14 DAY TRIAL // Publisher Electronic Arts has just released the first screenshot from the upcoming hockey game NHL 15, along with revealing the pre-order offers that North American retailers will be offering.
Hockey buffs will no doubt recognize the players in the screenshot to be the San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton in the foreground, and defenseman Scott Hannan in the back, and the increase in visual fidelity over NHL 14 is clearly noticeable.
The screenshot, as one would expect, comes from the PlayStation 4 / Xbox One version of NHL 15 and showcases some of the spruced up effects that the in-house Ignite engine can pull off.
Although the screen cap isn't as detailed as the ones from UFC, NHL admittedly has much more foreground characters on screen at any given time, and as such it's expected for faces to not hold the same level of fidelity and for the stubble to feel a wee bit less realistic.
That being said, the screen capture does show some nice light reflection effects on the players' helmets and some pleasing clothing deformation, not to mention displaying an impressive level of diversity when it comes to the crowd.
This seems to be a common trend in sports games, as both EA and 2K have tried to introduce some variety in their crowds in early next-gen releases.
The visual improvements promised by the company, mainly when it comes to character faces, crowds, jerseys and equipment are apparent in the image. Hopefully, they'll look just as nice in the final, playable build.
In addition to this, the NHL 15 cover vote has just concluded, the final round featuring Patrice Bergeron, who plays center for Boston Bruins, going against Montreal Canadiens defenseman P. K. Subban. The lucky winner who will be featured on the cover of the upcoming game will be revealed on June 24, during the NHL awards.
NHL 15 is now available for pre-order on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One platforms, and it's slated for release sometime in September. The EA Sports blog has a list of all the pre-order bonuses that North American retailers carry, for those who want to get their hands on some exclusive goodies.