On the other hand, Live has a strikingly realistic interior game. Freestyle makes a return here and it’s as a beautiful as ever. I still prefer ESPN’s IsoMotion over Freestyle because it better depicts the two-man game, but EA’s effort does a better job of handling multiple defenders. Instead of breaking down one man you’re able to break down an entire defense en route to the basket. The controls are amazingly intuitive and fluid, leading to a seamless experience from the floor to the hoop. The main addendum to Freestyle is the “freestyle air” function which mimics ESPN’s feature. It allows you to change your shot in mid-air in hopes of deterring defenders. It works decently but the need to double tap makes it too much of a hassle at-times. In regards to ESPN, Live focuses more in the interior game and the action down in the paint. To further accentuate this, EA offers up separate buttons for jump shots and interior shots. Too often in ESPN you’ll be close to the hoop only to have the shooter pull up for a full fledged jumpshot. In Live this never happens because you have full control over the action. Simply press the X button and you’ll perform a lay-up or a full blown dunk.
Live’s referees also do a much better job of policing the action on the court. On most drives to the basket there will be contact and in most circumstances the ref will blow the whistle. More often than not the game will favor the shooter but that’s the way it generally is in real life. All of the fouls and free throws slow down the game’s pace to a crawl but it’s more realistic in regards to the actual sport. Speaking of free throws, I like Live’s system much more than ESPN’s. While ESPN requires you to use the shoulder buttons to bring two arches together, Live sticks to the traditional two-click system. In a nice move, the indicators move along the backboard, negating the need for a separate free throw interface.
I like the game’s look but there’s one aspect that really bothers me. Have you ever seen those commercials where the director places a 3D rendered character into a real-life backdrop? Well that’s what NBA Live’s look reminds me of. All of the players are really well rendered, but it’s to the point where they actually stick out from the rest of the game’s look. Great graphics start from the ground level and emanate all around; they don’t just start and end with one facet of the product. Players actually have a surrealistic halo around them that draws your eyes to their outlines, further separating them from the rest of the action. It’s a very strange look that I never could quite get out of my system.
Presentation has really improved by leaps and bounds as of late, just look at
ESPN Football 2K5 if you want an example. EA used to be the king of presentation but it’s really faltered as of late, especially in the Live franchise. Most of the graphics are really unappealing and the stats are too cluttered to make out. I like how you’ll see little updates throughout the course of the action but stats like “Lakers are on a 28-24 run” really aren’t all that interesting. Another aspect where the presentation falters is in the replay department. Most of the time the game will cut to action well after the play has happened. This leads to replays where you’ll catch the tail end of a play, only to see the player come down to the court after a dunk. The overall presentation isn’t bad but it’s not quite up to par with ESPN 2K5’s.
Page 2 of 3
