NBA Live 16 News Post

NBA Live 16 Review

11:06 AM - October 3, 2015 by RaychelSnr

NBA Live 16 is the best game the series has seen in over half a decade. It is reliably fun, has a few decent game modes, including the surprisingly well-made Summer Circuit, and does not attempt to reinvent the wheel of basketball simulation.

Despite large strides, the game still has a tendency to look and feel like a chicken with its head cut off. There is hardly ever any consistency -- whether it be clunky commentary or odd decisions on the part of the CPU -- and it starts to take away from the fun if you're looking for a true simulation experience.

The series certainly is not where it needs to be this year, but NBA Live 16 is not a bad game to keep building on moving forward.

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Game: NBA Live 16Reader Score: 5.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: PS4 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 4 - View All

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Member Comments

# 1 Flightwhite24 @ 10/03/15 11:10 AM

Good review. I can agree with most that is written here.

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# 2 Earl1963 @ 10/03/15 11:20 AM

Good review, loving the game myself.

# 3 sactown_13 @ 10/03/15 11:54 AM

While I wont be buying this year, I am glad to see the series moving in a positive direction. I hope for good competition in the future.

# 4 CEOHaize @ 10/03/15 12:33 PM

I'll be buying this. Probably around the all star break when the price drops. I really wish they'd just make the pro am avaiable for download.

# 5 scottyp180 @ 10/03/15 12:43 PM

This review seems to hit on the true pros and cons of game. It is a basketball game that is easy to learn and play, offers the typical mode expected of a sports game but lacks the depth of other games in the genre. Not a bad game by any means but impressions will come down to expectations. If you are expecting a deep, simulation experience you'll be disappointed but if you are looking for a basketball game that is fun, easy to learn and play, and has the modes you expect with demanding a lot from the user then this might be a game to look at.

I've only played the trial version, which is essentially the retail game, and have had fun with it. Live won't be my go to basketball game this year but if and when I can pick it up on sale (i.e black friday) ilill definitely invest sometime into it, especially the Pro-AM, Summer Circuit mode.

# 6 Buckeye2422 @ 10/03/15 12:46 PM

I'm really torn on whether I should be Live or 2K. I loved Live back on the 90's but ever since Dreamcast I've been playing 2K.

I rented 2K16 and played the live 16 demo and don't know which one I should buy. 2K is solid but I think I am ready for something different. Even though 2K looks great and plays good I think it might be too much of a true simulation for me. I'm a casual basketball fan and I don't normally run plays on offense so in that sense I think live would appeal to me more.

I don't like to it to be all dunks and 3's but the live gameplay in the demo is much more fun on offense than 2K. How is the gameplay in Live compared to how it is in the demo? More importantly, how is the online play in Live in standard games? Is it a dunk and three point fest or is t a little more balanced? Any lag? How are the connections.

I think I'm leaning toward buying live, I just find it more fun hitting the threes more regularly and a few more dunks, I just don't want it to be all offense.

# 7 TreyIM2 @ 10/03/15 12:48 PM

After playing the demo, reading opinions and now this review, I decided not to relive the 'glory days' of purchasing 2 sports games of the same sport. I'll stick to 2K16 this year but will see what next year brings for Live because I really like the potential here in 16 but can't deal with the AI and repetitive animations issues I'm reading about.

# 8 SeaTownGamer @ 10/03/15 01:55 PM

If EA wants this franchise to succeed they need to snap out of their company model as seen in all of their sports games where gameplay is not the focal point but instead they choose gimmicks and the casual crowd who can just pick and play without any NBA or basketball knowledge instead of the sim heads. For once they need to snap out of that mindset and target true basketball fans who knows the sport.

I've been playing EA Sports basketball games since Bulls vs Blazers and I;m going to be honest when I say none of their games has ever been sim. Yes I admit NBA Live 95 and Live 99 were fun as hell but they weren't sim. NBA Showdown was one of my favorites in the 90s. So much memories with that game but it wasn't sim. Name ONE, I dare you guys to name just ONE EA Basketball Sports game that feels sim? Lakers vs Celtics? Nope. NBA Showdown? Try again NBA Live 95? Keep guessing. NBA Live 99? Notta. NBA Live 2005? No chance in hell. NBA Live 10 probably comes closest and that's not saying much.

Another gripe I have for all EA Sports games and it's not just for NBA Live but for ALL THEIR SPORTS GAMES is that EVERY CPU TEAMS PLAYS THE SAME. This has been plaguing their sports games for the longest.. C'mon now in real life the Golden State Warriors do not play like the Cleveland Cavs or Miami Heat. People have been complaining about specific team styles in Madden, Fifa, and NHL games for years and it still hasn't been addressed. I pray the developers put emphasis in it next year but I am not having high hopes. Matter of fact I am tired of saying next year because I been saying it for the past decade or even longer. It's an eyesore seeing the Seattle Sounders play the same style as the German National team in Fifa. This has to be addressed in all their sports games.

Bottom line: Developers, if u are reading this please try your best to make a Sim basketball game and I promise they will come. It's time to neglect the casual gamers and give the sim heads what they want. You've already experimented with trying to please the casual crowd the past 15 years and it's didn't work. You guys have deeper pockets than 2K so there shouldn't be any excuse to why it's not on the competition's level at this point.

