NBA Live 15

 Xbox One
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 51
  3. Negative: 12 out of 51
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  1. AgentICE
    Oct 30, 2014
    7
    NBA Live 15 is back and 100% better than last year--last year was a pretty bad showing. I honestly feel like the gameplay has improved enough for this game to be fun to play. It's not perfect, but EA is still updating things on the fly, like face scans, uniforms, and animations--not many games are updating like this or promise to update throughout the year. While NBA 2K is the basketballNBA Live 15 is back and 100% better than last year--last year was a pretty bad showing. I honestly feel like the gameplay has improved enough for this game to be fun to play. It's not perfect, but EA is still updating things on the fly, like face scans, uniforms, and animations--not many games are updating like this or promise to update throughout the year. While NBA 2K is the basketball game to beat, NBA Live is not a bad alternative for those who are tired of the issues that plague that title. The modes needs work, Ultimate Team is watered down compared to FIFA or Madden (I'm not sure why that is), gameplay is almost ready for primetime (give it two-three years), and graphics have been tremendously improved. The Demo is out. Take it for a spin and make up your own mind. I would have preferred if Live was delayed another three years--just come back when the game is crazy good instead of limping along at the start, then improving every year, but that's just me. If you are an old fan of Live, you just might like this on...it's growing on me.… Expand
  2. Kevin26385
    Nov 2, 2014
    7
    NBA Live 15 is a lot more enjoyable than NBA Live 14, but NBA Live 15 stills fall short in a lot of categories. The team clearly focused on graphics and cleaning up the gameplay. Unfortunately, the game modes are lacking depth because of this.

    Gameplay I am really enjoying the gameplay experience with Live the more I play it. However, this is from a casual basketball gamer perspective.    NBA Live 15 is a lot more enjoyable than NBA Live 14, but NBA Live 15 stills fall short in a lot of categories. The team clearly focused on graphics and cleaning up the gameplay. Unfortunately, the game modes are lacking depth because of this.

    Gameplay
    I am really enjoying the gameplay experience with Live the more I play it. However, this is from a casual basketball gamer perspective. I don't think Live better represents basketball than 2K, but I do enjoy playing Live more which is what gaming is all about. I am enjoying the ball handling and how fluid the controls are when setting up a play or setting up an opponent to blow right past them. I love having feedback every time I shoot the ball so I know how to adjust depending on which player I am controlling. I do feel like the post game needs work. I feel like the defenders in the post don't have any urgency and just wait too long to react to the offensive player.

    Graphics
    The most noticeable upgrade right from the start is the graphics. All of the marquee players have face scans and their body builds have been adjusted. Hopefully EA can continue improving in this field and eventually update the game so even the players deep on the bench get the same treatment as the marquee athletes. I have noticed a decent amount of clipping issues. I have seen hands go through bodies and hands go through the backboard.

    Presentation
    ESPN is back which is great, but nothing about the presentation excites me anymore aside from the camera angles and crowd noise. The broadcasters are rather boring and the only time they get excited is when they yell BANG after a three pointer. The highlights presented by Rose are great in theory, but the camera angles used are too far away. I will say that I am loving the official ESPN camera which changes based on what arena you are playing in. Also, the crowd is great. They will stand up and go nuts if you hit a clutch three or be totally silent if you are getting blown out on your home court.

    Game Modes
    Live Ultimate Team
    Honestly, I am worn out on these modes and LUT doesn't bring anything new to the table to make me want to invest my time.

    Big Moments
    I am a huge fan of Big Moments. Anytime you can relive a situation that happened the night before in the real NBA is a great experience to have in a video game.

    Online
    I played a couple of games online and they went smooth overall. I noticed some slight slowdown in some areas, but nothing that ruins the experience or hurts your shot mechanics.

    Rising Star
    This mode needs to have a lot done to it to make it an enjoyable experience. The only customization options that are impressive is the shoe selection. You can only choose from 20 or so faces and the lack of hair color/facial features/game face hurt the overall experience since you can't come close to replicating yourself in the game. Not to mention that nothing special really happens in the mode. It's really bare bones for the second year in a row.

