I'm a Canadian, and that means I'm legally obligated to enjoy hockey. However, unless you're into spreadsheets, that's a hard thing to do as a PC gamer. As our commander-in-chief Evan Lahti said, "The PC needs a hockey game."
Well, V7 Entertainment announced today that it's developing a five-on-five, arcade-style game called Old Time Hockey, which looks like the SNES/Genesis classic NHL 94 with a tinge of that over-the-top flavor you'd expect from NBA Jam.
"We wanted to recreate that old familiar experience of playing these games on the couch with friends," director Karthik Venkateshan said. While local competitive and co-op modes are available in Old Time Hockey, it does not feature online multiplayer.
Old Time Hockey is set in the late '70s, which means you'll see players without helmets and all-out brawls on the ice. It also doesn't feature a professional league like the NHL. Instead, you'll be playing as teams in a small-time association called the Bush Hockey League. You can see it for yourself in a trailer at the bottom of this article.
The arcade-style game also features a Story Mode that follows the back-breaking journey of a struggling team. Unfortunately, no other details were revealed.
Various control schemes will be available to choose from, including a two-button system and what V7 calls a "more modern" scheme. There's also one called "Beer Mode," which lets you play with one hand and hold your drink in the other. Very considerate.
Old Time Hockey releases in early 2017 on PC. While the trailer is quite good at illustrating a new type of hockey game, I'm not convinced just yet. I'm crossing my fingers that the gameplay can match up with Old Time Hockey's presentation. If it can meet my expectations, the PC might finally have the hockey game I've been waiting for.