# 9 Dazraz @ 10/03/15 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaTownGamer


	If EA wants this franchise to succeed they need to snap out of their company model as seen in all of their sports games where gameplay is not the focal point but instead they choose gimmicks and the casual crowd who can just pick and play without any NBA or basketball knowledge instead of the sim heads. For once they need to snap out of that mindset and target true basketball fans who knows the sport. I've been playing EA Sports basketball games since Bulls vs Blazers and I;m going to be honest when I say none of their games has ever been sim. Yes I admit NBA Live 95 and Live 99 were fun as hell but they weren't sim. NBA Showdown was one of my favorites in the 90s. So much memories with that game but it wasn't sim. Name ONE, I dare you guys to name just ONE EA Basketball Sports game that feels sim? Lakers vs Celtics? Nope. NBA Showdown? Try again NBA Live 95? Keep guessing. NBA Live 99? Notta. NBA Live 2005? No chance in hell. NBA Live 10 probably comes closest and that's not saying much. Another gripe I have for all EA Sports games and it's not just for NBA Live but for ALL THEIR SPORTS GAMES is that EVERY CPU TEAMS PLAYS THE SAME. This has been plaguing their sports games for the longest.. C'mon now in real life the Golden State Warriors do not play like the Cleveland Cavs or Miami Heat. People have been complaining about specific team styles in Madden, Fifa, and NHL games for years and it still hasn't been addressed. I pray the developers put emphasis in it next year but I am not having high hopes. Matter of fact I am tired of saying next year because I been saying it for the past decade or even longer. It's an eyesore seeing the Seattle Sounders play the same style as the German National team in Fifa. This has to be addressed in all their sports games. Bottom line: Developers, if u are reading this please try your best to make a Sim basketball game and I promise they will come. It's time to neglect the casual gamers and give the sim heads what they want. You've already experimented with trying to please the casual crowd the past 15 years and it's didn't work. You guys have deeper pockets than 2K so there shouldn't be any excuse to why it's not on the competition's level at this point.

Spot on in every detail.

# 10 bxphenom7 @ 10/03/15 03:18 PM

Good to see Live is still continuing the comeback. I'm surprised EA is still behind the series. It really can't sell that much for EA of all companies to keep the series alive. Hope it's given the whole gen to improve and not just scrapped.

# 11 iClutch @ 10/03/15 04:59 PM

I'm not sold on 2K16 and want something "fresh", I feel like this might be it. Great review guys.

# 12 juicey79 @ 10/03/15 07:13 PM

I can't believe 20 years sgo live was what 2k is now....ill get a price drop

# 13 Playmakers @ 10/03/15 07:30 PM

I purchased the game for full price but I agree with the review it's not worth $60 bucks considering there are so many things missing.

Last year i was able to scoop it up for $30 bucks around black friday so i would suggest anyone that is on the edge of purchasing this game and they ar just not sure yet maybe holding out for another 1-2 months might be worth it because the game would a bargain around $25-30 bucks this year.

# 14 SeaTownGamer @ 10/03/15 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juicey79


	I can't believe 20 years sgo live was what 2k is now....ill get a price drop

Last great live to me was Live '99 and Live 2000.

# 15 The 24th Letter @ 10/03/15 07:52 PM

Good review fellas...

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# 16 benefactor @ 10/03/15 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMChrisS


	NBA Live 16 is not overly impressive in terms of graphics, but it gets the job done. The lighting is generally pretty good and animations look nice until they've been repeated a hundred times. There is one in particular -- a guard spinning the ball back into their hands after an inbound -- that is repeated so frequently that it's easy to wonder whether or not it's a glitch.

Decent review until this paragraph. Obviously you've put models, lighting and animations all under the one graphics tag but the lighting being 'generally pretty good' is a huge understatement.

It's realistic, varies with camera angles as it should and helps give most stadiums a unique look.

And in general the graphics 'gets the job done' is pretty insulting to the artists on the dev team to be frank. The player models (while some are generic) are in my opinion, the best in all of sports gaming. The lighting, skin tones, body types, convincing and realistic look of tattoos and sweat etc. It's taken the genre to a new level and is a hell of a lot more than just getting the job done.

And for a series that has publicly stated its long term plan, it's hard to give much respect to your review when you don't reference the changes, improvements and even omissions from 14 and 15.

Food for thought I guess.

# 17 iClutch @ 10/03/15 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaTownGamer


	Last great live to me was Live '99 and Live 2000.

Live 2004-5 are the best ones IMO.

People slept on NBA Live 10, too.

# 18 Luke Skywalker @ 10/03/15 10:39 PM

Isn't worth $60 purchase. Good game of basketball but lacks too much.

# 19 Walt Frazier @ 10/03/15 10:51 PM

Great review...nails most areas.

It is hard to fathom how, after three years, they still have so many bad animations in there...the same ones as previously. Surely they could remove them.

How on earth do they remove bank shots...and yet leave in the horrible overhead hook shots from 17 feet? Why make the post game WORSE than live 15?

# 20 rudeworld @ 10/03/15 11:10 PM

...,. Should be the vault by all-star game.

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