PUCKOFF: RELOADED Review (Xbox Series X|S & PC)

If I wanted a clean, authentic hockey game that could both illuminate the ice in a perfectly neutral way and allow me to experience the full spectrum of a team-based sport, then I’d carve into EA Sports NHL 27, naturally. Yet, there’s a demon that hangs over my shoulder that doesn’t really want clean, authentic, or morally righteous play. If, say, I wanted a devilishly competitive, somewhat brutal hockey experience that turned a blind eye to the odd crotch-hooking slice of foul play, then I’d swing for a game like PUCKOFF: RELOADED. Because that’s an entirely different thing—a game that abolishes the rulebook and opts to take a more direct approach to the ice. It isn’t pretty, but hey, that’s hockey, and PUCKOFF couldn’t care less about your opinion of it.

It’s hard to treat PUCKOFF as a natural-born hockey game. It’s difficult, not because it acts as more of an ice-littered brawler than a traditional sporting affair, but because it spreads its priorities across conflicting areas that, frankly, don’t always gel well together. Is it a hockey game? Sure. Is it a game that prefers to be romanticized as a fast-paced bloodsport? Absolutely. The question is, which of the two does it fit best with? Better yet, how does it marry the two together to form a perfectly balanced experience? Let’s talk about it.

PUCKOFF: RELOADED is, above all else, a fast-paced hockey game in which players take to the ice, don the mask, and orchestrate ruthless matches against one another in quick, unhinged, and positively aggressive bouts of puck-fueled action. Like Hockey Beasts—a PvP game that, in a similar fashion as the Backyard Baseball series, removes the rulebook in favor of a gloves-off experience—PUCKOFF doesn’t serve to inform you about the sport or teach you the basics. Rather, it opts to take a direct approach, with quick, energetic matches that, while not necessarily ideal for the die-hard hockey fan, give you the freedom to wage bite-sized wars at the flick of a switch.

PUCKOFF: RELOADED definitely gets a ton of things right, as does it get just as many things wrong, for that matter. On the plus side, it does feature some genuinely interesting bits and pieces for you to pluck through, including a well-rounded, albeit restrictive character customization system, a cartoon-like plot that’s as comical as it is pulpy, and a quality selection of offline training modes and PvP features. Like any guilty pleasure of a game, then, it equips itself with all of the necessary elements to qualify as a budget-friendly experience — and that’s a great thing here, truly.

There’s a light plot here, too. Granted, it isn’t on the same scale as your average big-budget simulation, but it does lean into a lot of perfectly reasonable tropes to generate a simple, tooth-and-nail journey that’s about as ridiculous as your average B-movie teen comedy. Take the characters, for example. Unlike NHL—a saga that pits you against major league stars and global teams—PUCKOFF chooses to saddle you with a bunch of nobodies, an egotistical beer-league goalie, and a grumpy pensioner for a coach who, according to the lore, knows a bit about everything. To add, you have a good old-fashioned nemesis—the Dominator—and a host of ne’er-do-wells that, strangely, know a bit more about unethical techniques than match etiquette.

Behind its oh-so-pulpy plot and seemingly familiar not-so-star-studded tapestry of characters, PUCKOFF presents itself as a vigorously competitive slideshow hockey game that is, while surprisingly challenging to learn at first, a joy to carve into. Uphill learning curve aside, it effectively knuckles in on an oddly satisfying gameplay experience that, thanks to its repurposed mechanics and tighter camera controls, feels great to slip in and out of. Tedious at first, for sure, but all in all a good deal of fun to learn and ultimately master. That is, of course, if you can ever truly master the art of bashing someone’s kneecaps in with a hockey stick.

As far as the general flow of the game goes, PUCKOFF is as equally smooth as it is chaotic to skate through. Oh, it isn’t the least bit fancy, and, truth be told, it’s about as overwhelming as one might expect of a game that’s about beating one another up with pucks and hockey sticks. The point is, it isn’t at all like your NHL clone, in that teams cease to exist, and etiquette is a nine-letter word that, frankly, nobody on the ice has ever even heard of. The coach, on the other hand, is an expert on the field. Well, apparently. 

It goes without saying at this point, but PUCKOFF isn’t a game that you would naturally veer towards if you were ever in the mood for an NHL-inspired game of hockey. In all seriousness, though, that shouldn’t put you off from giving it a shot. As menacing and as aggressive as it may seem at first glance, it does make for an entertaining PvP game with a lot of potential. With a stacked tournament pool, a sizable catalog of characters, a serviceable B-movie plot, as well as a satisfying gameplay loop that caters to both die-hard competitors and casual party game enthusiasts, it all adds up to a solid time-wasting experience.

If you can walk into PUCKOFF with a watered-down mindset and a clear understanding of its goal as a PvP game with light tongue-in-cheek elements, then you shouldn’t struggle to take it for a spin on the ice. Take it all with a pinch of salt, though. If you want a good old-fashioned love letter to the NHL, then you should probably look elsewhere.

Verdict

PUCKOFF: RELOADED takes the likes of Backyard Baseball and FIFA Street to the ice in an all-new, fully redesigned competitive world of action-oriented sport—a place in which rules cease to exist, characters lean into violent tendencies, and grumpy coaches belittle you for even attempting to grace the puck with your teeth. While it isn’t in the same league as the NHL, it does make for a sprightly substitute with a lot of heart and soul. Is it the best hockey game of all time? No. Is it a game that you should at least consider? Honestly, yes.