Screenshots & trailers
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 78 | 20 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 90 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 57 | 94 |
| Backloggd ratings | – | 55 | 102 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (28)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 70
“When you come right down to it, NHL 16 is an improvement over last year's release in virtually every department. Unfortunately, that isn't exactly saying a lot.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The On-Ice Trainer is an awesome alternative to tutorials, and it makes me hope that other companies, not just those making sports games, will find a way to implement similar tools. NHL 16 is a huge improvement over NHL 15 in every way, and it makes me optimistic for the future of the franchise.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“New and better attempt, NHL 16 is NHL 15 how it should have been. Is this praise or a curse? That's for you to decide - depends what NHL game you purchased last time. [Issue#257]”
- 78
“When played by yourself or with a friend on the couch, NHL 16 is a fast, sharp-looking, and fun hockey sim that (unlike last year’s game) includes enough modes to keep veterans happy while doing an admirable job of welcoming newcomers as well. It still suffers technical problems with online play.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“NHL 16 might be a more complete game than NHL 15 was, but the series still lack the possibility to play good defense, and still struggles with its AI. NHL 16 is a good hockey game, but could be so much better with only a few changes.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“With feedback from the ‘GameChangers’ community, NHL 16 not only makes strides ahead for fans of the video game adaptations, but for fans of the game of hockey as a whole. A middle ground has been reached between realism and fun that is wholly surprising. NHL 16 isn’t just a step in the right direction, it’s the game hockey fans have been waiting for.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A fun and elaborate hockey game that manages to be both accessible to newcomers and challenging to veterans. Online you'll definitely encounter a couple of hick-ups, but none of them are bad enough to ruin the experience.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“After the last year slight disappointment you can enjoy a real hockey experience. NHL 16 doesn’t miss an excellent playability, good presentation, all popular modes with minor improvements and mascots.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“EA had a tall task in recovering from the letdown of NHL 15, which makes NHL 16 an even more admirable return to form for a beloved sports series. But the rigors of the genre's annual schedule entail that "better than last year" is a minimum requirement, and in this case, that wouldn't be saying much anyway.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“EASHL is fulfilling and even addictive, shootouts are an absolute blast, the On-Ice Trainer is an excellent addition for newcomers, and the gameplay is smooth in some places, and rugged and powerful where it needs to be (feel that hit?). It just needs some sprucing up in regards to basic control; i.e., passing and general movement, and the off-ice interface could be a lot better.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“NHL 16 is a huge step towards restoring faith in EA Canada and EA Sports. The game saw huge improvements across the board, with Be a Pro, Be a GM, and EASHL all being better entries than in previous years. It’s not without its issue, as menu and online play lag is somewhat frequent and the added practice mode could use so much more attention, but the product is as crisp as they come.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A very enjoyable game rich with well-designed modes, none of which feels forced or redundant. [12/2015, p.55]”
Push Square
GameSpot
IGN
GameTrailers
Polygon
PSX Extreme
PlayStation LifeStyle
CD-Action…and 16 more tracked reviews.