Introduction

Welcome to NHL FaceOff 98 - the game that decided to put players on the ice, bring the laws of physics along for the ride, and still manage to trip over its shoelaces. In the wake of its more famous sibling, NHL 98, this game is like the kid at the playground who insists he's just as cool as the popular kid, but mostly gets ignored because he can't tie his shoes properly. Let's lace up our skates and slide into this review.

Gameplay

NHL FaceOff 98 brings the thrills of ice hockey right into your living room, which is either exciting or terrifying depending on how you feel about ice skates in your area. The game features multiple modes, including single-player and multiplayer, so you can fight it out with friends or disengage from society altogether and let the AI take your soul instead. The controls range from intuitive to 'why did I say that?' depending on how well you can execute the complex button combinations designed to turn your avatar into a hulking mess of muscle and flesh tumbling over one another like a poorly-packed suitcase. The crucial play of the game involves passing, skating, shooting, and praying you don't accidentally throw a punch at the referee instead of an opponent.

Graphics

In the graphics department, NHL FaceOff 98 elected to exchange pixels for polygons - which is a fancy way of saying it looks like the players are made out of Play-Doh. They might not look ultra-realistic, but they do resemble what you'd get if someone attempted to sculpt a hockey player during an art contest held in the dark. Plus, the arenas are nicely detailed, showcasing a staggering array of advertising, which you'll inevitably ignore while you're trying to figure out why your player has suddenly decided to skate backwards into the stands.

Conclusion

Overall, NHL FaceOff 98 is like that forgotten cousin who shows up at family reunions: nobody's ashamed of them, but they always seem to come up short when compared to NHL 98. With its slightly clunky controls, a minor identity crisis in the graphics department, and an atmospheric soundtrack that could best be described as 'background noise,' it still manages to capture the spirit of hockey-just don't expect it to win any awards. The game earns a solid 7 out of 10 on the 'I played it enough to know better' scale. In the end, it's certainly worth a few hours of your time, as long as you're aware that it's second-best at best.

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