Can they redeem the court?
I’ve been playing NBA Live games ever since the 2000 edition on the first PlayStation. I wasn’t really into NBA at that time, but the controls were surprisingly simple. I had more fun building characters and a team of my own to lead to victory.
In a way, video games introduced me to the actual sport. So, it wasn’t like I was a basketball fanatic who knew all the players and the in-depth statistics behind each one. I loved how NBA Live was fun yet simplistic. Because it introduced me to the sport, I saw different ways people loved interacting with it, from creating their own fantasy league to sports betting online, there were many different ways it was loved and I could understand why people wanted to go back time and time again, whilst being involved in discussions online and offline.
When I told my friends that I was playing this game, they immediately recommended I try the 2K games. I did try one edition of 2K, but I can’t remember which. However, I do remember being turned off by it.
People often tell me that 2K’s basketball games were more “realistic” than Live’s because the latter is supposedly more dumbed down. Well, I’m not afraid to admit that I like things simple.
If I was a basketball addict, I might prefer 2K’s more but I’m not. I am a casual gamer at heart. I’m the same way with RPGs, which is why I love games that are simplified like in Mass Effect 2.
Unfortunately, the Live franchise was in a hiatus for several years leaving 2K to dominate. I think I bought NBA 2K11, 2K12, and 2K13 but I didn’t bond with those games for a long time. I remember playing the Live games for one whole summer. I think I would play the “dynasty” mode for ten years.
Now that NBA Live ’14 is scheduled for release this November, I’m wondering if they have what it takes to get back in the game. I’m surely hoping that it does and that it tries to still have the same appeal it had from the past.
I’ve seen Live’s MyPlayer equivalent called Rising Star from articles and videos around the internet. I’m hoping that they are going to add their own flavor to this mode instead of blatantly copying their rival. Other screenshots seem to prove that they are going a different direction, but I want to see it for myself.
The weird thing is not much is known about NBA Live ’14 and it’s just one month away from release. I mean sure there’s information out there, but it isn’t as out there as 2K14.
The obvious and safe choice is to go with NBA 2K14, but I’ve made up my mind and I will pre-order NBA Live ’14 instead. I’ve read a lot of reviews saying that this year’s game isn’t that all different from 2K13.
I find getting NBA Live ’14 more exciting since there’s less chance of them copying their previous game (NBA Live ’10) that came out 3 to 4 years ago. With 2K, I already know what I am going to get. The former could either be terrible or amazing, but at least it’s a surprise.
Check out NBA Live ’14 gameplay trailer here:
