With Leaps and bounds the NBA Live Series makes a huge comeback!
User Rating: 9.5 | NBA Live 08 X360
NBA Live 08 is by no means perfect. But has it grown and improved... absolutely! It has improved so much, that even though I love basketball, and played Live every year, with a small hiatus to 2K (During 06 I think), this is the first time I have experienced no new disappointments. I haven't started a franchise yet (which will always be a disappointment until they 'Maddenize' it), but played through one entire game (8 min. quarters). It is smooth, and beautiful. The animations are fantastic, especially the little things like a player pointing out an assist, or 'raising the roof' to get the crowd going. The sound quality, effects, and commentary are above and beyond all other basketball games i've ever encountered. In my opinion, a lot of this game is about the little things; like how the crowd will chant your team's name, or how late i the game the crowd explodes after a big bucket. Player models are the best i've seen... in any sports game. I know a lot of people bash this series, but it has improved by leaps and bounds. I still have to learn the intricacies of the post game, go-to moves, and freestyle dribbling, but i totally look forward to doing so. The overall presentation of this game is phenomenal. The accurate look of go-to moves really makes this far more real and exciting. I also took a peak at the 3-Point shoot-out which i've always enjoyed as a break from the regular gameplay. Overall:
Graphics: 9/10
Animation: 9/10
Commentary: 10/10
Sound Effects: 10/10
Game-Play: 8.5/10 (Luke Ridanour is NOT a 36 ppg player)
Modes: 7/10 (an estimate... franchise in BBall games are always below par)
Menus & Navigation: 8/10
Improvement over all other next gen versions: 10/10
Fun:10/10
