Publisher 2K Sports earlier dropped a teaser video of NBA 2K18 — essentially basketball video game’s equivalent of the defending champs — though EA Sports was quick to steal the thunder back with a playable demo of NBA Live 18. But we admit: Those new character models featured in NBA 2K18 look eye-poppingly accurate.
NBA 2K18 teaser video
Which is good and all for the highly rated title. Because if the trial is any indication, NBA Live 18 might convince you to purchase two basketball video games this year. A quick admission before we proceed: We have yet to play a single minute of Live 18, but we’ve of course seen hours of gameplay footage to back our opinions.
SEE ALSO: NBA 2K17 for Android and iOS review: Worthy of the name
The biggest takeaway? The next NBA Live is going to leave a lot of people surprised and pleased to see a pioneer on the path to redemption after years of missteps and flagrant violations that put the franchise on the receiving end of jokes. Yep, again. Except this time, things are looking rosier than ever before.
NBA Live 18 trailer
And while we still don’t think EA Sports has done enough in a year to make up for all the losing seasons — no company could possibly do such — it has left us with something we never saw coming: optimism. A spasm of hope that maybe in a couple of leapfrog years EA Sports would be able to close most of the gap, and then contend for the crown.
READ ALSO: How NBA 2K17 for Android is different from the iOS version
The free trial allows players to either create an avatar and take the first steps into career mode, play street ball games with human opponents, or relive last season’s NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors, donning the new league uniforms in the process.
The free trial allows players to either create an avatar and take the first steps into career mode, play street ball games with human opponents, or relive last season’s NBA Finals between the Cavs and the Warriors.
The latter really demonstrates the gameplay stuff you’ll want to explore before making a purchase. It reveals the highs, as well as some of the lows the franchise still has to work on in the offseason (of game development).
The good news is that the overall visuals and some of the animations stage a convincing recreation of the NBA’s special brand of kinetic athleticism. The facial renders of NBA stars not named Draymond Green are on point; the commentary from Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Breen accurately describes the product on the floor; the production value is off the charts; and there are fewer moments of ball-watching and more player movement on offense.
The facial renders of NBA stars not named Draymond Green are on point. (Via The Bitbag)
The downsides are just as noticeable, if not even more so. We can’t tell body types apart; animations don’t look natural, especially the transition between dribbling and shooting or scoring in the paint; the ball doesn’t behave the way it’s supposed to in real life; and the AI appears to have a general distaste for passing the ball to a cutter for an easy basket.
Judging from the demo, NBA Live 18 isn’t there yet. It can be painfully frustrating to watch at times. But at least good progress is being made.
The trial is now available for download through the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 4 and Xbox Live for Xbox One. NBA Live 18 hits consoles September 15.
The trial is now available for download through the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 4 and Xbox Live for Xbox One.
Main image via Game Informer
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