EA Sports has already talked about the improvements it’s making to character models for NHL 15, but now the developer is showing us exactly what that looks like. A new video released this week shows off how EA Sports leveraged the power of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to make player models look more believable than ever before.
It all starts with layered player models; in addition to the body, all player models now have individual pieces of equipment under their jerseys that react to what’s happening on the ice in real time. The third layer is the jersey itself, which can now contour to the specific player’s body size and react in an authentic manner when it comes into contact with the puck.
The new NHL 15 video also reveals that players’ faces will change depending on what happens on the ice; you’ll see them grimace when taking a heavy hit or smile when scoring a goal. Another new feature for NHL 15 is user-controlled celebrations, which will let you choose between a series of options, including embracing your teammates in a hug or skating around the glass to encourage the crowd to go wild.
“When it comes to the players in NHL 15, we have literally changed everything,” producer Sean Ramjagsingh says in the video.
The video is for the Xbox One and PS4 versions of NHL 15. The versions of the game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will not be quite as impressive. NHL 15 is developed by EA Canada and launches September 9 across all platforms.
