
	Platform Xbox 360 Genre Sports Publisher Electronic Arts Developer EA Canada ESRB E (Everyone) Released October 2, 2007

- Much improved simulation-style gameplay due to smarter AI - Although gets repetitive, the play-by-play and color commentary is perfectly natural sounding and precisely-at-the-right-moment in-sync with the on-court goings-on - Excellent online setup and gameplay

- Quickstrike Ballhandling makes it too easy for your point guard to spin past top-of-the-key defensive player for an easy jumper - Too many easy misses from point-blank range among the “little guy” brigade of players

Review: NBA Live 06 (360) Review: NCAA March Madness 07 (360) Review: NBA Street V3 (PS2)
Newsletter
Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly. Enter E-Mail Address Below: Subscribe \| Unsubscribe

NBA Live 08

Score: 8.0 / 10

Year after year, most every NBA All-Star game is nothing more than a high-scoring orgy, with a total lack of defense played throughout. That’s OK for the once-a-season showcase of the game’s best, but over the course of a full season, not too many teams would turn out winning campaigns playing that style.

For the past few years, Electronic Arts’ NBA Live videogame, including NBA Live 07, has featured a no-defense AI that has resulted in a more arcade-style, less simulation-heavy gameplay that appeals to fans of the NBA All-Star game and

- Xbox 360 Game Reviews
- Sports Game Reviews
- Games Published by Electronic Arts

high-octane offense, but not so much to those looking for a more realistic basketball videogame.

That’s changed with NBA Live 08, which brings a more simulation and realistic NBA game flow to the court, and the result is a slam dunk over its predecessor, with fluid 60 frames per second animation, seemingly much smarter AI,

Advertisement

better offensive shooting and post up mechanics and an excellent online component.

Right from the first tip-off, NBA Live 08 displays a much different gameplay than seen in the last few versions of the franchise. The game is much more simulation-style than before, with more intelligent AI being the most noticeable improvement. NBA Live 08 has tighter defensive pressure working both for and against you.

There are some ways to easily deflate that defensive pressure, though. NBA Live 08’s Quickstrike Ballhandling is designed to give a ballhandler, usually a point guard, a strong offensive move, usually a spin dribble, which breaks down the “D” and opens up offensive opportunities. But it works too well, as by running your point guard down court and pulling a Quickstrike Ballhandling move allows him to blow past the defender and set himself up for an easy jumper.

There’s more emphasis on the post game, with elite post players such as Shaq and Dwight Howard having a major advantage in the paint. Conversely, the “little guy” brigade that is made up of most of the league’s guards, particularly the points, exasperatingly have a difficult time anywhere near the basket (maybe to compensate for those Quickstrike Ballhandling scores), missing too many times on seemingly “gimme” baskets from 10 feet in.

Not having played a previous Xbox 360 version of NBA Live before, I was impressed with the visual quality of NBA Live 08. It is much more pleasing to the eye than NBA Live 07 (on the Xbox), with more lifelike animations and players than before.

Where NBA Live 08 really enhances itself as a close-to-real-life NBA experience is with the game’s color commentary and play-by-play. Steve Kerr’s color comments and Marv Albert’s play-by-play are some of the best ever in any sports game, perfectly natural sounding and precisely-at-the-right-moment in-sync with the on-court goings-on. It does get repetitive after a while, with the same remarks about players being heard game after game, but it still is an amazing element that really immerses gamers right into NBA Live 08.

A distinctly international flair finds its way into NBA Live 08 with the arrival of the FIBA World Championships, bringing teams from all around the world to the forefront in a tourney mode that decides who really is the best hoopsters on earth, although on some of the squads (Italy, Greece), you’re not going to remotely know who any of the respective country’s players with the strange-sounding names even are.

Online, NBA Live 08 is exceptional, providing smooth Xbox Live gameplay that can’t be differentiated from the game’s single-player or offline multiplayer offerings.

“Real” basketball takes the court once again in NBA Live 08, bringing a much closer to real-life representation of the NBA, and even the world hoops scene, to the Xbox 360. It’s not just an up and down the court scoring blitz anymore in NBA Live, and those who truly appreciate Dr. Naismith’s game will be more than thrilled with the ability to finally get back to the basics of true-to-life basketball gameplay.

- Lee Cieniawa

lcieniawa@armchairempire.com

(October 24, 2007)