NBA Live 14

In its return, NBA Live 14 helps kick off what there is to come for next-gen gaming, but as a representation for sports brands, it’s not the best outing.

NBA Live ’14’s dribbling mechanics (bounceTek) is done well, but the rest of the game needs some work. Bad A.I., dragging controls and subpar next generation looks really don’t do much for a series trying to make a comeback.

NBA Live 14 delivers an unambitious, sporadically exciting basketball simulation held back by its slavish adherence to replicating the televised game.

I can’t recommend that you go out and buy this game.

After several years away, NBA Live returns to the playground with a so-so basketball simulator experience. Half-baked gameplay mechanics and different technical issues ruined the overall experience.

After such a long absence, this is a disappointing effort to say the least. EA has promised that they will remedy many of the predominately visual issues that plague it, but until that or a drastic price drop occurs, there’s simply no reason to own NBA Live 14 with NBA 2K14 in existence.

Sorry kid – maybe next year.

NBA Live 14 isn’t a broken or unplayable game, it’s just not in the same league as the 2K series yet.

The on-court gameplay doesn't look very next-gen-like, especially when compared to its NBA 2K14 counterpart.

While other sports games have slam dunked new-gen, this can't stop dribbling. [Feb 2014, p.74]

Some decent game mechanics are ruined by very poor AI that has little to no idea of what to do most of the time. The audio is poorly put together, and the visuals are decent for the middle of the current generation, not at the beginning of a new one. The ESPN license feels largely wasted in the bare-bones presentation. A few modes are too tedious to be fun.

NBA Live’s flaccid return is made all the more disappointing because we waited three years for it. After all that time, NBA Live 14 in no way advances the basketball sim genre and, worse, leaves little to be optimistic about for next year.

NBA Live is a colossal disappointment in more ways then one; the technical aspects are well below average, the physics and animations are some of the worst we’ve seen this year, the AI is mentally deficient, and worst of all, nothing about this feels real.

Bland, lacklustre and devoid of excitement. Expect it to hit nothing but net as it lands in your local bargain bin. [January 2014, p77]

There's simply nothing here to justify you buying it ahead of 2K's b-ball champ. [Jan 2014, p.84]

As it stands, Live 14 feels like something they cobbled together in about a year. Not for one second do you get the impression EA has harnessed the three-year time-out in any meaningful way. No wonder Kyrie Irving is making a grumpy face on the box of this.

NBA Live 14 is a bungled attempt to produce a viable basketball simulation, and its failures are likely to linger in the minds of players for years to come.

The on-court action is so sloppy and unsatisfying that even rubbing defeat in Carmelo Anthony's face loses its appeal. NBA Live needs serious work in just about every aspect in order to raise its game to a respectable level.

Like an old player attempting a comeback after multiple knee reconstructions and several years away from the game, NBA Live 14 doesn't have enough skill or composure to keep up with the competition.

Its a shame that the core basketball game still feels like it needs another couple of years of polish to even come close to its competitors. For now we are left with a solid lineup of features and a game of basketball thats just not worth anyones time.

After a four year hiatus this is definitely not the NBA game we've been expecting from EA.

Don’t even consider giving this a shot unless you find it very, very cheap.

NBA Live 14 bring some ideas, but that's all. Everything here is disappointing, from gameplay to graphics, animations, AI... Forget about it take back NBA 2K.