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Of all EA’s sports titles, NBA Live might be the weakest link going back the last few years. Though it could sport superior visuals over the 2K franchise, it hasn’t quite been able to get the gameplay side of things right. NBA Live 10 isn’t a revamp by any stretch, but at least it’s a good step in the right direction. Part of the problem I’ve always had with Live is the lack of imagination on the court. There were years where crossovers or spin moves were enough to clear a runway straight to the hoop. Passing into the paint was too easy, while driving the lane and kicking out to an open man at the three-point line happened too routinely. I was also never a big fan of having to use different buttons to shoot the ball. A lot of this, and much more, has been changed to better emulate what happens on the court in real-life. Shooting is all in one button now, no matter if it’s a dunk, layup, hook shot or a jumper. Where you are on the court will determine the difference between these shots, but that happens automatically, so you really only need to consider the play you’re trying to make rather than what you need to press to make the proper shot. Timing the release of that button push is equally important as well. Last year, you could get away with pushing the shoot button at any time, but the timing mechanics have been restored to make it a little more interesting. For example, if you do a fade away jumper, releasing too late will either end up as a pure brick or embarrassing airball.     Play in the post has also been adjusted so that there’s less of an onus on it. You can set your big man up down low once he has the ball using the left analog stick. Then, you can try pulling off moves with the right stick, but the options are fairly limited. Some gamers might complain about this but it’s actually a bit more of a reflection on how the NBA game is changing in real-life. Power forwards and even centres are becoming more multi-dimensional, especially if the offense doesn’t always flow through them in the paint. You’ll see this in action a little more when using icon passing or the quick DNA plays. Holding the left trigger down displays an icon above each player that corresponds with a button on the controller for more precise passing. Pressing the left or right back shoulder buttons brings up a series of plays you can run or simply highlights the biggest scoring threat who will look to get open. The signs will be obvious too. A player cutting through to the net will literally point forward to signal that he wants the ball. Or he might set up a screen to give you more breathing room. The AI is decent at this, but it’s even better that you can take control of the man without the ball to execute the play the way you want. Sometimes the defense will catch on if you try to keep burning them with the same play, but it’s a bit hit or miss. Even so, defenders are more tenacious than they were before, though some oddities do pop up with the AI in other respects. It’s too easy to push a player out of bounds, especially when double-teaming him close to the line. Kicking out to a free man at the three-point line would be better if teammates actually stayed behind the line.   These can get annoying after a while, but thankfully they’re not enough to really detract from what is an improved effort this year. The game has more fluidity to it, and that should only get better once EA Canada figures out how to get rid of the small graphical and AI hiccups. Maybe they could figure out how to make players look less like mannequins with an ultra-glossy layer of paint on top. Player close-ups still need plenty of polish. In terms of game modes, there isn’t much that’s changed here. Adidas Live Run allows you to play with up to nine other gamers in a five-on-five match online, much like EA’s other sports games offer. Dynamic Season allows you to play games concurrently with the actual NBA season. It’s not bad, especially for stats-lovers, but nothing really all that engaging from what I saw so far. My guess is that the Virtual Pro mode that is so good in FIFA 10 will eventually make its way to Live next year as well. Despite certain frustrating tendencies that creep up, NBA Live 10 is a solid step in the right direction for a franchise that really needed it. The presentation is vibrant and engaging and the gameplay takes a lot more from real-life than ever before. The leap forward could come next year when vital improvements are made, but for now, this is the best Live title you can get your hands on over the last few years.    NBA Live 10 Format: Xbox 360 Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: EA Canada ESRB Rating: Everyone Official Site: http://nba-live.easports.com/home.action Rating: 8 / 10

 

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