Player3Podcast

Note: This is a gameplay review only. We did not have time with our Early Access to dive into modes.

 

It's been quite the wild ride for the EA Sports franchise, NBA Live over the last half a decade as the tires have been reeling to gain traction in the face of development missteps and the huge success of the NBA 2k franchise. The 4 year hiatus following the release of NBA Live 10 (and the canceled release of NBA Elite 11) ended last year with NBA Live 14, and what used to be a solid title found itself overwhelmingly behind the competition. 

 

This year feels like a stepping stone for NBA Live. Knowing how significant the gap is between them and the competition, EA had to release a title that showed they were invested in the long term success of this franchise. The marketing for the game left much to be desired. No prerelease demo (outside of the EA Early Access), no early gameplay footage, and more still shots than videos made it feel as though they were hiding what they were selling. 

 

But once you get your hands on the full release, those decisions don't make a ton of sense. The game hasn't eliminated the gap by any means, but they have certainly narrowed it. Last year's game was marred by stiff movements, lack of a tutorial mode, bad player models, and limited animations, and after 15 minutes of playing you start to see the massive improvements in all of those areas. 

 

(Note: It is our goal to not make this a comparative review between Live and 2k, but with our knowledge of both franchises and the fact that they deal with the same league, it is only natural at times to draw from the other. With that being said, this review is based on the merits of NBA Live 15 as it stands being its own game in comparison to NBA Live 14)

 

Accessibility

Last year at launch, NBA Live 14 failed to feature any kind of tutorial to familiarize the players that hadn't been a part of this game for 4 years. After a while, they patched in a practice gym where people could learn the various controls. This year, the game is wildly more accessibly thanks in no small part to the tutorial the player is required to go through in the beginning. Playing with a mixture of stars, but mainly cover althete Damian Lillard, the game teaches you the most basic offensive controls (i.e. dribbling, shooting, passing, and the pick and roll). And unlike last year, I felt as though I was going into the game at least mildly equipped to succeed. 

 

Still, there is a learning curve for those of us who have been 2k purchasers for the last several years. Be prepared to throw alley-oops with the B button when you think you are calling for the screen. Last year's game felt a bit insidery, like you were just thrown in and tasked with figuring it out. This year, to an extent, the game helps get your feet wet. 

 

While the tutorial to open the game is a welcome improvement, it would have been nice if they added some required defensive lessons. These options, however, can be found in the Adidas Learn Live Gym.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graphics

Though it can be said about many aspects of the game, Live took a huge step forward when it comes to the look of this game. Live 14 left much to be desired in terms of beauty. Player models, face scans, skin textures and tones, movement, jerseys, etc. all failed to capture the essence of their real life counter parts. 

 

This year, the biggest improvement can be seen in the faces of the players. With brand new facial scanning technology and the thoroughness to scan virtually every NBA player in the game, there are many times where the Live 15 representation looks far more realistic than the 2k version (and also the Live 14 model). 

 

Players also tend to move like their real life counterpart. Chris Paul walks it up the court like Chris Paul, Westbrook like Westbrook, and Lillard like Lillard. Some players feature signature dribbles that can be triggered by pushing and holding the right thumbstick in a particular direction. Lebron James goes into a bulldog forceful dribble, Derrick Rose gets flashy and fluid, while Deron Williams makes small but effective movements. Try the same move with Joakim Noah and Miles Plumlee and you won't find yourself nearly as successful. 

 

There are still some aspects of the player models that just look off. For instance, the lack of variation in player body style. From a distance every player body looks like a carbon copy of their teammates with slight variations (broader shoulders mostly). If a player is taller, he just seems like an elongated version of his shorter counterpart. Players like Joakim Noah, Zach Randolph, and Lamarcus Aldridge don't look to have the same intimidating physical stature like they do in real life. 

 

Jerseys also flow weird. This year, they don't appear to be painted on the body, but they tend to move in unnatural ways. They also remain tucked tightly in very close to the body which in my opinion only intensifies the lack of body type differentiation. Teams like the Clippers have jersey fonts and number sizes that are not true to life. 

 

The stadium and atmosphere bring a new sense of immersion to the title. The crowd models are very well done, and while there isn't a lot of variation in the characters, the sum of what is there captures the passion of watching NBA Basketball. Getting blown out by 40 points? The crowd becomes incredibly disinterested. Get a 12-0 run at home forcing your opponent to call a time out? The crowd explodes as your team goes to the bench. After road team made shots, fans wearing your team apparel will shake their head or react in some other disapproving way. Sidelines are are active with players moving around, going to the scorers table and reacting to the game as well.  

 

Gameplay

Last year featured stiff and uninspiring gameplay: players moved unnaturally, jump shots were difficult to take, defenders tended to only move in compass point directions.  Live 15 gives a better representation of the fluidity of NBA basketball. It's easier to push the ball up the court when you have favorable numbers, but its necessary to settle into a set piece when the defenders get back quickly. 

 

The most noticable change has been the addition of hundreds of new animations. From rebounds, to shooting strokes, passes and lay-ups, this year feels like an entirely new game. While there are still some weird ball morphs and funky preanimation glitches that happen in order to make the animation you called for happen, the new look provides a fluidity that was lacking in last year's iteration.

