Sports titles are tricky games to accurately gauge, especially with a new version hitting store shelves every 12 months. Our own review of NHL 12 will be up soon - read our impressions in the meantime - but suffice to say that developers of other popular sports franchises could learn a lot from EA Sports’ constant desire to outdo last year’s edition.

Any studio would kill to have the track record that the developers of NHL have enjoyed to date (as winner of 22 sports video game of the year awards), but constantly setting the bar higher doesn’t make massive changes any easier to perfect. But with the brand new physics engine, and more tweaks and improvements than could possibly be counted, the game is already showing that it’s a new high for the series.

Take a look at NHL 12’s launch trailer for the early word on the critical reception:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHhQ0t9GnUo

If your glory days of hockey games are relegated to the past, when hockey players were anything but realistic, and the video game rinks were still blue, it might be time to get back in the game. And since those hockey titles were always more fun with a group of friends, NHL 12 is improving the online aspects of the series as well, especially where EA Sports’ ‘Hockey Ultimate Team’ is concerned.

If creating your very own team from scratch, then allowing other players to try their luck against your squad doesn’t sound like your kind of fun, keep to simple. EA Sports has now made it easier than ever to find an online friend for a quick game of shinny, if old-school smack-talk is closer to your heart.

Take a look at the HUT features now:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pVJ9NBkBnc

If taking the NHL Legend of your choice and drafting him onto your team isn’t enough to convince you that NHL 12 is worth picking up, just imagine how sweet it will be to tell your friends that you skated circles around their own team over the weekend. Rivalries are what sport is all about, after all.

NHL 12 is available now for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Stay tuned to Game Rant for our review.