So I was presented with a choice-go bowling with my teammates to increase my likeability with them (which would in turn improve line efficiency) or call my agent back to take up the brand opportunity (which could pay dividends down the road with further brand opportunities and sponsorships).

I said yes, but then I got a call from my agent saying an opportunity came up to make some cash. In one instance, a teammate asked if I wanted to go bowling as a team-bonding exercise. I only played around four hours, so I didn't see them all, but I was impressed with their variety.

EA says there are 'hundreds' of story beats that can play out. You will have text conversations with coaches, management, and teammates to discuss your future, and there are multiple dialogue options to choose from that can alter the trajectory of your career. Outside of the new hub and layout, another major change for Be A Pro in NHL 21 is the new conversation system. I tried both ways, and found it was more exciting to start in one of the lower-tier leagues, as this makes your journey to the NHL feel more fulfilling.

The Be A Pro structure is familiar-as in years past, you start out by creating a character and choosing whether you want to start in the Memorial Cup or in Europe, and compete for a place in the NHL, or you can jump directly into the NHL and guide your player through their rookie season. NHL 21's Be A Pro hub shows you most everything you need on one screen, with sub menus available for your game schedule, skill tree, important news, salary details, and more. This sounds very basic, but in returning to NHL 20, its Be A Pro screen feels very barebones and lacking by comparison.

The hub has been revamped to display more information on the screen at once. The first thing you'll notice in NHL 21's Be A Pro mode is that the UI is completely overhauled, and for the better. I recently had the chance to play around four hours of NHL 21's Be A Pro, and it's clear right from the start that EA isn't repeating the mistakes of last year. That is still the case in NHL 21, but the game's developer is finally updating its career-minded mode, Be A Pro, with what appears to be the biggest and most welcome changes to it in years. While the Madden and FIFA series have leaned into their own story modes in recent years with Longshot and The Journey, EA's other flagship sports franchise, NHL, has left this on the bench.

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