Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

[CujoMatty]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

That would be my guess. I played one game of 5v5 and that will likely be my last. I only had one human teammate, and he was a ball hog. Then, even with the game taking considerably longer, the XP payout was the same as the 3v3 games.

It just isn't worth the time or the frustration when you get matched with bad teammates.

The idea of 5 on 5 is very appealing to me but my last 2 games I played a week ago scared me away. First game my matchup was 2 feet taller than me and I had to endure that for way toolong how 5 vs 5 is.

Second game my matchup was a 89 overall and I was a 74 and my ankles got broke about 15 times. My matchup must have score 30 points. It was brutal. I had to endure that for way too long how 5 vs 5 is set up.

[LionsFanNJ]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

I'm actually doing all the one stuff to get my xp up before I go live run again. I actually got a full lobby and of course I had to guard some 6'7" monster PG. Plus one dude just refused to pass once he got the ball

Sent from my SM-T113 using Tapatalk

[zrohman]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

The idea of 5 on 5 is very appealing to me but my last 2 games I played a week ago scared me away. First game my matchup was 2 feet taller than me and I had to endure that for way toolong how 5 vs 5 is.

Second game my matchup was a 89 overall and I was a 74 and my ankles got broke about 15 times. My matchup must have score 30 points. It was brutal. I had to endure that for way too long how 5 vs 5 is set up.

That's the thing. Every time I jumped in there were only 2-3 humans per team. What's the point of 5 v 5 at all if they can't even field a full team.

Honestly things like this make me worry about the games future more than anything. This year is a great year but it's still hard to get any 5 v 5 going. I prefer 3 v 3 but I don't like how it's not really even a good option for me

[CujoMatty]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

Well I’ve put in enough time to say this is my second favourite bball game ever. College hoops 2k8 still has the throne but ya. The nba side of live takes a lot of heat(Rightfully so) but once you accept it for what it is, it’s just a great game. Every game is just insanely fun. The atmosphere is incredible. The ups and downs of every game tell a story. The fact you get superstars taking over games tied with the fact that when I really focus I can shut them down or at least contain them, makes for a super addictive game I want to keep playing. I can play the same team 5 times in a row and get 5 vastly different outcomes.

[openureyez]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

This game is the most fun I have had with a videogame in a long long time. I would have to compare it to the NFL 2K days. The presentation obviously is similar due to ESPN, but I was blown away by this new "real player motion." The player motion is so lifelike its ridiculous, and they did a good job of capturing each players little tendencies. I was playing against the Nuggets and Isaiah Thomas was moving,dribbling, and shooting just like his real life counterpart. I didn't expect that much attention being given to I.T. The graphics seemed to have been improved in 5 v 5 after the latest update, because this game looks like a real NBA game with the right tv settings. NBA Live is by no means perfect, but it captures the feel of a real NBA game much better. (Staples Center stadium sounds are scary accurate)



And to be honest I did not even download the NBA 2K demo this year, because that is how sick I am with that same gameplay year after year, which I dont think is very lifelike at all (The player running motion waist down is very unrealistic) and the graphics are cartoonish, Im glad I bought NBA Live 19, no regrets.



But I cant make a free throw on NBA Live 19 to save my life if anyone has any tips? And someone tell Live to fix Mo Wagner and Michael Beasley. They messed them up bigtime haha

“(The player running motion waist down is very unrealistic) and the graphics are cartoonish”

Thank you for confirming my sanity. I keep reading about how realistic it is. It looks hideous to me. I thought it was just me

[Tomba]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

“(The player running motion waist down is very unrealistic) and the graphics are cartoonish”

Thank you for confirming my sanity. I keep reading about how realistic it is. It looks hideous to me. I thought it was just me

also the foot planting is worse in 2k19 than it was in 2k18.

I am in shock

[HeavenlyTouch]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

I posted this in the 2k forum but I'll post this here as well (btw I think it's an absolute travesty that they have 400 viewers right now just at and only 18 here - this game deserves a lot more recognition based on what I'm seeing and it's starting to catch up big time - finally):

"Wasn't sure where to post this, so I guess I'll do it here. I don't want to make this a Live vs 2k debate, I'm trying to assess both games objectively before making a purchase.

