NHL 24 Key Area of Focus: Finding the Right Balance Between Hitting and Stick Checking

In hockey, body, and stick checking are critical elements, which is no different in chel gaming. Being rewarded for timely bumps and pokes is undoubtedly important, as players typically want to be rewarded for good defensive plays and utilize it for counter-rush chances. As such, how these aspects are changed in NHL 24 will significantly influence whether the gameplay is appreciated.

Wide ranges of opinions regarding stick checking have existed for years. However, the one common agreement is that it can constantly be improved. 

Some of the fascination behind this debate is whether stick checking is too easy. In each installment, EA attempted to make progress in finding the right balance. For instance, in NHL 21 and 22, users could hold their sticks out and wiggle them back and forth repeatedly at full speed to knock players off the puck. The only risk users had was the increased likelihood of tripping their opponent, causing penalties against them. 

In NHL 23, poke-checking was more difficult, resulting in a skill gap. In addition to penalties against careless stick-checking, users would also see their player slow down while holding their stick out, resulting in fast break chances for the opposition. 

Conversely, body checking is an area that has seen less attention over the years. The mechanic for body checking is simple. Users have to move R in the direction they want to bump on Skill Stick control settings. 

In NHL 23, the effectiveness of body checks depended on multiple factors, including the player's size, attributes, situational positioning on the ice, and whether the truculence X-Factor ability accompanied the player. 

In NHL 23, truculence provides "exceptional stability and assist on shoulder checks. It greatly increases the chance of knocking over the opponent and sapping their energy." Truculence thus gave users a man advantage for a few seconds while the rocked opponent took time to get back up. 

Conversely, the X-Factor ability, Unstoppable Force, gave "exceptional strength with the puck and a greatly increased ability to hold onto the puck off balance." Unstoppable force was thus a counter against body checks. 

With all that said, questions surrounding the hitting system remain. This is because improvements are always possible. 

For instance, similarity to stick checking, a functionality that gives users more control over the direction, strength, and style of hit players dish out, would be an asset to the game. 

Improving physics to connect what should be apparent hits is also important. A common issue users faced in NHL 23 was going for a hit only to have their player bounce off the opposition with no impact. 

Lastly, finding the right balance between body and stick checking in the game is extremely important, as neither should be more advantageous than the other nor game-breaking. 

In conclusion, anything that gives users the freedom to perform and action their characters on the ice the way they want, and get logical results, will always be a good thing. Time will tell if that is the case in NHL 24.