailer for yourself below, to see what you think of the improvements- after the positively miles long list of changes and additions in last year’s edition, will these be enough to induce you to return for another year straight?

NHL 18 will be releasing only on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – sorry PC and Nintendo hockey fans – on later this year. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage and information on the game.