This is the first time since 2005 that I haven't bought or played a 2k title (I skipped a few years here and there but I tend to buy it almost every other year. 2k8 and 2k11 to this day are the best pure sim games I've ever played, but I really worry about the state of this game.

2k18 to me was just a major downfall for the franchise in terms of offline AI play (online is just completely plagued by horrible servers to the point that it's unplayable here in Asia).

It's a turbo arcade fest, you have to force yourself to play sim just to play sim, and that's not a good thing.

A lot of times I notice 2k games out of the box are very solid/play absolutely fantastic simulation on both ends, and all of a sudden a patch comes out a few days later and guys are running a hundred miles per hour, scoring a billion threes, can stop on a dime and pop a three after going full turbo speed down court, and your players all just jet down wings while the AI on your team runs routes horribly. You have to force yourself to enjoy playing defense, it seems like more of a chore because it's impossible to stop even an above average offensive player, and the only way to do so is to trigger the drawn out bump animations - which isn't a sign of a good foot planting and lateral movement system (watch Live's defense this year, it's super on point, and even when you get bumped you can still work through the contact and keep going and it doesn't seem like a drawn out animation based on observation, but likewise it's a battle - you can simply cut off the drive and force them to pick up their dribble). Driving in consists of way too much over-help and congestion inside, it doesn't feel like true court spacing - and this dates back to the last few titles post 2k11, it's rather a bi-product of poor AI congestion which opens up the threes.

I'm lurking in the shadows watching gameplay of both Live user vs AI play and likewise for 2k, and I'm extremely impressed with Live right now.. I've never been able to say that before because the game looked like absolute janky floaty noodle-arm flailing garbage the last few years, but this is different.

The court spacing in Live looks awesome, there is way more proper defense and foot planting technology, the triple threat looks really realistic, especially exploding from a stand-still position..

I'm going through threads here just trying to convince myself that 2k has improved in some ways, but I'm watching the gameplay vids and such and it's still just a hundred miles an hour down court arcade-fest, and unfortunately I can't bring myself to see this game the way I did in 2k11..

I would love to hear some of your thoughts (objectively) about why 2k has improved since then.. as I'm sitting here trying to determine which title I'm going to purchase - and I'm having a hard time with what I'm seeing with 2k this year - it looks like at this point they can't overcome certain engine limitations (it looks exactly the same as the past few years - which is not good imo), and Live is ahead for me right now gameplay wise; their ceiling is higher because of their frostbite engine (I only really care about league/franchise mode). I understand Live's features are behind, but I care far more about the simulation/gameplay experience.. I want something that closely mimics the NBA."

[The 24th Letter]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

If you are trying to convince yourself to buy one, and are impressed with everything you've seen on ther other.

It seems there is a pretty obvious, clear cut choice.

[HeavenlyTouch]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

I appreciate your sentiments, and it may seem like an easy solution on the surface, but far from it for me.

Sorry if it seemed redundant posting it twice but I had a reason for doing so not only based on convincing.

On one side I wanted to let 2k people know that it’s not an issue to be a fan of 2k and see what Live is doing, on the other hand I wanted Live guys here to see that they have support outside of a small niche

In recent years there is such polarity and tribalism online that anyone who tries to say one good thing is automatically deemed as being against the group think/collective.

I’m trying to convey objective opinions about what I’m seeing from both sides without making it an us vs them. Likewise, I do want to get genuine opinions about the iteration of both games from both forums without clear bias, and I achieved that over on the 2k forum side as someone just stated they were exactly in the same boat as I was when looking at the two titles this year.

I guess I’m just worried to pull the trigger on Live at its current price because of how bad it’s been for so long, and on the other end I don’t want to spend on the status quo. This isn’t merely a case of I’m impressed therefore I’m buying, money is fortunately not an issue for me, but I’d still like to make an educated decision before venturing out to make a purchase.

