Sony's winter sports series receives a facelift with the release of NHL FaceOff 2003, the PlayStation 2's second hockey title under the 989 Sports brand. The game engine has been retooled to offer more than 700 new animations, and both the player models and 3D arenas have been redesigned for more realism. The enhanced engine complements the features fans have come to expect in the series, including all NHL teams and players from the 2001-2002 season. Game modes consist of Practice, Exhibition, Season, Tournament, Playoffs, Shootout, and Career, which has players trying to build a dynasty during a ten-year time period.