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. 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
  4. 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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