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IGN Review of NBA Live 10
The once great NBA Live series has had a fall from grace in recent years. With robotic gameplay that was both poorly executed and wholly unrealistic, it's no wonder that the NBA 2K series has been able to build such a foothold in the videogame basketball market. But EA Sports was bound to get back on its feet eventually and I'm happy to say that they've done so with NBA Live 10. While the game isn't perfect by any means, it's a leap forward from the disappointments that we've suffered through in recent memory.
A big focus for the team at EA Canada this year was gameplay and that's simultaneously a blessing and a curse. There's no doubt that this is the best NBA Live has moved in years. Player animations are sharp and realistic and almost everything flows smoothly on the court.
Not only that, but the team has also reinvigorated the gameplay with a new emphasis on defense which ups the realism very nicely. Much of this is thanks to the new difficulty settings (b-ball vets should instantly up the ante to all-star difficulty) that force you to think about how you're going to attack different situations. Gone are the days of spin-moving your way to the basket for an easy dunk and you can no longer drive the lane and do a blind kick-out to your man hovering at the three-point lane. This year you're going to get stripped in the paint and AI opponents will deflect and intercept those errant passes.
Shooting the rock has been simplified to a single button press no matter how you're trying to score. The standard jumper can be modified in a number of different ways with the right trigger and the left analog stick. Driving hard to the hoop is done by holding the right trigger, whereas letting go will get you a standard jumper unless you're directly under the basket. You can check if the bank is open (using the backboard) by holding left or right on the left analog while shooting and fade away by holding the stick in the opposite direction of the hoop. Releasing the shot button at the proper time in your standard jump shot motion is thankfully back (unlike last year) and adds just a bit of strategy to scoring.
Post play has been de-emphasized in NBA Live 10, perhaps due to the dying breed of banging big men who thrive in the post. Regardless of the reason, there's no longer a modifier for posting up. Instead posturing on the block is done by manipulating the left analog and you can use the right stick to pull off a small assortment of moves once you have the ball. Playing down low is less of its own brand of basketball this year, but I didn't find that to be too much of a letdown given the current crop of NBA talent.
Unlike post play, passing has been beefed up quite a bit. It's now easier than ever to get your best player the ball. You still have the pick and roll control that was in last year's Live, but you now also have direct-player control when using icon passing and DNA quick plays. Direct-player control lets you make cuts with off-ball players yourself rather than relying on the AI. DNA quick plays are pulled off by holding the right shoulder button. This will cause the closest scoring threat to you to make a move to get open and call for the ball. It could be a cut; it could be via a screen. The new control mechanics do a wonderful job of highlighting the talent on your team and with the enhanced defensive AI, you're going to need the help to make smart passes.
While the artificial intelligence has made strides on the defensive side of the court, there are still oddities that crop up from time to time. For whatever reason players on both teams have issues staying in bounds. I don't mean that they'll aimlessly dribble out of bounds, but occasionally you'll dish to a guy at the three-point line only to find out that his right foot is out of bounds. It's even funnier when the ref doesn't call it. Thankfully it doesn't happen all that often.
Another AI snafu happens when driving to the hole and trying to stop and pop for a jumper. The turbo modifier is probably partly responsible, but when driving the lane and trying to shoot a J players will occasionally pull off a step back animation when you wanted them to set their feet and take a simple jump shot. There's also an animation that happens if the defender is able to force you out of bounds while you're dribbling. It happens over and over and can look redundant after a few games.
All of the gameplay gripes I just mentioned are small in comparison to the positive strides that the series has taken. For the most part the experience is fluid and realistic, especially in comparison to what NBA Live has stood for in recent years. There is no doubt that there are issues with what this game brings to the table, but the whole package is markedly improved and I can't help but think that it's about damn time.