Just reading impressions is often not enough because the majority of people don’t post cons, they tend to be fans of the game for the most part, and thus showing people my position might provide me a clearer answer.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

Quick change of subject for an impression:

The randoms I ran into last night in 3's reminded me of how fun Live Run can be with the right people. We ran off 10 straight, including 4 straight vs. A group of 94-96 rated guys. We were all mid to low 80's. Playing smart and as a team.

I really, really hope they can patch in 5v5 to 21.

[El_Poopador]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

I appreciate your sentiments, and it may seem like an easy solution on the surface, but far from it for me.

Sorry if it seemed redundant posting it twice but I had a reason for doing so not only based on convincing.

On one side I wanted to let 2k people know that it’s not an issue to be a fan of 2k and see what Live is doing, on the other hand I wanted Live guys here to see that they have support outside of a small niche

In recent years there is such polarity and tribalism online that anyone who tries to say one good thing is automatically deemed as being against the group think/collective.

I’m trying to convey objective opinions about what I’m seeing from both sides without making it an us vs them. Likewise, I do want to get genuine opinions about the iteration of both games from both forums without clear bias, and I achieved that over on the 2k forum side as someone just stated they were exactly in the same boat as I was when looking at the two titles this year.

I guess I’m just worried to pull the trigger on Live at its current price because of how bad it’s been for so long, and on the other end I don’t want to spend on the status quo. This isn’t merely a case of I’m impressed therefore I’m buying, money is fortunately not an issue for me, but I’d still like to make an educated decision before venturing out to make a purchase.

Just reading impressions is often not enough because the majority of people don’t post cons, they tend to be fans of the game for the most part, and thus showing people my position might provide me a clearer answer.

Both games have their shortcomings. It really comes down to what you're looking for and how you like to play.

Live has a significantly better grasp on footplanting and momentum, as well as player interaction. It's easy to take a small step to reposition yourself on defense, and it's much easier off the ball to get your spot, especially outside the three point line. The running animations also look much more natural.

That being said, the control is less responsive when controlling the ball handler. They still haven't added the ability to do walking sizeups or make subtle movements when dribbling. While I love that dribble moves are tied to the right stick movement in real time (you don't queue up your dribbles like in 2K; you actually have to time it and dribble in rhythm), there is a small amount of (inconsistent) input lag with the ball. It's not always there, but occasionally I find my inputs not registering for a second or two. It's especially an issue when playing online, where my player will sometimes not do a dribble move at all when I move the stick.

CPU defenders tend to read button inputs rather than player movement in both games. Sometimes the CPU defenders in Live stick to you like glue. Dribble moves are much more important in that regard, because sometimes an ankle breaker is the only way to get by. One of my pet peeves with Live is that blow-bys don't really happen without a guy falling down; there aren't many just natural fake outs where you get a guy leaning and turned around. But if you do beat your man off the dribble, they don't warp/slide back in front of you unnaturally. That respect to physics and momentum also makes the stepback shots incredibly fun to use for guys like Harden and Lebron who use them a lot in real life.

If you like to play the post, you'll be disappointed in Live. Their post game is still far behind 2K. It's better than previous years, but it still feels stiff and there aren't as many options.

The playcalling is hit or miss. Some plays are beautiful and can lead to multiple scoring opportunities. Guys come off screens with a sense of purpose and explode to the outside; it often looks like real life. But there are a lot of plays that never seem to work, and plays tend to break far too easily. If you accidentally pass to the wrong player, or step too far away from the correct spot on the floor, the play just stops. Coupled with the excess time some plays take to develop and you end up with a horrible possession.

From a presentation standpoint, I think I'm in the minority. I feel like 2K's commentary is vastly overrated. There isn't a lot of dead air, but the play by play is very bland; Kevin Harlan sounds nothing in 2K like he does during a real broadcast. Live's new commentary team, on the other hand, actually does deliver some emotion, and while they definitely deliver some robotic lines as well, I prefer their focus on the court to 2K's focus on random stories during the game.

