
Court battles have a single looping song – closer to a raw beat than a fully realized track – and aside from a few shouts for picks and other player noises it’s underwhelming in how subdued a typical game feels. Much of that sterility comes from the sound design. Smith’s shouting are all part of NBA Live 19, but overall it feels sterile. Music, shoes, street hoops, and even Stephen A. The whole presentation feels like a collection of pieces that all fit together but never quite gel into a whole. Fancy handles aren’t required, but I love being able to visit the training mode to work on improving my game at any time.Īn excellent training mode teaches basic and advanced moves, almost like a fighting game.īut NBA basketball is as much about culture as it is about the game, and that’s probably Live 19’s weakest showing. I felt like a complete boss when I successfully dribbled behind the back of a defender in training, then I went back and replayed it again to master it. An excellent training mode teaches basic and advanced moves, almost like a fighting game. I definitely felt like I knew what I was doing right away.Īs simple as the controls are, NBA Live 19 has more in-depth moves available to take your game to the next level once you’ve internalized the fundamentals. Shooting, too, is simple and intuitive pulling off a dunk instead of a layup is as easy as holding down the trigger while shooting near the basket. The path that appears between your player and the one you’re aiming at makes passing hard to mess up, which leads to fewer frustrating moments like accidentally throwing to a heavily-defended player, leading to a turnover. On the court, Live’s control scheme instantly makes sense. Everything involving close contact in NBA Live 19 works well, and specific player animations, like LeBron James’ aggressive lane-driving dribbles, are spot-on.

It gives them real weight and fluidity of movement. Players jockey for position, bump into each other and weave through defenders realistically. Animations are powered by the same system used in Madden NFL 19 and FIFA 19, and I have to say they look better than those in NBA 2K18. As the two games release more screenshots of players, I'll continue to create the side-by-side looks.They’re even better in motion.

This is just the first round of comparisons. While Live has taken a step forward in the way of visuals, 2K still has the more accurate renders thus far. Still, it's pretty clear, the 2K version looks sharper and more consistent with the real-life image of Boogie. That said, the art team did a great job crafting a face without a scanned image. This is a decent effort by both games, but I'm not sure the Live image is a product of a scan. Which DeMarcus Cousins looks better #NBALive19 and #NBA2K19 ? /CywUFx8EzO Barring a brand-new Simmons model from EA, this is an easy call. From hair texture, placement and body structure, this is easily the most-lopsided comparison image. However, there isn't a shader or pose that will make Live's version of Simmons superior to the 2K pic. To be fair, the Live image is a screenshot from a pre-retail version, and not a posed and posted model image like the others in this article. Which Ben Simmons looks better #NBALive19 and #NBA2K19 ? /J3kyVbhlag DeRozan's face looks too lean and the eyes are not prominent enough in that pic. The 2K version of DeRozan is far better than Live. This is one of the more clear-cut wins for either side. Which DeMar DeRozan looks better #NBALive19 and #NBA2K19 ? /zJnODvLAhm Still, this is like splitting hairs, thus I call it a draw. The Live screen might even have Ayton's ears misplaced. However, I think 2K's actually looks more like Ayton, while a bit more cartoonish. Both look good, but Live's version of the draft's No. Which Deandre Ayton looks better #NBALive19 and #NBA2K19 ? /71DUZlg9RC The Live pic lacks life, and like many of their models, I take some umbrage with the shoulder depiction. The render looks slight around the shoulders which can make the players look as if they have abnormally small heads in proportion to the frame.ĢK's Bagley is on point and is the better representation here as well. This one is very similar to the image of Doncic. Which Marvin Bagley III looks better #NBALive19 and #NBA2K19 ? /ZqaFwdm3Ry Overall, the 2K version is cleaner and better represents Doncic's eyes. However, the 2K version has an edge in the accuracy department. Which Luka Doncic looks better #NBALive19 and #NBA2K19 ? /RCJ2Y7MLUPĭallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic is easily recognizable in both screens.