    Overall
    I gave NBA Live 14 a 5 and I am giving NBA Live 15 a 7. I truly think this game is fun on the court from a casual perspective and EA just needs to continue working on the game modes and tuning gameplay/graphics to get closer to a complete product. Also, online team play missing again is really not acceptable. I think a lot more people would give this game a chance if they could hop on with 4 buddies and challenge 5 other real opponents.    … Expand
  3. Oblong
    Nov 2, 2014
    8
    Let's get one thing right out of the way, the 2nd next gen iteration of EASPORTS hard court offering is a marked improvement over the prior. While NBA Live '14 wasn't a complete train wreck, it did leave a lot to be desired in the way of realistic game play and variety of modes to play. From what I've played thus far, NBA Live '15 corrects many of the previous deficiencies and provides aLet's get one thing right out of the way, the 2nd next gen iteration of EASPORTS hard court offering is a marked improvement over the prior. While NBA Live '14 wasn't a complete train wreck, it did leave a lot to be desired in the way of realistic game play and variety of modes to play. From what I've played thus far, NBA Live '15 corrects many of the previous deficiencies and provides a much more complete experience that I believe will keep me engaged much longer.

    While many consider the NBA2K basketball game the benchmark, I personally have been a longtime fan of the Live series and yearn to see it return to its greatness of the 1990's. What I really appreciate about the EASPORTS games are their continuity between titles making it easier for me to slip right into the action whether it be creating a pro or managing an "ultimate team". In NBA Live '15 I immediately became interested in these 2 modes aptly named "Rising Star" (create-a-pro) and Live Ultimate Team or LUT for short. Each are very familiar to Madden, NHL, or FIFA players and provide an excellent progression system to keep you engaged and wanting to play one more game to level up or earn coins for packs.

    Beside those single player modes I've also had the chance to play some head-2-head local matches giving me a fair amount of time to comment on the gameplay itself. The controls are responsive and it doesn't take long to get the basics of passing, dribbling, shooting, and defense down. That said, one early complaint is that the tutorials provide only the basics of offense and ignores teaching the more in-depth moves or anything about defending.

    I am hardly a top tier video game b-baller, in fact my deficiencies are one reason I gave up on the 2K series in 2013. On the lower level of NBA Live '15 I was able to hold my own though not necessarily dominate throughout. I'm not sure if it is game design or my own doing but I've seen very realistic "runs" where your team can get hot or cold providing a great ebb and flow to games. Never did I feel I couldn't come back if I played smarter nor did any lead feel safe. While this could be a result of my chosen difficulty level, I did find the AI logic somewhat suspect in the waning moments of a game by their shot selection and clock management. Yes, they do foul when needed, but they also will burn the clock on offense when behind.

    The graphics for NBA Live '15 are much improved over last year with players looking far more realistic and not having that "clay-like" appearance of the past. Crowds and the benches near the court look good and react accordingly as the game dictates. There is still some stuttering in some animations and a little bit of player sliding. I've seen some really cool animations, a fair number of reused ones from last year, as well as some things that may having you scratching your head not sure what you just witnessed. Overall the game itself does a fine job of mimicking something you would watch on ESPN right down to the scrolling halftime breakdowns of hot and cold players, top 3 plays, and more.

    I guess I can best summarize my time with NBA Live '15 as pleasurable but still yearning for more. EA has taken a big step in the right direction with this franchise but it may yet be another year or 2 before it has the ability to fully compete with NBA2K. In some areas, like properly functioning online play and accessibility for casuals, NBA Live is already a worthy option and deserves support to build upon. I can't quite fully recommend this game as a full price title even Though There Is enough content Now to deserve it. If you come across a deal it's certainly worth taking a chance on.    … Expand
  4. KidShowtime
    Oct 29, 2014
    8
    NBA Live took great strides in game play this year. Although, graphically 2K has EA beat (which is rare), EA has such a good handle on the game play; especially the passing and shooting mechanics.

    Initially, I was not a fan of the meter below your player indicating whether or not you are in position for a clear shot, but it was a welcomed visual cue once I got accustomed to it. I was    NBA Live took great strides in game play this year. Although, graphically 2K has EA beat (which is rare), EA has such a good handle on the game play; especially the passing and shooting mechanics.

    Initially, I was not a fan of the meter below your player indicating whether or not you are in position for a clear shot, but it was a welcomed visual cue once I got accustomed to it. I was able to take a quick shot without the need to estimate a player's distance from me.

    I am a huge fan of the menu system; it's quick, clean and very easy to follow. It makes getting in to a game quick and easy. NHL suffers from poor menu structure, and after having almost exclusively played that title for the past while, NBA Live's menu system was a nice change.

    Graphically, as mentioned above, I feel NBA Live lags behind a bit, when compared to 2K. The crowd seems a little too 'perfect' - meaning all of the crowd models are the exact same distance apart, and there's no variation in their distances between each other - or their seats. It might seem like a small detail, but it makes the crowd look like they're all lined up for an assembly, rather than about to cheer on their home team.

