NHL FaceOff 2003

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}{{Infobox video game

| title = NHL FaceOff 2003

| image = NHL Faceoff 2003.jpg

| caption = The cover of NHL FaceOff 2003, featuring then-Colorado Avalanche defenceman Rob Blake.

| developer = SolWorks

| publisher = Sony Computer Entertainment

| series = NHL FaceOff

| released = {{vgrelease|NA|November 5, 2002}}

| genre = Sports

| modes = Single-player, multiplayer

| platforms = PlayStation 2

}}

NHL FaceOff 2003 is a 2002 ice hockey video game developed by SolWorks and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It was released only in North America under 989 Sports. It features then-Colorado Avalanche defenceman Rob Blake on its cover. Mike Emrick and Darren Pang return from the game's predecessor, NHL FaceOff 2001, to provide commentary.

Features

New features in this installment of the NHL FaceOff series include a Career Mode, in which you control the General Manager of your favorite hockey team, doing managerial duties such as signing players, making trades and drafting. It also introduces a fully revamped game engine with over 700 new animations, as well as redesigned player and arena models.

The game was also the first “FaceOff” to be made exclusively for the PlayStation 2, as well as the first one without a version for the original PlayStation.

Reception

{{Video game reviews

| MC = 55/100{{cite web | url = https://www.metacritic.com/game/nhl-faceoff-2003/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2 | title = NHL FaceOff 2003 for PlayStation 2 Reviews | website = Metacritic | access-date = April 27, 2015}}

| GSpot = 4.6/10

| GSpy = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web | last = Steinberg | first = Steve | url = http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/nhl-faceoff-2003/568513p1.html | title = GameSpy: NHL FaceOff 2003 | publisher = GameSpy | date = November 26, 2002 | access-date = April 27, 2015 | archive-date = March 4, 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110534/http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/nhl-faceoff-2003/568513p1.html | url-status = live }}

| GameZone = 6.9/10{{cite web | last = Lafferty | first = Michael | url = http://www.gamezone.com/reviews/nhl_faceoff_2003_ps2_review | title = NHL FaceOff 2003 - PS2 - Review | publisher = GameZone | date = November 12, 2002 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071106114917/http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r20584.htm | archive-date = November 6, 2007 | url-status = live | access-date = April 27, 2015}}

| IGN = 5.2/10

| OPM = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine | last = Zuniga | first = Todd | url = http://www.playstationmagazine.com/article2/0,2053,1495331,00.asp | title = NHL FaceOff 2003 | magazine = Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | date = January 2003 | page = 134 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040329070021/http://www.playstationmagazine.com/article2/0,2053,1495331,00.asp | archive-date = March 29, 2004 | url-status = dead | access-date = April 27, 2015}}

| PSM = 6/10{{cite magazine | title = Review: NHL FaceOff 2003 | magazine = PSM | date = December 25, 2002 | page = 44}}

| XPlay = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite web | last = Baldwin | first = Michael | url = http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/reviews/story/0,24330,3408105,00.html | title = 'NHL FaceOff 2003' (PS2) Review | publisher = X-Play | date = November 27, 2002 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20021126041214/http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/reviews/story/0,24330,3408105,00.html | archive-date = November 26, 2002 | url-status = dead | access-date = April 27, 2015}}

}}

NHL FaceOff 2003 received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.

IGN' Chris Roper said, "The career mode is there, but you have to actually play the game to use it. The game also supports eight players, but you'll have to find others who want to play it first."{{cite web | last = Roper | first = Chris | url = http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/11/05/nhl-faceoff-2003 | title = NHL FaceOff 2003 | website = IGN | date = November 5, 2002 | access-date = January 23, 2014 | archive-date = February 19, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140219212910/http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/11/05/nhl-faceoff-2003 | url-status = live }} GameSpot's Craig Beers said, "NHL FaceOff 2003 is a substandard hockey game [...] Everything this game tries to do is done better in other hockey games like EA's NHL series."{{cite web | last = Beers | first = Craig | url = http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nhl-faceoff-2003-review/1900-2896458/ | title = NHL FaceOff 2003 Review | website = GameSpot | date = November 1, 2002 | access-date = January 23, 2014 | archive-date = March 29, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140329050115/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/nhl-faceoff-2003-review/1900-2896458/ | url-status = live }}