Ice hockey, much like street fighting, football and breakups, is all about hurting people in the worst way imaginable, whether that involves punching them, tripping them or just rearranging their spinal column with a large, wooden stick. EA Canada knows this, hence the violence in its upcoming murder fest...ahem...homage to the sport, NHL 08, a game with big sticks, bigger hits and plenty of carnage.

Don't get us wrong. You don't decapitate people with your ice skates (we wish) or rip out their still beating hearts. The NHL has rules. Instead, you glide over to some unsuspecting idiot (human or computer controlled) and lay them out, because no matter what the situation, you need the puck. So expect to see players take hard spills and get slammed into the glass with punishing force.

Beneath the violence, however, lay plenty of finesse, beginning with the Skill Stick. Introduced in last year's game, it revolutionized hockey by bridging the gap between hardcore and casual players. Instead of relying on buttons, gamers control their selected player with the left analog stick while shooting with the right. It allows anyone to jump right into the action, but seeing how players handle the right stick determines the types of shots they perform, it carries just enough depth for those willing to dig beneath the surface.

With NHL 08, EA tweaked these controls to give you added flexibility. Instead of trying to skate around the defender, which usually results in losing the puck, you can pass it between his legs and deke the hell out of him. It takes a lot of practice (you'll probably screw up tens of times before pulling it off), but once you get hold of it, this one move dramatically alters the game.

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