NHL 13 is the annual EA Sports ice hockey simulation on PS3. True Performance Skating revolutionises ice mobility. PS3 series peak. The reference hockey franchise on console with the official NHL season.
Your verdict
Category
Sports4 players3+
Description
EA Sports official NHL hockey simulation recreating the NHL 13 season with licensed players and teams. Published by EA, released in the USA in September 2012. All licensed NHL teams, Be A GM franchise mode, Be A Pro career mode, realistic analog stick controls, and online multiplayer. Console hockey reference.
NHL 13 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Captivating"
Difficulty
"Easy"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Anything but an arcade sport, the experience plays out over time: shaping a player in Be A Pro, running a franchise in Be A GM, tweaking your lines season after season. Online play sustains a near-perpetual pull. This managerial depth, true to the NHL, keeps its longevity reputation alive among enthusiasts.
The 2013 entry of EA Canada's hockey, often cited among the most accomplished of the series for its new, more fluid and tactical skating system. Its collector interest stays low: a dated, abundant annual license, replaced each season despite its good reputation. A nostalgia piece for fans of hockey sim of that generation.
Better with friends
Lively, physical ice hockey, where quick passes and bodychecks lend a heady tempo to multiplayer games. The competition swings between the finesse of plays and the unashamed brutality of contact, punctuated by scraps that draw laughs and raise the stakes. Simple to grasp, it delivers fast, snappy matches, ideal for back-to-back challenges where rivalry sets in fast.
Is NHL 13 still worth playing in 2026?
NHL 13 is often regarded as the peak of EA Sports' hockey simulation on PS3, thanks to the True Performance Skating system that revolutionises mobility on the ice. Skating gains realism and inertia, transforming the way you move and defend, for a markedly more authentic feel. The demanding gameplay and the wealth of modes reinforce its status as the genre's benchmark. Like any annual entry, its online side has gone dark and its roster is frozen. But in solo, for the hockey fan, the title remains a top-class simulation that has lost none of its relevance.
