Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The core of NHL FaceOff ’98’s gameplay lies in its depth of control and roster management. New features let you trade and release players, create a custom athlete, and sign free agents, giving a satisfying layer of strategy beyond the rink. These tools make managing your franchise feel meaningful, as each transaction influences team chemistry, salary cap considerations, and on-ice performance.

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On the ice, the controls emphasize both arcade flair and simulation authenticity. Skating feels responsive, with smooth acceleration and tight turns, while passing and shooting mechanics provide a real sense of weight behind each slap shot or wrist shot. The AI opponents adapt to your style, adjusting their forechecking intensity and defensive schemes to keep every match challenging.

NHL FaceOff ’98 offers the usual modes—Season, Exhibition, and Quick Start—but the real standout is the new multi-team play. By allowing multiple users to participate in the same season, this feature transforms solo play into a shared league experience. Whether you’re swapping shifts in a single household or competing online, managing trades, standings, and playoff races against friends elevates the replay value significantly.

Graphics

For a late-’90s PlayStation title, NHL FaceOff ’98 impresses with crisp ice surfaces and dynamic lighting. The rink reflects vivid overhead lights, and the visible scratches and skate marks add to the authenticity. Even under intense camera angles, the clarity holds up, making it easy to track puck movement amidst the flurry of players.

Player models exhibit distinct jerseys, helmet designs, and facial features, allowing you to recognize star athletes at a glance. Animations—whether it’s a breakaway sprint, a desperate poke check, or a dramatic body check into the boards—are fluid and believable. The sound of skates carving the ice, combined with realistic slap-shot audio cues, enhances immersion.

UI elements remain straightforward, with readable scoreboards, penalty clocks, and play-by-play text. Menus for trades, line adjustments, and free-agent signings fit neatly around the action, minimizing downtime. While not groundbreaking by today’s standards, the visual presentation still holds nostalgic charm and provides all the information needed during high-stakes matchups.

Story

While NHL FaceOff ’98 doesn’t include a traditional narrative campaign, the season mode provides a compelling story engine through your franchise decisions. Crafting a roster, nurturing created players, and battling through rookie slumps introduce personal stakes that rival any scripted storyline. Each trade deadline can feel like a plot twist, impacting your playoff hopes and locker-room morale.

The absence of cutscenes or pre-scripted rivalries means the ‘story’ is entirely emergent, driven by your choices and on-ice results. When a free-agent signing pays off with a 50-goal season, or a blockbuster trade reshapes your power-play unit, those moments become the memorable story beats you’ll recount to friends. The narrative is wholly player-driven, offering a sandbox of hockey drama.

In multiplayer seasons, the tale multiplies as friends compete for division crowns and head-to-head bragging rights. A late-game comeback engineered by a buddy on the opposing console becomes a shared legend within your gaming circle. This open-ended storytelling approach may not resonate with fans of cinematic sports titles, but it excels in fostering personal investment.

Overall Experience

NHL FaceOff ’98 strikes a fine balance between accessible arcade action and satisfying management depth. The addition of multi-team play revolutionizes home leagues, and the customization options ensure each franchise feels unique. Whether you’re a casual puckhead or a devoted hockey strategist, you’ll find plenty to enjoy.

Certain limitations show their age—roster data can grow outdated quickly, and presentation won’t match modern HD standards. Yet for retro enthusiasts or newcomers seeking a straightforward, fun hockey sim, its strengths in gameplay and franchise control outweigh any graphical shortcomings.

In the end, NHL FaceOff ’98 delivers an engaging season-long journey filled with dramatic comebacks, hard-fought rivalries, and the satisfaction of building a championship roster. Its blend of on-ice intensity and off-ice decisions makes it a worthy title for any hockey fan’s collection.

Retro Replay Score

7.4/10