The latest installment of the Ea Sports NBA Live franchise, NBA Live 15 gives gamers a new found feel to arcade vs simulation.
VISUALS:
NBA Live 15 has made a full 360 in comparison to the lacking graphics of it's previous installment.
Face Scanning-
The EA Sports team worked vigorously, around the clock to scan as many faces into the game as possible before release, and continue to scan players as well as repair them throughout the season with patch updates. Players like Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, Paul George, James Harden, among others, really show how detailed the new scanning process that video games have evolved into. Still, for the guys who didn't get scanned, such as Chris "Birdman" Andersen or Taj Gibson for example, provide an eye sore for the game when certain cut scenes show them. But don't be alarmed. As the faces are scanned, Devs like Connor Dougan and Ryan Santos, are gathering each scan and bundling them for the next patch, little or big.
Accessories and Shoes-
The team scanned nearly every accessory and shoe to provide exact player likeness and more of a variety for your Jordan Rising Star. EA flaunted their kick game on all social media outlets and the response was legendary. Fans saw, Jordan brand, nike, under armour, and addidas shoes consisting of every signature shoe worn by their favorite players. From the KD 7 to the Kobe 9, fans saw all the hardwork that the devs had put in.
Courts and Arenas-
Using full venue scanning, the EA team managed to recreate every arena for NBA Live 15. From the parquet at TD Garden, to the correct scoreboard at Madison Sqaure Garden, NBA Live 15 has the best courts of any NBA basketball videogame to date.
Crowd-
NBA Live 15 adapted a concept used in every EA Sports game this season, Living Worlds. The crowd reacts to any and everything taking place on the court, in the huddle, etc. Authenticity in the PA Announcers, updating fans on tickets for the next home game, or just getting the crowd excited, it gives the game more realism. Something that was just found out today, ( via @IzzySnowHD ) when playing with the Houston Rockets in Staples as the Lakers, anytime the ball hits Dwight Howard's hands, the crowd will boo. Gives the game so much more realism.
Rim, Net, Net Physics, Stanchion-
The rim on NBA Live 15 is accurate, but doesn't differ from that of NBA Live 14. In the same manner, the net, as well as net physics are the same as 14 with little to no changes. Nearly every shot is a swish, with no change in the sound the twine makes. The stanchion of the goal looks great, including little details in the padding that glimmer with the lighting. The backboard is detailed, and when changing perspectives, you can see the dirt and stains over the board which adds realism.
Player Models and uniforms-
NBA Live 15 offers 6 different body types that were matched according to the player. However, EA Sports yet again didn't take into account Wingspans In order to achieve 100% player likeness. Guys like Kevin Durant, pre patch, who are thin and lanky, were buff and filled out. The waist and torso area on players seem flat and lifeless, with each player looking nearly the same. Jerseys have been scanned, but have more of a replica Nba.com look to them. The jerseys move only one way, which is also the same as live 14, as well as shorts movement. Calf muscles look cartoonish and too much like live 14. Socks look better, but you can only see the details in replay mode.
PRESENTATION:
ESPN presentation-
Presentation in NBA Live 15 follows the paper trail of live 14 word for word. With a few additions, such as the teams logo along with the top 3 players on each team in the opening segment along with improved Starting Lineup presentation, not much has changed. The halftime and Postgame show have been given a SportsCenter look, which looks cool, but the complection is still live 14. Cut scenes are non existent in this game. This game visually is aesthetic and deserves some stage time, but lack of camera angles and cut scenes doesn't do the game justice as far as showing off these improved visuals.
Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy commentary-
The commentary in NBA Live 15 is improved but still lifeless to say the least. With many segments of awkward silence and little to no new phrases, the dialogue between the two becomes hackneyed and a bit annoying.
GAMEPLAY:
One of the main focuses for the team this season was Gameplay. Last year, there was no fluidity on either side of the ball, which led to canned animations and awkward movements. Dunks were easier than Layups and no one could play defense. This year, rag doll physics and physics in the paint allow for more unprectable animations to happen wherever on the court. Dunks are limited, but I've seen guys like Damian Lillard and Ty Lawson posterize bigs more than one time in a sitting. Layups in the paint are 9-10 gonna go in with little to no roll outs or misfires. Jumpshots look fluid, for certain players. Lebron James jumper on NBA Live 15 is as accurate as it will come. With the lean he puts on his shot and that high arc, it's on point with his real life counter part. Kevin Durant's jumper is a bit off, due to no wingspans in the game. From certain angles it looks good, mostly on stop and pop scenarios, but for the most part it needs fixing. The same applies for all other players in re game. Some look fluid, others have 3 parts to them like a mason plumlee free throw. Free throws are improved, but only a few charity stripe rituals are shown. For me, a guy keen on detail, in my opinion, the presentation of the free throws as well as few rituals ruin the game as a simulation. It feels rushed when players are at the line. In real life, when a guy goes to the line, ESPN can check the schedule board or show stats from a previous game, etc. NBA Live doesn't do this. It feels rushed. Player morphing is bad on this game. During cut scenes players walk into one another and seem to move right through them. Come on EA, this 2014. Madden got rid of that issue years ago, and it shouldn't be any problem for EA to reduce if not get rid of the issue as a whole. Clipping is a minuscule problem, you catch it probably a handful of times a game, maybe. The ragdoll physics cut this issue down and allow for realistic collisions and bodily reactions based on speed, movement and direction. Overall, the game is fun to play and addicting at that. I tuned into a stream by (@Meechie911310) and saw the last few seconds. The game was tied, he inbounded to Chris Paul who turned around and drained it from 26 ft out. The game went to overtime where he beat the CPU on the highest difficulty. He explained on the stream how the game, even though arcade style with mixed simulation sprinkled in, the game is fun. It keeps you guessing till the final buzzer. However, 3 point shooting in live is too easy. Players like John Salmons or even chris paul, are able to go 5-8 easily in a game. Overall, the gameplay is improved, but I still see assets from live 14 in the game that should have been overhauled.
MODES:
Jordan Rising Star-
Jordan rising star essentially plays the same as live 14 rising star. Little player faces to choose from, along with no form of face scanning technology.
LUT-
Live ultimate team is fun. With the addition of auction house, players can trade and collect in order to build the perfect 15 man wrecking crew.
NBA REWIND & Big Moments-
2 modes that carried over to sophomore year are the big moments challenges and nba rewind.
Dynasty-
From the looks of it, dynasty mode is Inovative and continues to excel.
OVERALL & SCORE:
NBA LIVE 15 has jumped vastly from is previous predecessor NBA Live 14. I give NBA Live 15 a 7.13 out of 10. With the changes made to 15, I can't wait to see what EA has in store for NBA Live 16.
"The Game is fun, keeps you guessing till the final buzzer"
"NBA Live 15 has the best courts of any Basketball videogame to date".