Difference in Opinion

Tighten those laces and rub the heels of your shoes, EA hit the nail on the head with this year’s NBA LIVE. They teamed with ESPN to integrate an amazing On Demand service right in the game. That combined with other new features, solid game play and great graphics make this a great sports game worth your attention.

NBA Live 08 does a great job of presenting itself as a solid basketball game first, and side features second. The graphics, game play, and game modes are what shape this game. On top of it all, there are all sorts of added features like ESPN On Demand and a number of different game modes that round this out to a great game. Also for the first time, players can represent a country and play in the FIBA World Championship.

What would a sports game be without some sort of dynasty mode? It is expected, and is always under the magnifying glass of gamers. This year’s game offers new “Dynasty Scenarios” which will notify you of important scenarios taking place, such as owner feedback, injuries, and nail-biter games. Your simulation will be interrupted with these alerts that need your attention. It allows for you to simulate parts of the and not miss out on crucial moments.

One of the side features of this game that I had a lot of fun playing around with is the ESPN On Demand. You can get videos, articles and audio updates about any sport, team or conference by navigating through a few simple menus. A ticker scrolls along the bottom of the screen when you are in the main menu that shows game scores, breaking news, and your friends that recently got online. While playing on the practice court (background of the main menu), periodic video updates will pop up on screen giving recaps of recent NBA games. The On Demand feature is not necessary to the game at all, but it sure does add a lot of replay to the game. Think of it as icing on the cake.

This years NBA LIVE is just as solid as the previous years, but has quite a few more features that may be the breaking point for people looking to grab a basketball title. While it is a must own for any basketball fan, any sports fan should be able to appreciate it.

Final Score
Gameplay: 8 out of 10
Graphics: 9 out of 10