Where would we be without our not particularly treasured hockey sims? Most likely in exactly the same situation as we find ourselves now such is the impact the sport and its videogame representations have on us Brits. However, that’s not to say the games can’t be any good, as NHL 2K7 so ably demonstrates.

Of course the first thing to do when you start to play a hockey sim is to concede that you don’t understand the rules and you never will. The second thing to do is skate about like a lunatic figuring out the controls as you go. The third and final part of the process is to realize that there might be a bit more to the game than roaming about taking wild shots at a goal that will always seem too small. It’s here that you discover how good the game is. You start to employ basic tactics and create better opportunities for goals. The position of your team-mates also suddenly becomes hugely important and you learn about the quality of their AI. In defence you begin testing the charges and interceptions and, depending on their quality, start to enjoy yourself. Naturally, it was within this tertiary stage that we came to the conclusion that NHL 2K7 was very good indeed, its worthiness only ever slightly tarnished by the annoyingly-themed presentation and lack of any truly exhilarating or original elements.

Aaron Asadi