[quote name='anderton']This is both a great deal and a mixed blessing, since NHL2K8 is supposedly inferior to its EA Sports companion. Can anyone give me a decent rundown of the two, if you have played them?[/QUOTE]
The play styles of the two games are up to a matter of taste. Have you played the NHL 07 and NHL 2k7? NHL 08's AI is much more dynamic than last year's, the emphasis is less on breakaways and more on changing your strategies to defend and score as the game/seasons progress. I'm a third of the way through a season and my scoring moves were figured out by the AI and now I find them checking me just where I used to shoot. So I had to find a different spot and play. However, the game still has more shots on goal than would be realistic.
For NHL 2k8, it is a new control scheme that takes a bit to get used to, it's a tad clumsy, but gives you a great deal of control if you get the hang of it. Otherwise the game plays like NHL2k7 in the respect that the AI reacts like it did in prior games in the series. Offline 2k8 runs a bit smoother, 08 is much better in terms of framerate than 07 was. The franchise mode in 2k8 is deeper, but I've really enjoyed 08's AHL games that you can play. I've found that playing a AHL and then an NHL screws up my timing as the players are slower and the goalies are worse, but your shot is slower for some of the players that won't make it to the NHL.
Welll... I tried to give you a small sampling, perhaps I condensed it too much and didn't make much sense. Hope it helps a little.
Oh if you play online, both have leagues, but 2k8 is more a traditional setup and deeper.