    Presentation looks very good, but I saw something I never thought I would complain about; 60FPS overlays. Even on Television, network logo transitions between game play sequences aren't THAT smooth - and the smoothness of the overlays in NBA Live actually take away from the "TV Broadcast" experience. It's an extremely minor detail.

    The new passing mechanics, combined with the quicker passing animations yield a fantastic team experience - and also gives the user some creativity. Alley-oops, picks and even Euro Jumps are quickly executed, and look rather smooth when pulled off correctly.

    Defensively, I have a grip with the 'swat' system - I could never seem to time it right. Fault of the game, or with me? I'm unsure - but it's worth noting that it could use some work.

    Foul calls seem to be bang on, and I'm happy with how they've been called in the 20+ games I've played so far.

    All-in-All, I think EA made a great step in the right direction with NBA Live 15. They still have some stiff competition, but you can't help but notice they are stepping up their game and bringing the franchise back to the front of the minds of Basketball gamers.    … Expand
  5. wargodaris
    Oct 29, 2014
    8
    Very good game! its not 2k yet but its a GREAT improvement from last year! The graphics are very good, most players are better than 2k, presentation is great and the gameplay is different from 2k and is also very enjoyable! I played all my 6hours trial and i think this year will be my basketball game! Hope EA do a great leap next year again and have a solid game!
  6. dleon247
    Oct 29, 2014
    9
    nba live did a great job this year. the graphics and mechanics is good. the gameplay is up to part also. they should add more customization for the my player and a scrimmage also.
  7. GameGuru
    Oct 30, 2014
    8
    Live 15 has it's swagger back. Is it a great game? Not yet, but it's polished. It has superior arena models to 2k. It has superior player models to 2k. It has much more fun gameplay then 2k, and in the end, gameplay is all that really matters. Tiburon did a fantastic job with this game. I can't wait to see what they do next year!
  8. trippyimagez
    Nov 26, 2014
    1
    Figured I would stray from 2k and try out this game, worst decision ever. To start, My Career is a joke, your player starts off being able to drop 20ppg easily. The rating system for your performance regularly doesn't count assists, rebounds or other things. You get no points for helping on defense, you can't switch your man on defense and the AI won't go help to cover your man if youFigured I would stray from 2k and try out this game, worst decision ever. To start, My Career is a joke, your player starts off being able to drop 20ppg easily. The rating system for your performance regularly doesn't count assists, rebounds or other things. You get no points for helping on defense, you can't switch your man on defense and the AI won't go help to cover your man if you break off to double team someone. The AI in general absolutely suck, most teams stand around until the shot clock has 4 seconds left and then either huck up a shot or drive. Oh, you can't miss if you drive either, my player is literally 6'1" and I haven't missed a layup yet. It's literally impossible to get open unless you call for a screen, and if you miss a contested shot (basically every 3-pointer) you lose points in the system. This game is trash, the camera angles suck and the graphics suck. Most of the players faces look like they've been hit with a shovel and then stuck in an oven. I literally made this account to give this review so that you don't make the same mistake I did. Oh yeah, and passing through 3 players is pretty easy, except when your teammate is wide open, then it gets intercepted. The game freezes constantly too. Customization compared to 2k is non-existent.… Expand
  9. BigSmooth2k15
    Oct 29, 2014
    4
    Ill keep this brief EA sports is terrible as of last 2 years and nba live has been terrible that last 2 years. Sure graphics have improved since the last outing but the game almost plays the same as live 14. I still have more fun playing Nba live 10. A threat to 2k?, not but a long shot. In Canada they want $70 for this peice of crap. Sorry no Ill stick with live 10 and Nba 2k at leastIll keep this brief EA sports is terrible as of last 2 years and nba live has been terrible that last 2 years. Sure graphics have improved since the last outing but the game almost plays the same as live 14. I still have more fun playing Nba live 10. A threat to 2k?, not but a long shot. In Canada they want $70 for this peice of crap. Sorry no Ill stick with live 10 and Nba 2k at least they are fun. Its not Nba live anymore its Nba Dead!!!!! Fanboys suck it! Im being 4 real!… Expand
  10. damman
    Oct 29, 2014
    0
    This game is pure I meant pure trash I am so glad that I purchased a used copy then returned it back to Gamestop. This game is sad purely sad that someone one would spend their hard earned money on this piece of crap game. The players look nothing like real NBA players plus the graphics look very out dated the only good thing about this game is the half time show but who cares about thatThis game is pure I meant pure trash I am so glad that I purchased a used copy then returned it back to Gamestop. This game is sad purely sad that someone one would spend their hard earned money on this piece of crap game. The players look nothing like real NBA players plus the graphics look very out dated the only good thing about this game is the half time show but who cares about that when the overall game looks bad. EA please stop making live game 2 more years of this type of game. Get real you suck if you buy this game. Go spend your money on NBA 2k or COD advanced warfare. Worst game of the year for sure. I am giving it a 2 because the halftime show is great but this game stinks. Run as far as you can from this dumb game it's 2014 going on 2015 who wants to buy a game that looks like trash. I would use this game as a soda coaster.… Expand
  11. VexedAnemone
    Mar 2, 2015
    5
    This review will be from a non-basketball obsessive who enjoys sports games and once was a master of NBA jam. NBA live looks fun, players look great, the court looks great, handling looks great but the game itself is a slightly awkward jerky mess which leaves a sour taste in the mouth even if I paid £6.
    I bought this game because it was cheap, and because I always buy sports titles, but    This review will be from a non-basketball obsessive who enjoys sports games and once was a master of NBA jam. NBA live looks fun, players look great, the court looks great, handling looks great but the game itself is a slightly awkward jerky mess which leaves a sour taste in the mouth even if I paid £6.
    I bought this game because it was cheap, and because I always buy sports titles, but on this occasion it was definitely a waste of money. Like FIFA this EA titles suffers from gameplay being second on the agenda for development as well as an almost ludicrous loading time for a game which offers so little. When you’re playing you feel like your team is a stationary mess even if you move them about using the excellent pick animation, although skills are fun, and they are, they aren't really that important to victory, it’s a general EA mantra to not make players useful but to make them homogeneously productive.
    I can’t put you off enough but if you are going to buy this title here’s what I like, it looks brilliant, it really does, the animations on individual players are great, shooting is fun (though it should be, it’s a points game), commentating is strong and skills are fluid. There are also loads of modes which is a great bonus but they really don’t last long due to the appalling gameplay.
    It doesn't feel like basketball just like FIFA 13/14/15..probably 16 doesn't feel like football, but if you’re not after a sim you might enjoy it!