The curse of enhancing the gameplay of NBA Live is that there's really no headlining game mode addition for basketball aficionados to cling to. NBA 2K10 has it's My Player mode but all that NBA Live can claim is Dynamic Season, fueled by a beefed up iteration of Dynamic DNA which made its debut last season. It basically allows you to play current NBA games for yourself and create your own version of a given season. It's an uninvolved mode as you don't have complete control over one team, unlike in dynasty mode. Don't get me wrong, there's fun to be had with Dynamic Season, but it's not quite as earth shattering as EA would've liked. Since the NBA season doesn't start for a few weeks it'll be interesting to see how well this new feature is received by the basketball community.
The other new feature is called Adidas Live Run and allows for ten players to connect online and run a five-on-five game. It has built in squad (clan) mechanics that allow players to form teams with other users and maintain a record and stats as you face off against other groups. The mode feels a little light and isn't quite deserving of the "league" title, but it's a good start and likely is a sign of things to come from NBA Live. In my experience Live Run had a bit of lag when all ten users were connected, but it was certainly playable. The gameplay in the new online mode had a tendency to be a little more chaotic than strategic, but that will depend on who you're playing with.
Dynasty mode is likely to be the place where you'll spend most of your time. You still start things off by setting goals and hiring staff for the upcoming year, then train your players with the same academy training games that were in last year's game. It's a well-designed mode that thrives thanks to the improvements to the gameplay. Elsewhere you'll find an expanded FIBA World Championships mode that now incorporates 32 teams as well as playoff mode and fantasy teams where you'll create your dream squad.
Unlike the list of modes which haven't seen a ton of attention, the visuals and presentation elements have been improved significantly. While it's true that the players do look a little plastic-y, the details on their body and smooth features make up for it. Colors pop off the screen and the crowd is extremely active which helps add to the excitement of each contest -- especially once playoff time hits. The spectators react authentically to different situations such as upping the volume and intensity once the fourth quarter rolls around. The PS3 version has rougher edges and a slightly slower framerate than on 360, but the difference isn't all that impactful.
The audio is a bit more of a mixed bag. The crowd sounds fantastic, but the announcers repeat themselves all too often, especially if you're playing with the same squad repeatedly (like you will in dynasty mode). If I have to hear how LeBron's outside shot has improved since he came into the league one more time I'm going to get violent. The soundtrack is standard EA Sports fare and doesn't step out of the mold that has been set by other titles.
©2009-10-02, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
A big focus for the team at EA Canada this year was gameplay and that's simultaneously a blessing and a curse. There's no doubt that this is the best NBA Live has moved in years. Player animations are sharp and realistic and almost everything flows smoothly on the court.
Not only that, but the team has also reinvigorated the gameplay with a new emphasis on defense which ups the realism very nicely. Much of this is thanks to the new difficulty settings (b-ball vets should instantly up the ante to all-star difficulty) that force you to think about how you're going to attack different situations. Gone are the days of spin-moving your way to the basket for an easy dunk and you can no longer drive the lane and do a blind kick-out to your man hovering at the three-point lane. This year you're going to get stripped in the paint and AI opponents will deflect and intercept those errant passes.
Shooting the rock has been simplified to a single button press no matter how you're trying to score. The standard jumper can be modified in a number of different ways with the right trigger and the left analog stick. Driving hard to the hoop is done by holding the right trigger, whereas letting go will get you a standard jumper unless you're directly under the basket. You can check if the bank is open (using the backboard) by holding left or right on the left analog while shooting and fade away by holding the stick in the opposite direction of the hoop. Releasing the shot button at the proper time in your standard jump shot motion is thankfully back (unlike last year) and adds just a bit of strategy to scoring.
Post play has been de-emphasized in NBA Live 10, perhaps due to the dying breed of banging big men who thrive in the post. Regardless of the reason, there's no longer a modifier for posting up. Instead posturing on the block is done by manipulating the left analog and you can use the right stick to pull off a small assortment of moves once you have the ball. Playing down low is less of its own brand of basketball this year, but I didn't find that to be too much of a letdown given the current crop of NBA talent.
