
For Shacknews, my initial NHL review was on NHL 18, titled “Constructing a playoff-bound team.” Since then, I’ve reviewed every NHL video game, making this my eighth consecutive year evaluating the franchise. Regrettably, the mood of these reviews has worsened over time, as the series is increasingly associated with minor updates that don’t significantly advance it from one version to another. Despite NHL 25 being an improvement over NHL 24, it still grapples with the same issues that have affected recent releases in the series.