Peter
Xbox gamer that is fond of single-player adventure titles but love the older classics the most. I think I hold the world record for most amount of people simultaneously mad at me during a game of Mario Party 2.
Bush Hockey League is an arcade hockey title from Canadian developer V7 Entertainment. It has made its way to Xbox One where this retro sports game lets you enjoy some fisticuffs and mildly entertaining gameplay.
Enter the BHL, set in the mid 1970s, this rag-tag hockey league is composed of second-rate hockey players who prefer to drop the gloves rather than put pucks into the net. The game is made up of small-town hockey teams that play homage to the movie Slap Shot. There is no online-play, but the game offers you a standard Exhibition Mode, Story Mode and a local multiplayer option.
In Story Mode you take control of the Schuylkill Hinto Brews, a last place team that is sponsored by a local brewery. Loading screens tell you the team situation which is nowhere near positive – players are injured, attendance is falling and some of the team’s “stars” are more interested in beer than hockey. Your team starts off with 0 stats and to earn skill, you have to complete objectives during gameplay. Objectives include situations like: get 6 hits with one player, complete 10 passes, win 4 fights and more. Winning isn’t essentially the objective, but you will find it difficult to win games at the beginning with such a poorly skilled team.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQQbLE-CWRM[/embedyt]
After you’ve explored the storyline options and are feeling up for some competition between friends, the local multiplayer option is the next best thing when no online gameplay options are available. This group option enables you to battle it out like in the old-school days of older console gaming. It’s fun while it lasts, and is a welcome addition to the other modes of play. The Exhibition Mode and Story Mode are not enough to carry this game over the goal line – battling it out with your buddies on the ice is the saving grace of this game’s otherwise uninspiring gameplay options.
As expected, gameplay is not as polished or fluid as an EA Sports NHL title, but it makes a decent try. Your computer-controlled teammates won’t always be in position, the goalie can’t even freeze the puck and don’t even try to take a proper slap shot. BHL prides itself on its fighting and aggressive gameplay, but during a fight, the controls and overall experience is very one-dimensional. There are fun quirks that bring out the classic arcade themes such as flaming pucks, over-the-top body checks and an optional classic controller button layout. The game earns it mature rating with the blood splatter on the ice, comic mischief and of course the fighting and drinking nature of the players.
Bush Hockey League makes a modest effort in a gaming category that hasn’t seen any competition in a very long time. Gameplay mechanics can be a bit discouraging, but local multiplayer makes up for some of the mishaps, and if you enjoy fighting, there’s plenty of it.
In Story Mode you take control of the Schuylkill Hinto Brews, a last place team that is sponsored by a local brewery. Loading screens tell you the team situation which is nowhere near positive – players are injured, attendance is falling and some of the team’s “stars” are more interested in beer than hockey. Your team starts off with 0 stats and to earn skill, you have to complete objectives during gameplay. Objectives include situations like: get 6 hits with one player, complete 10 passes, win 4 fights and more. Winning isn’t essentially the objective, but you will find it difficult to win games at the beginning with such a poorly skilled team.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQQbLE-CWRM[/embedyt]
After you’ve explored the storyline options and are feeling up for some competition between friends, the local multiplayer option is the next best thing when no online gameplay options are available. This group option enables you to battle it out like in the old-school days of older console gaming. It’s fun while it lasts, and is a welcome addition to the other modes of play. The Exhibition Mode and Story Mode are not enough to carry this game over the goal line – battling it out with your buddies on the ice is the saving grace of this game’s otherwise uninspiring gameplay options.
As expected, gameplay is not as polished or fluid as an EA Sports NHL title, but it makes a decent try. Your computer-controlled teammates won’t always be in position, the goalie can’t even freeze the puck and don’t even try to take a proper slap shot. BHL prides itself on its fighting and aggressive gameplay, but during a fight, the controls and overall experience is very one-dimensional. There are fun quirks that bring out the classic arcade themes such as flaming pucks, over-the-top body checks and an optional classic controller button layout. The game earns it mature rating with the blood splatter on the ice, comic mischief and of course the fighting and drinking nature of the players.
Bush Hockey League makes a modest effort in a gaming category that hasn’t seen any competition in a very long time. Gameplay mechanics can be a bit discouraging, but local multiplayer makes up for some of the mishaps, and if you enjoy fighting, there’s plenty of it.Previous
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