The NHL 2K series has built a reputation as the true fan's version of the game, featuring gameplay aimed at providing a realistic rendering of the sport. As you can imagine, this has earned the series a pretty loyal following, so it's a bit surprising at first to find that some of the biggest changes with this year's game are the new control scheme and superstar moves. Is this the end of NHL 2K's realistic brand of hockey? Has NHL 2K8 crossed the line and entered the world of arcade-style hockey?

Well the short answer to that question is "no". At first the biggest impact that they will have on the game for you will be a deeply personal one - namely you'll need to get used to which button does what this year. Shooting and passing controls have been moved to the bumpers and to fire off a slap shot you'll need to also bring a trigger pull into the mix. The reason behind this move is probably due to the right stick being assigned to the new pro-stick control feature. The idea behind the pro-stick is that your right stick should be used to directly control your hockey stick, independent of the motion of the skater. In theory this should give you realistic control over the player's stick, but in practice it's a little too slow to respond when on offense and doesn't really add anything to the defensive game. It's a nice addition to face-offs though. You can use it to precisely place your stick before the puck is dropped and then quickly release it to try and poke the puck to a teammate.

Another new control feature is the superstar move. With a combination of buttons you can shoot the puck in highlight reel fashion - as long as your player's skills are rated high enough. The animations are pretty cool but unless you're pretty familiar with which player can do what and practice your button presses you won't see them all that often.

So was forcing series veterans to learn to control the game all over again worth the trouble? I'm not so sure of that. It doesn't seem that the new control scheme has that significant an impact on the gameplay. Maybe the pro-stick needs another year to come into its own, but right now the concept is more intriguing than the actual implementation. Don't get me wrong; NHL 2K8 still delivers a good game of hockey. It's just that the cost benefit ratio of the move to a new control scheme doesn't seem to be in the player's favor.

Arguably one of the deepest franchise modes of any sports game has gotten even deeper this year with the introduction of a new contract management system. Negotiations will inevitably open with you and the player pretty far apart on salary. Your job of course is to give away as little of the salary pool as possible while still getting the player to sign. The back and forth that goes on during this phase is probably fairly realistic, although some gamers may find the whole thing to be a bit too tedious. Once you have your roster signed and set and begin playing games you'll run into another of the franchise mode's new features, the player development system. Players earn experience points after every game which goes towards improving their stats, but the whole system is somewhat confusing so it's never really clear just how they are improving.

While NHL 2K8 has evolved over last year's version of the game, the changes really are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The new control scheme doesn't seem to add enough to the game to justify the need to relearn the controls. The other changes are incremental in that they add a bit more to the game, but not so much as to justify buying this year's version if you're happy with NHL 2K7. You'll need to decide for yourself whether or not it is worth $60 to you to have these changes and teams with updated rosters and the new jerseys.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 80%. NHL 2K8 delivers a good game of hockey, but this year's changes don't necessarily warrant a purchase if you're happy with NHL 2K7.