An in-depth review of NHL 12

Steven Stamkos was one when the NHL
series debuted. Also, you now feel old.

There may not be much happening on the NHL calendar this week, but today is actually a big day for plenty of hockey fans around the world. That's because it marks the release of the latest version of EA Sports' long-running NHL series, the most popular hockey video game in the world.

But while gaming fans can find NHL 12 in stores today, DGB spies were able to slip me a beta copy weeks ago. So if you're still on the fence about adding it to your collection, here's an in-depth review of the game's pros and cons.

Features
Everyone wants to know about the latest and greatest features. NHL 12 has plenty, although the results are mixed.

• "Be a Pro" mode returns and is more realistic than ever. When you return to the bench after an extra-long shift while playing as a member of the Senators, you'll need to take a moment to introduce yourself to whichever new coach Bryan Murray hired while you were gone.
  
  
• In a nice bit of realism, the "Make an offer to another team's restricted free agent" feature is permanently greyed out.
  
  
• As always, the game is extremely customizable. Gamers can control the volume of sound effects and crowd noise, although when playing as Toronto the volume of the music can only be adjusted by Dion Phaneuf.
  

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