With the sports wars heating up between Sega’s ESPN
franchises and EA Sports on consoles, each side is putting on their A game in an
effort to get the upper hand. The 2005 model of EA’s NBA Live series features
some nice touches, including great new gameplay modes that showcase an
arcade-style approach to basketball, with slam dunk and three-point contests
highlighting the new modes. Now the PC version is hitting stores offering the
usual PC graphical tweaks and the same gameplay as the console versions. While
the actual game is pretty similar to last year’s version of Live, the new modes
add a cool new level to the gameplay.
NBA Live 2005 offers the same kind of fast paced
arcade-style gameplay that the series is becoming known for. The game, of
course, features updated rosters for each NBA team for the 2004-2005 season,
which is a given. However, the players don’t really have stats according to
their real life abilities (Shaq’s better overall than Tim Duncan? I don’t buy
it.) and feel a bit randomized in terms of their overall statistics.
NBA Live 2005 also features the smooth Freestyle ball
handling controls found in a good share of EA Sports titles this year. In Live
2005, by pushing a direction on the right thumbstick on your gamepad (assuming
you have a good dual analog stick gamepad, which you’re going to need for this
game) your player will perform a spin move to get past the defense to get to the
basket. This is very handy, and in a realistic touch, your player will only be
able to perform these tricks if they are good at ball handling, otherwise they
will lose the ball or get it stolen by the other team.
Another great element in the control department is EA’s
new Off-the-ball controls, which allow you to position and control another
player other than the one with the ball, in order to get them into scoring
position near the basket while the computer AI takes over dribbling duties.
However, the most noticeable additions to the gameplay
stem from the new All-Star Weekend modes. In All-Star Weekend, you can partake
in three-point shootouts and slam dunk contests. While there isn’t a whole lot
to the three-point shootouts (simply reach over and grab a ball and then shoot
it, no real skill required), the slam-dunk contests are really deep and
complex. You must hone your take-off, the actual trick that you perform and the
finish. At the end of your dunk, you get scored on your level of skill and
creativity. There are a ton of different ways to tweak your dunk in the air and
all kinds of ways to get high marks. The All-Star Weekend also has a Rookie
Showcase, where you can team up the rookie stars from this year against last
year’s, and of course the All-Star Game.
The graphics engine looks fantastic on the PC. The
player models are chock-full of detail and look a lot like who they’re supposed
to be. There are all kinds of nice on court details, like player reflections,
and the animations look great. The fans in the stands still look like 2D
cardboard cutouts blowing in the wind however.
The sound effects are also quite good. The commentary is
spot on, especially in the slam-dunk contest, and the music courtesy of EA Trax
is a good mix of new and old school rap, featuring cuts from Will.I.Am and MC
Lyte to name two.
Much like last year’s game, NBA Live 2005 delivers a
solid game of arcade-style hoops. While the game is lighter in simulation than
many people would hope, it still stands as the best basketball entry on the PC
this year.
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Review |
Gameplay: 8.5
The gameplay is
pretty much the same as last year’s Live, featuring fast paced arcade-style
gameplay and Freestyle control. The coolest new features are the freestyle
dunks and the NBA All-Star Weekend, which gives you the ability to play through
a variety of different gameplay modes, like a dunking contest and a three-point
shootout.
Graphics: 9.0
The PC version has a
layer of polish that gives it a much cleaner look than the console versions. The
character models look and move very realistically, and the courts look great.
Sound: 9.0
NBA Live 2005
features some great dynamic commentary provided by Marv Albert, Mike Fratello,
Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson. The soundtrack is pretty good, containing tracks
by The D.O.C., MC Lyte and many others.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.5
Live 2005 main game
doesn’t deviate from Live 2004 a whole lot, but the All-Star Weekend modes are a
great touch.
Multiplayer: 8.5
NBA Live 2005 features the same kind of multiplayer as last year’s entry, with
two-player modes on one PC and online play.
Overall: 8.7
NBA Live 2005 adds the necessary
graphical and control tweaks to make it recommendable over last year’s game, and
even goes the extra mile with the All-Star Weekend game modes. Especially
considering that ESPN NBA 2k5 is a console exclusive, NBA Live 2005 is the game
to get if you are a basketball fan with a PC.