Unlike post play, passing has been beefed up quite a bit. It's now easier than ever to get your best player the ball. You still have the pick and roll control that was in last year's Live, but you now also have direct-player control when using icon passing and DNA quick plays. Direct-player control lets you make cuts with off-ball players yourself rather than relying on the AI. DNA quick plays are pulled off by holding the right shoulder button. This will cause the closest scoring threat to you to make a move to get open and call for the ball. It could be a cut; it could be via a screen. The new control mechanics do a wonderful job of highlighting the talent on your team and with the enhanced defensive AI, you're going to need the help to make smart passes.
While the artificial intelligence has made strides on the defensive side of the court, there are still oddities that crop up from time to time. For whatever reason players on both teams have issues staying in bounds. I don't mean that they'll aimlessly dribble out of bounds, but occasionally you'll dish to a guy at the three-point line only to find out that his right foot is out of bounds. It's even funnier when the ref doesn't call it. Thankfully it doesn't happen all that often.
Another AI snafu happens when driving to the hole and trying to stop and pop for a jumper. The turbo modifier is probably partly responsible, but when driving the lane and trying to shoot a J players will occasionally pull off a step back animation when you wanted them to set their feet and take a simple jump shot. There's also an animation that happens if the defender is able to force you out of bounds while you're dribbling. It happens over and over and can look redundant after a few games.
All of the gameplay gripes I just mentioned are small in comparison to the positive strides that the series has taken. For the most part the experience is fluid and realistic, especially in comparison to what NBA Live has stood for in recent years. There is no doubt that there are issues with what this game brings to the table, but the whole package is markedly improved and I can't help but think that it's about damn time.
The curse of enhancing the gameplay of NBA Live is that there's really no headlining game mode addition for basketball aficionados to cling to. NBA 2K10 has it's My Player mode but all that NBA Live can claim is Dynamic Season, fueled by a beefed up iteration of Dynamic DNA which made its debut last season. It basically allows you to play current NBA games for yourself and create your own version of a given season. It's an uninvolved mode as you don't have complete control over one team, unlike in dynasty mode. Don't get me wrong, there's fun to be had with Dynamic Season, but it's not quite as earth shattering as EA would've liked. Since the NBA season doesn't start for a few weeks it'll be interesting to see how well this new feature is received by the basketball community.
The other new feature is called Adidas Live Run and allows for ten players to connect online and run a five-on-five game. It has built in squad (clan) mechanics that allow players to form teams with other users and maintain a record and stats as you face off against other groups. The mode feels a little light and isn't quite deserving of the "league" title, but it's a good start and likely is a sign of things to come from NBA Live. In my experience Live Run had a bit of lag when all ten users were connected, but it was certainly playable. The gameplay in the new online mode had a tendency to be a little more chaotic than strategic, but that will depend on who you're playing with.
Dynasty mode is likely to be the place where you'll spend most of your time. You still start things off by setting goals and hiring staff for the upcoming year, then train your players with the same academy training games that were in last year's game. It's a well-designed mode that thrives thanks to the improvements to the gameplay. Elsewhere you'll find an expanded FIBA World Championships mode that now incorporates 32 teams as well as playoff mode and fantasy teams where you'll create your dream squad.
Unlike the list of modes which haven't seen a ton of attention, the visuals and presentation elements have been improved significantly. While it's true that the players do look a little plastic-y, the details on their body and smooth features make up for it. Colors pop off the screen and the crowd is extremely active which helps add to the excitement of each contest -- especially once playoff time hits. The spectators react authentically to different situations such as upping the volume and intensity once the fourth quarter rolls around. The PS3 version has rougher edges and a slightly slower framerate than on 360, but the difference isn't all that impactful.
The audio is a bit more of a mixed bag. The crowd sounds fantastic, but the announcers repeat themselves all too often, especially if you're playing with the same squad repeatedly (like you will in dynasty mode). If I have to hear how LeBron's outside shot has improved since he came into the league one more time I'm going to get violent. The soundtrack is standard EA Sports fare and doesn't step out of the mold that has been set by other titles.
©2009-10-02, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved