Tomba's Blog
THE
TOMBA NBA LIVE 15
REVIEW
Lets get the first thing out of the way and my first feeling about this years NBA Live (something I'm loving to say "this years NBA Live" because it means it's BACK in our lives).
THIS is the game we should have gotten last year...
Like everyone here and out in the real world where for the many OperationSports doesn't exist, I was skeptical. NBA Live 14 was unplayable, ugly to look at and downright a waste of money.
With last years NBA 2K15 and its connectivity issues JUST to get to play the game even as a single player experience we were THIRSTING for NBA Live to save our Basketball video game fix since it released a week or so later. We were hoping for a continuation of NBA Live 10 ( a game many of us STILL feel was better than NBA 2k10), but what we received was even what the games producers had to apologize for. However (and money wasted) the NBA Live development team recognized the communities and reviewers feeling on the games major flaws and made an attempt at patching in fixes to certain things but only after a very sad four months out...
Throughout this year, EASports (and lets be honest moreso the development team behind NBA live 15) were adamant on fixing visuals and core gameplay. The lack of gameplay videos leading up to the release worried the OperationSports community and news of a delay made even more worrisome. I even listen to podcasts with Sean O'brien and felt some questions were either ignored or just glazed over with "that is our vision for NBA Live 16 and beyond"...
I'm on PS4 because its the more powerful system(Hey my blog my review my opinions! LOL), so seeing the "downsized" gameplay vids of the early EA Access on XBox One were of NO concern to me. So I waited, but honestly after playing NBA Live 14 back in November the wait has truely been close to a year to finally play what I feel is much better realized game of video game basketball...
Rough going at first, I wont lie.
This game took some adjusting to after playing NBA 2K15 for the last 3 weeks.
Now before you go saying "Ohh don't start comparing!" I have to say that you have to, but the WAY you do so has to be in a way that realizes that a difference can be good.
I think it beyond just going "this game does this right and this game doesn't do this". I think its really about what KIND of game this is and WHY is it different.
NBA Live was ALWAYS pick up and play. NBA 2K15 was ALWAYS simulation. I say this as the age old debate of NFL 2k2 vs. Madden 2005. Both good but BOTH different kind of games...
Maybe calling NBA Live "pick up and play" might be unfair to the series brand, but its what always made it fun because it was IMMEDIATE, instant satisfaction.
Now for me personally, many of you may know me from my NBA Live editing since NBA Live 06 on Xbox 360. Something I miss dearly now as i did it for 5 yrs straight with GREAT satisfaction for my own playing and for those I wanted to help get the same satisfaction throughout the community here at OperationSports.Com
NBA 11 Elite never came out and the next two or so years just saw delay after delay. So once NBA Live 14 came out expectations were set SO high that probably any game would have been a disappointment, but I don't feel we were asking for much(though this HAS BEEN explained by the development team as to why )at the time we didn't care so we vented,went on rants and basically said screw you...
That I hope fueled the guys making the game because without it maybe we wouldn't have gotten a game that ended up realizing its potential on next gen consoles.
So what kind of game is NBA Live 15?
An Arcade Game.
By why is that bad? WE ALL loved Mortal Kombat in the arcade. We all went CRAZY for NBA Jam and we all know that arcade graphics (before the consoles went DVD) were always better.
So bare with me here. What determines a fun factor for you? Is it the graphics being "cool" or is it the fact that you can't stop playing it no matter how Ludacris it is?(yeah I spelled it!).
Firstly NBA Live visually has the atmosphere of a NBA game on TV and like many of you i watch the NBA on TV so its the most real way for me to experience it. Sonically, sound-wise if I walk away from the TV for a nice cold beverage of Coke Zero it pretty sounds like that game I watched last night on TV. So the visuals and sound of the game have a level of immersion that makes it very much authentic. And that's something that holds interest and something I consider the are the games strong points. NBA Live 15 just screams everything we associate with the NBA. Player hairstyles, player shoes, home courts, the sidelines and bench, the crowd and Broadcast presentation...
NBA Live 14's WEAKEST part of it was its gameplay, NOT from input control like the developer stated saying "its our fault some of you dont understand how to control the game" but From the very fact that the game just animated POORLY and was missing CRUCIAL secondary animations and physics.
THANKFULLY NBA Live 15 is like a whole new game in that regard. While NOT perfect and NOT real simulation style like NBA 2K15's animations. It STILL resembles the game of basketball but in a more pick up and play style. Controls are instant and precise but not complex your teammate A.I. is very helpful to you by getting into position offensively and defensively, so the game has this certain ease factor that take care a lot of the grunt work for you to just have FUN...
EASports and the development team are VERY big proprieters of Synergy.
I am not.
Many are not.
Because it means the control of game stats are in the control of someone else. I liken it to this analogy.
"I don't like to fly because I feel like I am not in control, some people don't mind to fly because they aren't bothered by it"
Unfortunately now for the second year in a row EASports and the development team have not felt it important to include in their game. Something that was ins the game for many years now just brushed aside as simply being handled by a super computer...
THAT omission stings the most and honestly the nicety of it maybe someday being added back by the development team is becoming insulting. Saying in interviews that in order to have such things like sliders they need to understand what the community wants to have the sliders control? Come on guys, We had exactly what we wanted in NBA Live 10.
Gameplay Sliders and roster editing of Attributes(by way of global sets as well) player gear, playbooks, rotations and player movement.
But I digress, digest and drink the EA juice.
This game is GOOD.
As I said earlier it takes some adjustment because the way the game plays and looks is like trying on sunglasses after being out in the sun for awhile. It's a reverse process that when after your eyes settle you start to see things more clearly...
So with that first half hr or so of squinting, eye rubbing and mild headache..things got progressively easier on the eyes.
The NBA is a fast game and just about anybody in the NBA CAN play. I think the time of bums in the game are GONE. its a very heavy competition for a NBA paycheck now. Guys come out of college early just to be in the D-League or overseas(which isn't so bad..Imagine playing for Milan team?!?! Ohh the women...)
NBA Live 15 exemplifies this fast paced and high scoring game in a way that plays out more arcadish due to the fact it's built with instant satisfaction in mind.
Dribbling moves and shooting is forgiving. Dribbles are pulled off with ease and shots go in (admittedly more for the CPU though) and the games passing and line drives are all made sure to be successful EVEN with the first year inclusion of the Ragdoll Physics(which can be a scary use as Ragdoll Physics are not always implemented well ie shooting games etc.).
Many times because of the game great use and feeling of floor spacing (the games real simulation saving grace comparitively to NBA 2K15) I feel like I am truly control of my ball handler than I ever was in any Basketball game, but I liken this to the excellent exection of a arcade fighter like Street Fighter when you know ALL of Bison's moves to the point you can beat everyone.
Having confidence in a game controls helps the enjoyment of it and this years game after fixing SOME core animations to at least look smoother the control has a tutorial that conditions you in the right way for understanding how the game plays and what you can actually do when your at the perimeter, baseline or post.
On the defensive side of things, it can be blurry as ball handler lockdowns dont really enguage all the time and overall shot contesting doesn't really feel like it does much. Shot blocking is okay but the way the ball comes off the block has a very wonky projectory that I feel should have been fixed prior to release ESPECIALLY when the day one patch fixed so many of the EA Early Access game issues people saw on Xbox One.
Menus are very clear an concise though. Navigation of modes are so nicely done and are fast to get to.
Soundtrack is better than NBA 2K15. Mick has a better ear than Pharrel. All I'm sayin' bout dat...
Game modes! Yeah okay... so Dynasty's Dynasty and the whole online ultimate team is something almost every EA game has and is now being completely mimicked by other sports game to the point of ad nuasaum but it provides the type of gameplay many have grown to like/love and can't be without. Cool features are back like NBA Rewind and Challenges but never hit a personal note for me either way however they are more than serviceable for gamers wanting more than just pick up and play thanks to the way the game controls now.
So, with NBA Live 15
covering core game play and visuals the development team REALLY saved face and REALLY made sure NBA Live sees a iteration in 2016.
Tomba
TOMBA NBA LIVE 15
REVIEW
Lets get the first thing out of the way and my first feeling about this years NBA Live (something I'm loving to say "this years NBA Live" because it means it's BACK in our lives).
THIS is the game we should have gotten last year...
Like everyone here and out in the real world where for the many OperationSports doesn't exist, I was skeptical. NBA Live 14 was unplayable, ugly to look at and downright a waste of money.
With last years NBA 2K15 and its connectivity issues JUST to get to play the game even as a single player experience we were THIRSTING for NBA Live to save our Basketball video game fix since it released a week or so later. We were hoping for a continuation of NBA Live 10 ( a game many of us STILL feel was better than NBA 2k10), but what we received was even what the games producers had to apologize for. However (and money wasted) the NBA Live development team recognized the communities and reviewers feeling on the games major flaws and made an attempt at patching in fixes to certain things but only after a very sad four months out...
