An attentive gamer will pick up on clues that the AI is shifting its approach on offense or defense. Gary Thorne and Bill Clement, who return once again to call games, will give hints throughout a match. It comes off sounding like very natural commentary, but when you hear that the Senators are no longer going to let the Sharks crowd the net, consider making some adjustments. Each period ends with both teams being given lists of suggestions to improve play in the following period. Again, considering the challenging AI (especially on the harder difficulties), you'd be wise to pay attention.
The remarkable AI does come with a few drawbacks. Though the competing AI is solid, your own teammates can sometimes be dunderheads. You'll see AI-controlled allies staring at a loose puck while doing nothing and damned if your teammates don't have a bad habit of screening your own goalie. And while the AI is spectacular both on defense and offense, there are still some basic plays you won't see often -- such as working off the backboard. You will also find that the AI adjusts at a Herculean level no matter the team. It's as if every coach is a genius, every player able to make the perfect adjustments at a snap of the fingers.
To assist you in capitalizing on your offensive opportunities, a sweet create-a-play feature has been added. With this intuitive feature, you can create roughly 70 different plays to match most any situation on the ice. You record the movements of the players involved, so that, when the play initiates (which occurs automatically when players are correctly positioned on the ice), you know exactly where your AI teammates will move. Creating effective plays isn't all that easy, but that in itself becomes a game within the game.
Normally, EA puts most of its focus on adding new control schemes each year. That's not the case with NHL 08. The AI was clearly the focus, leaving the controls close to what they were last year, though some tweaks have been made to improve the skill stick. The only significant change is what EA is calling "Skill Stick Moments." By holding down a modifier button, the left and right thumbsticks become deke tools. The left stick determines where your skates go, the right where you point the puck. When you perform a skill stick move, it's simply a matter of pointing the two sticks in the proper direction. Done right, you can get some nice dekes around opponents. Done wrong (which is often), you will lose control of the puck.
