NBA Live 19

NBA Live 19 continues to trend in the correct direction in terms of overall success. The product on the court plays a fun and excellent game of basketball thanks to Real Player Motion. It might not be as detailed and sim-focused as NBA 2K, but it offers all the options needed to compete. In terms of career modes, nothing touches The One. Varying ways to make your player better while playing online with or against other players is fun. It’s also not behind a micro-transaction wall, either. The One, however, is still where the money is and inevitably is leaving the actual NBA modes an afterthought. Players still want an innovative Franchise Mode.

NBA Live 19 finally steps out of the shadows of the competition and makes a name for itself as the best "basketball" game on the market, as opposed to the best "NBA" game.

NBA Live 19 fully expands on its The One mode while adding a little more weight and momentum to its actual gameplay. While its in-game presentation and distinct style of gameplay might turn off players looking for a strict basketball sim, NBA Live 19 consistently rewards players for actually playing without trying to gouge them for more money.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked playing NBA Live 19. The core basketball game and its various modes offer plenty of chances to have a fun basketball experience. The new animation system makes action on the court look and act more realistic than ever, and a robust training mode gives plenty of opportunity to improve. Unfortunately, lifeless, canned commentary and little in the way of capturing the feel of basketball culture holds NBA Live 19 back. In the world of basketball games, it’s the Eastern Conference to 2K’s Western Conference – good, but at the end of the season, the odds are heavily in the opponent’s favor.

NBA Live 19 is another step forward on the path to redemption for this franchise. NBA 2K may still be too far, but this game has now its own identity.

I’m inclined to give it all the benefit of the doubt in the world, and to say that it’s still worth checking out if you’re a basketball fan. I’m all for competition, and that competition is undeniably shrinking the gap between NBA Live and NBA 2K. But the reality is, as far as this game has come, it still has a ways to go before it can be considered a true equal.

NBA Live has found its own identity, instead of fighting the rival. The gameplay is perfect in short game sessions, but the long-lasting management practice has to be updated.

NBA Live 19 is a good episode for the franchise with an immersive and fun gameplay. The game is pleasant and easy to handle, but the formula lacks of realism, gameplaywise, and the Career mod still needs some work to be a great success.

With an overall smooth gameplay and a fresh The One mode, NBA Live 19 does enough to distinguish itself from competitors, but it does not rise above as the best simulation basketball game of the year. For those who much prefer a casual playing experience, NBA Live 19 has got you covered.

We hoped for a step forward, but what we found is a Harden's step back for EA's franchise. As with last year's game, it's not a bad basketball game, but not good enough considering the competition in NBA 2K. A lack of improvements is its primary weakness, being a too iterative offering.

As expected, NBA Live 19 it's a fairly interesting basket sim with an arcade tuning thrown in it. The CPU AI isn't perfect by any means, but in spite of that it's a fine basketball game.

Electronic Arts has managed to deliver yet another solid entry to the NBA Live franchise. Despite the fact that there are still some rough edges and that the game certainly has room to grow, the gameplay has been refined and ‘The One’ is even better than it was before. It may not be on par with other elite sports games, but NBA Live 19 still is a good and fun basketball game.

There are many things to appreciate in this year’s installment of NBA Live. The addition of mixed gender rosters, female created players, the introduction of Court Battles, and the new commentary team all help the game keep pace with their previous improvements. It is not going to raise the quality bar anytime soon, but they’ve managed to deliver an authentic NBA experience. If you’re looking for a solid alternative to 2K’s offering, look no further.

While the series is still far from perfection and the direct competitor is always fierce, NBA Live 19 is another step in the right direction.

EA takes baby steps in refining the gameplay while adding enough content to keep you entertained for quite a while. The entry barrier for new players is pretty low, which should be beneficial to the game's community. Oddly though, the graphics are of a lesser quality than last year's iteration and the commentary is still off.

Though lacking in polish in some areas and simply outclassed by the NBA 2K series in others, NBA Live 19 seems to have finally carved the series a niche in the basketball game market. It’s less of an NBA game and more of a street basketball one, but if the modes that come out of this transition are this fun, what’s the problem?

NBA Live 19 is slowly closing the gap with NBA 2K19 the giant. The game chose a more spectacular path, more fun to basketball fans and it's pretty successful.

NBA Live is a series currently in the shadow of the almighty 2K, but with this year's entry there are signs that things could be changing. Yes it's not as good as it should and much more work needs to be done, but there truly is a place in the market for a more casual basketball game.

All in all, NBA Live 19 is a solid tip-toe towards what I think could be a great competitor in the basketball video game world. Even though The One is excellent and should be played, everything else is lacking and feels phoned-in. If EA were to put as much effort and innovation into their other modes as they did with The One, they’d have a real contender for best basketball sim out there. But please (please) change the shot meter.

In the end, any progress made, whether it’s leveling up my player or regaining control of my court, just feels aimless. If I’m simply being rewarded with cosmetic options, I don’t see the point of furthering my character’s career.

NBA Live 19 is currently chasing NBA 2K19 as far as relevance is concerned, but it's also paving a path all its own. Live’s addition of real streetball/pro-am courts, leagues like Dykman and Drew League, as well as the WNBA presence are a welcome addition to the hoops simulator world. With improved gameplay mechanics, a future version of NBA Live could actually compete for the crown.

NBA Live 19 has provided a fun, slightly hybrid arcade/simulation style of basketball that works well on the court. There is still room to add features and improve some aspects of the gameplay, but the series has taken some long strides in the right direction since rebooting. That is good news for hoops fans such as myself, who feel that some healthy competition is a good thing.

If EA can branch out of the canned animations to make the controls more responsive, the already decent gameplay could take a dramatic leap forward. The core at the heart of NBA Live still shows promise, but chalk this one up to a year of growing pains.

While NBA Live 19 is a definite improvement over NBA Live 18, it still has a lot of the same issues that have bogged down the series in the past. On the bright side, Live has risen to a respectable level, and it can be a fun game, with flaws that hurt the realism. On a whole, it is too inconsistent to be considered elite. This was a year where the franchise expected to make a huge leap from doormat to contender, but it still falls short of the postseason.