 

The individual player movement can still feel a bit stiff some times. As is the case in many EA Sports offerings, players seem to float and glide rather than move with the weight they are supposed to. There is very little percision in moving as a defender and there were times where a player was in position and then upon moving completely shifted out of the way. It was also very hard to get a body on people as they drove to the basket which resulted in a lot of easy layups and dunks. However, this lack of a collision detection also affects the CPU controlled defenders. So, there is a balance at least. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Defense wins championships, but so does outside shooting and last year it was difficult to win games because there was really no way of getting feedback for shot timing and quality. This year, they have added a new indicator located under the player that shows how good his position for the jump shot is. A combination of shot quality, timing, and player skill goes into determining whether or not your shot will find the bottom of the net. However, there is a tendency for the CPU to shoot well above 75% from the 3-pt line. Given even just a slight amount of space, even mediocre shooters will be able to hit there shots from range. This can probably be tweaked with sliders or even a post-release patch. So, not a ton of worry to be found there. 

 

Last year introduced the new dribbling mechanic which is really just the successor to the already successful dribbling mechanics that have found their way into NBA Live titles for years. The beauty of dribbling in Live is that it makes sense. If you want to hesitate with the ball in your right hand, flick the right thumbstick to the right. If you want to do a spin move, simply move the right stick in a semi-circle in the direction you want to spin. It is intuitive and fluid. The best part about it however, is that it is difficult to spam. Each movement has to be consciously branched together with the last, making successful ankle breaking cross-overs all the more rewarding. 

 

When set to "auto", the motion offense looks really good, when set to manual there is absolutely no movement without a user command to do so. There is no play art that appears on the court like it does in 2k, so you have to watch for screens, weak side cuts, and well positioned post players. The offensive players maintain good spacing for the most part. If I dribble to the right with my point guard into a position that my small forward is in, he will clear out and attempt to find open space on the floor. If I drive the basket, my center will back away to help create a lane. 

 

This sam fluid movement is evident on defense as well. On multiple occassion where I would get beat off the dribble, my weak-side help would rotate over to provide some assistance. Trailing defenders, if in position, will attempt to make a play on the ball when the fast break gets to the rim. Low post players will box out when the shot gets in the air making it very difficult for the opponent to rebound. The only way to get a shot or give up a shot is to provide space, and on the higher difficulties, the only way to find space is to create it. 

 

Lastly, the pick and roll. NBA Live 09 introduced the first free form pick-and-roll mechanic where you can call for the pick and roll at any time. And for as much as it was done well in that year's game, 15 does it a thousand times better. Based on how long you hold LT, the screener will either slip, roll, or step out for the pick and pop. For teams that are skilled in the pick-and-roll, Charlotte, Portland, Chicago, the well-times pick and roll can be deadly. Good point guards can drop pinpoint pocket passes into the big man to take it to the rim. The only issue I have is that it can often be too successful. Even passes into traffic seem to find their intended target, making it easier to spam the mechanic in order to succeed. 

 

Presentation

The brightest spot of the presentation for this title is the ESPN style broadcast. Graphics packages, scoreboards, stat overlays, and the pre, post-game, and halftime show make it seem as though you are watching the Wednesday night or Friday night broadcast on television. There are a lot of cut-scenes, in-huddle shots during timeouts, and camera angles that are inspired by their real life counterparts. 

 

Manning the booth again this year are ESPN staples, Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy. The back and forth between the two of them flows quite awkwardly at some points, and the lines can often be heard repeated from game to game. As the game goes on and those two remain in the booth, the library of available dialogue should grow, but for now it can be frustrating. Where 2k has its excessive product placement for Gatorade following each timeout, Live features a lively discussion on the stupidity of using your 20 second timeout during the first half when you aren't given an option to take the full. 

 

Most well-done is the pre-game, post-game, and halftime presentation all featuring former NBA guard and Grantland regular, Jalen Rose. The pre-game features shots of the city in which you are playing and a very well-done player introduction screen. Half-time and post-game display highlights from each team for the night, player of the game and player of the half highlights, stat reviews, and top plays. There were times I found myself sticking around to watch these despite being able to skip them entirely, and far to few sports games achieve that. 

 

Game Modes

There are a plethora of game modes featured in NBA Live 15, and you can read an article outlining those here. However, with the limited 6-hours I had with the game, it was impossible to get in and give these a thorough once-over. 

 

Final Thoughts

If you are having a discussion about NBA Live with anyone make sure you use these two words, stepping stone. The future of this game was shaky a year ago. Scratch that, the future of this game was shaky when they announced a few weeks ago they would have to delay it, but NBA Live 15 delivered on what a lot of people hoped NBA Live 14 would be, a genesis for a real 2k competitor. Yes, it is a year, late, but with the product that was delivered to us now, I have high hopes for what NBA Live 16 can bring. If they keep adding animations, tuning the fluidity, and delivering in the details, this game has a solid future ahead of it. 

 

Good news Live fans (I myself, pessimistcally included), it is ok to get hopeful about Live being back. It's not perfect by any means, and the problem areas are a bit glaring at times, but this gameplay review gets a solid score from us.