Throughout this year, EASports (and lets be honest moreso the development team behind NBA live 15) were adamant on fixing visuals and core gameplay. The lack of gameplay videos leading up to the release worried the OperationSports community and news of a delay made even more worrisome. I even listen to podcasts with Sean O'brien and felt some questions were either ignored or just glazed over with "that is our vision for NBA Live 16 and beyond"...
I'm on PS4 because its the more powerful system(Hey my blog my review my opinions! LOL), so seeing the "downsized" gameplay vids of the early EA Access on XBox One were of NO concern to me. So I waited, but honestly after playing NBA Live 14 back in November the wait has truely been close to a year to finally play what I feel is much better realized game of video game basketball...
Rough going at first, I wont lie.
This game took some adjusting to after playing NBA 2K15 for the last 3 weeks.
Now before you go saying "Ohh don't start comparing!" I have to say that you have to, but the WAY you do so has to be in a way that realizes that a difference can be good.
I think it beyond just going "this game does this right and this game doesn't do this". I think its really about what KIND of game this is and WHY is it different.
NBA Live was ALWAYS pick up and play. NBA 2K15 was ALWAYS simulation. I say this as the age old debate of NFL 2k2 vs. Madden 2005. Both good but BOTH different kind of games...
Maybe calling NBA Live "pick up and play" might be unfair to the series brand, but its what always made it fun because it was IMMEDIATE, instant satisfaction.
Now for me personally, many of you may know me from my NBA Live editing since NBA Live 06 on Xbox 360. Something I miss dearly now as i did it for 5 yrs straight with GREAT satisfaction for my own playing and for those I wanted to help get the same satisfaction throughout the community here at OperationSports.Com
NBA 11 Elite never came out and the next two or so years just saw delay after delay. So once NBA Live 14 came out expectations were set SO high that probably any game would have been a disappointment, but I don't feel we were asking for much(though this HAS BEEN explained by the development team as to why )at the time we didn't care so we vented,went on rants and basically said screw you...
That I hope fueled the guys making the game because without it maybe we wouldn't have gotten a game that ended up realizing its potential on next gen consoles.
So what kind of game is NBA Live 15?
An Arcade Game.
By why is that bad? WE ALL loved Mortal Kombat in the arcade. We all went CRAZY for NBA Jam and we all know that arcade graphics (before the consoles went DVD) were always better.
So bare with me here. What determines a fun factor for you? Is it the graphics being "cool" or is it the fact that you can't stop playing it no matter how Ludacris it is?(yeah I spelled it!).
Firstly NBA Live visually has the atmosphere of a NBA game on TV and like many of you i watch the NBA on TV so its the most real way for me to experience it. Sonically, sound-wise if I walk away from the TV for a nice cold beverage of Coke Zero it pretty sounds like that game I watched last night on TV. So the visuals and sound of the game have a level of immersion that makes it very much authentic. And that's something that holds interest and something I consider the are the games strong points. NBA Live 15 just screams everything we associate with the NBA. Player hairstyles, player shoes, home courts, the sidelines and bench, the crowd and Broadcast presentation...
NBA Live 14's WEAKEST part of it was its gameplay, NOT from input control like the developer stated saying "its our fault some of you dont understand how to control the game" but From the very fact that the game just animated POORLY and was missing CRUCIAL secondary animations and physics.
THANKFULLY NBA Live 15 is like a whole new game in that regard. While NOT perfect and NOT real simulation style like NBA 2K15's animations. It STILL resembles the game of basketball but in a more pick up and play style. Controls are instant and precise but not complex your teammate A.I. is very helpful to you by getting into position offensively and defensively, so the game has this certain ease factor that take care a lot of the grunt work for you to just have FUN...
EASports and the development team are VERY big proprieters of Synergy.
I am not.
Many are not.
Because it means the control of game stats are in the control of someone else. I liken it to this analogy.
"I don't like to fly because I feel like I am not in control, some people don't mind to fly because they aren't bothered by it"
Unfortunately now for the second year in a row EASports and the development team have not felt it important to include in their game. Something that was ins the game for many years now just brushed aside as simply being handled by a super computer...
THAT omission stings the most and honestly the nicety of it maybe someday being added back by the development team is becoming insulting. Saying in interviews that in order to have such things like sliders they need to understand what the community wants to have the sliders control? Come on guys, We had exactly what we wanted in NBA Live 10.
Gameplay Sliders and roster editing of Attributes(by way of global sets as well) player gear, playbooks, rotations and player movement.