    Sorry EA, the truth is out, it’s in the game, this appalling worthless game.    … Expand
  12. rromero1
    Jan 31, 2015
    10
    WOW!!!!!!! This game is incredible!!!! Great game modes, good presentation, you can't beat Mike Breen and JVG Commentating! Should add slam dunk contest and other features but still better then nab 2k! This is a refreshing new basketball game!
  13. jimboliah7
    Feb 23, 2015
    7
    Overall, 2K is a better game, but Live is closing the gap.

    Things I like about Live 15: 1. Press LT to call for picks on the fly 2. Dirk's hair looks way better in Live than in 2K 3. Dribbling and passing mechanics 4. Frequency of steals vs. fouls 5. Coaches and staff look way better in Live 6. Eurostep 7. Players' arms actually look realistic. In 2K, the players' arms are too    Overall, 2K is a better game, but Live is closing the gap.

    Things I like about Live 15:
    1. Press LT to call for picks on the fly
    2. Dirk's hair looks way better in Live than in 2K
    3. Dribbling and passing mechanics
    4. Frequency of steals vs. fouls
    5. Coaches and staff look way better in Live
    6. Eurostep
    7. Players' arms actually look realistic. In 2K, the players' arms are too skinny.
    8. Ultimate team mode

    Things I don't like about Live 15:
    1. General gameplay inconsistencies
    2. Sometimes alley-oops are really easy, sometimes they are impossible
    3. When players drive to the hoop, strange movements happen
    4. No shot stick
    5. The "good release" point is not in sync with the top of the player's shot (too early!)
    6. The lighting is lacking compared to 2K
    7. Lack of signature shooting forms both during regular play and for free throws
    8. Too many roster update glitches
    9. Bland in-game commentator commentary

    Even though the game has a lot of deficiencies, at the end of the day, it is still fun to play. 7/10    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

78
#78 Best Xbox One Game of 2014
53
#53 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2014
59
#59 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
53

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 3 out of 9
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Jan 6, 2015
    60
    While its core modes are shallower than the competition, NBA Live 15 is breezy and fun to play on the court. [Jan 2015, p.82]
  2. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Dec 2, 2014
    40
    Boring. Abysmal. Buy NBA 2K15. [Issue#118, p.83]
  3. Gaming Age
    Nov 22, 2014
    83
    NBA Live may still not be the best virtual game of basketball out there, but it is certainly worth a look if you are hoping to change up your game, as it looks great, has tons of modes, and is fun to play to boot.
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