| davygee said: Are we now getting to a stage where the PS3 has caught up and may even begin to pull away? Check out the latest GT comparison with NHL 2K9. Check it out in HD on GT. See what you think? One thing I did notice myself was the reflections on the glass surrounding the ice as well as the reflections on the ice of the players. Noticably better on the PS3. What do you think? |
umh.. Ign head 2 head says:
Graphics
NHL 2009 is a great looking sports game on both the PS3 and 360. Players animate in some impressive ways, stumbling out of hits, scrambling to maintain puck control, and sprinting down the ice with terrific realism. Your skates will leave marks across the ice as your players skate, and the crowds are fully rendered models that help add to the stadium atmosphere. Player models have a nice amount of detail as well. In close ups you'll see the little air holes in jerseys, bumpy textures on gloves, and the shiny glare on helmets. In replays and the cinematic intros before each game you'll see a nice depth of field effect that adds a layer of realism and immersion.
The PS3 and 360 versions of the game are almost indistinguishable graphically. Both look terrific and run at a stable framerate. You'll notice a lot of hitching in the PS3 version when going through menu screens. When simulating events in Dynasty mode, for instance, the highlight box around the current date will get hung up half way in between two calendar dates while the AI simulates other games for just a split second. There are also some minor framerate dips during the intro movies when the game cuts to a new shot, but this happens in both versions. I noticed some random visual bugs with replays where the puck disappeared or some strange collision detection had player's arms passing through the goal post. These were rare and occurred in both the PS3 and 360 versions. NHL 2009 is a terrific visual rendition of hockey and will give you just as good an experience on the PS3 as the 360.
Overall
As Nate mentioned in his review, NHL 2009 is simply, "one of the best sports games to be released in the last decade." Befitting of such a high caliber game, EA has done an outstanding job of creating an identical experience with that core game on both the PS3 and 360. You'll get all the same modes, the same graphical polish, the same terrifically mixed sound, and the same core controls. Having spent extensive time with both versions for a solid week, I'm comfortable recommending either version to fans of the NHL. Fundamentally, NHL 2009 is the same core experience on both PS3 and 360.
Experienced gamers may have their own particular inclinations about which controller they prefer. The PS3 controls work just as well as the 360 version, but the longer sticks do require some adjustment if you switch back and forth between the two versions. The 360 has Achievements on its side, but the game is so absurdly deep and layered that the Achievements add as much to the experience as the bit of parsley that garnishes your cheeseburger and fries. The lone remaining issue I experienced was with the perpetual menu hitching in the PS3 version. It's a noticeable irritation, but in truth it adds a half second or so to the process and ultimately doesn't affect the gameplay. The final truth is NHL 2009 is one of the most balanced multiplatform games yet. The game is just as good on PS3 as it is on Xbox 360.