But I digress, digest and drink the EA juice.
This game is GOOD.
As I said earlier it takes some adjustment because the way the game plays and looks is like trying on sunglasses after being out in the sun for awhile. It's a reverse process that when after your eyes settle you start to see things more clearly...
So with that first half hr or so of squinting, eye rubbing and mild headache..things got progressively easier on the eyes.
The NBA is a fast game and just about anybody in the NBA CAN play. I think the time of bums in the game are GONE. its a very heavy competition for a NBA paycheck now. Guys come out of college early just to be in the D-League or overseas(which isn't so bad..Imagine playing for Milan team?!?! Ohh the women...)
NBA Live 15 exemplifies this fast paced and high scoring game in a way that plays out more arcadish due to the fact it's built with instant satisfaction in mind.
Dribbling moves and shooting is forgiving. Dribbles are pulled off with ease and shots go in (admittedly more for the CPU though) and the games passing and line drives are all made sure to be successful EVEN with the first year inclusion of the Ragdoll Physics(which can be a scary use as Ragdoll Physics are not always implemented well ie shooting games etc.).
Many times because of the game great use and feeling of floor spacing (the games real simulation saving grace comparitively to NBA 2K15) I feel like I am truly control of my ball handler than I ever was in any Basketball game, but I liken this to the excellent exection of a arcade fighter like Street Fighter when you know ALL of Bison's moves to the point you can beat everyone.
Having confidence in a game controls helps the enjoyment of it and this years game after fixing SOME core animations to at least look smoother the control has a tutorial that conditions you in the right way for understanding how the game plays and what you can actually do when your at the perimeter, baseline or post.
On the defensive side of things, it can be blurry as ball handler lockdowns dont really enguage all the time and overall shot contesting doesn't really feel like it does much. Shot blocking is okay but the way the ball comes off the block has a very wonky projectory that I feel should have been fixed prior to release ESPECIALLY when the day one patch fixed so many of the EA Early Access game issues people saw on Xbox One.
Menus are very clear an concise though. Navigation of modes are so nicely done and are fast to get to.
Soundtrack is better than NBA 2K15. Mick has a better ear than Pharrel. All I'm sayin' bout dat...
Game modes! Yeah okay... so Dynasty's Dynasty and the whole online ultimate team is something almost every EA game has and is now being completely mimicked by other sports game to the point of ad nuasaum but it provides the type of gameplay many have grown to like/love and can't be without. Cool features are back like NBA Rewind and Challenges but never hit a personal note for me either way however they are more than serviceable for gamers wanting more than just pick up and play thanks to the way the game controls now.
So, with NBA Live 15
covering core game play and visuals the development team REALLY saved face and REALLY made sure NBA Live sees a iteration in 2016.
Tomba
# 6
Eaglerock562 @ Nov 1
Love it buddy. My 2k experience will always be memorable because of you and vtcrb but I don't agree with 2ks approach or their deceit to the old gen users which I'm still apart of for another week. Reading your review has taken me another step closer to being LIVE!!!!
# 7
tril @ Nov 2
good fair review. I agree with everything you said about atmosphere. Live has always had the edge on NBA arena atmosphere over 2k.
also agree that Live is an arcade game in sim coat. which isnt a bad thing. that's how you would differentiate the two basketball titles.
I personally dont like Live 15 but respect it for what it is. I also think that both games can exist.
also agree that Live is an arcade game in sim coat. which isnt a bad thing. that's how you would differentiate the two basketball titles.
I personally dont like Live 15 but respect it for what it is. I also think that both games can exist.
# 8
2k10Fonzarelli @ Nov 4
Great review Tomba!
That bit where you 'defend' your opinion on the ps4 being a more powerful console ; it factually IS the more powerful console so no worries there mate. I realize you wrote it as such to act like an extinguisher in the face of a pointless console flame war though.
I think somewhere down the line i'll give Live a try. TBH i didnt bother at all with live '14
That bit where you 'defend' your opinion on the ps4 being a more powerful console ; it factually IS the more powerful console so no worries there mate. I realize you wrote it as such to act like an extinguisher in the face of a pointless console flame war though.
I think somewhere down the line i'll give Live a try. TBH i didnt bother at all with live '14
# 9
Tomba @ Nov 5
^Thank you for Reading! Thank you for checking out my view review. The more time i spend with the title I admire it for what it is though its very tough to love kinda like a dog that bites you or a cat that scratches you or a woman who yells at you lol its just TOUGH TO LOVE
Tomba
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