[CujoMatty]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

Both games have their shortcomings. It really comes down to what you're looking for and how you like to play.

Live has a significantly better grasp on footplanting and momentum, as well as player interaction. It's easy to take a small step to reposition yourself on defense, and it's much easier off the ball to get your spot, especially outside the three point line. The running animations also look much more natural.

That being said, the control is less responsive when controlling the ball handler. They still haven't added the ability to do walking sizeups or make subtle movements when dribbling. While I love that dribble moves are tied to the right stick movement in real time (you don't queue up your dribbles like in 2K; you actually have to time it and dribble in rhythm), there is a small amount of (inconsistent) input lag with the ball. It's not always there, but occasionally I find my inputs not registering for a second or two. It's especially an issue when playing online, where my player will sometimes not do a dribble move at all when I move the stick.

CPU defenders tend to read button inputs rather than player movement in both games. Sometimes the CPU defenders in Live stick to you like glue. Dribble moves are much more important in that regard, because sometimes an ankle breaker is the only way to get by. One of my pet peeves with Live is that blow-bys don't really happen without a guy falling down; there aren't many just natural fake outs where you get a guy leaning and turned around. But if you do beat your man off the dribble, they don't warp/slide back in front of you unnaturally. That respect to physics and momentum also makes the stepback shots incredibly fun to use for guys like Harden and Lebron who use them a lot in real life.

If you like to play the post, you'll be disappointed in Live. Their post game is still far behind 2K. It's better than previous years, but it still feels stiff and there aren't as many options.

The playcalling is hit or miss. Some plays are beautiful and can lead to multiple scoring opportunities. Guys come off screens with a sense of purpose and explode to the outside; it often looks like real life. But there are a lot of plays that never seem to work, and plays tend to break far too easily. If you accidentally pass to the wrong player, or step too far away from the correct spot on the floor, the play just stops. Coupled with the excess time some plays take to develop and you end up with a horrible possession.

From a presentation standpoint, I think I'm in the minority. I feel like 2K's commentary is vastly overrated. There isn't a lot of dead air, but the play by play is very bland; Kevin Harlan sounds nothing in 2K like he does during a real broadcast. Live's new commentary team, on the other hand, actually does deliver some emotion, and while they definitely deliver some robotic lines as well, I prefer their focus on the court to 2K's focus on random stories during the game.

Agreed on a lot of this.

The play calling is so bad in live that I am to the point where I don’t ever call plays. It’s too frustrating and I don’t want to call the same hand full of plays that actually work over and over. I will say though that the game is incredibly fun without ever having to call a play.

My biggest issue with the game imo is by far interior defense. It’s far too easy to pass into the key with no fear of interceptions. There are also far too many uncontested dunks because of this.

When I first got the game I also didn’t like the “sticking to me like glue” aspect but have come to really appreciate it. The game sometimes borders on a dunk fest and I can’t imagine how bad it would get if it was easier to get by your man. On the perimeter side I find the shot meter really easy if you have an uncontested shot so it’s a necessary evil to have smothering defense.

What I like is the game makes it necessary to move the ball. Get it to a slasher, try and beat him. If it’s not there move the ball around try and beat your man again. Keep going till you break down the defense or better yet get a step on your man and draw a double team and kick it to a wide open guy for a shot. You couple that with the shot blocking and every possession is a chess match. I love in this game that if you think you can just dribble by guys for easy layups your gonna pay a price. You gotta think before you go in the forest.

[El_Poopador]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

Agreed on a lot of this.

The play calling is so bad in live that I am to the point where I don’t ever call plays. It’s too frustrating and I don’t want to call the same hand full of plays that actually work over and over. I will say though that the game is incredibly fun without ever having to call a play.

My biggest issue with the game imo is by far interior defense. It’s far too easy to pass into the key with no fear of interceptions. There are also far too many uncontested dunks because of this.

When I first got the game I also didn’t like the “sticking to me like glue” aspect but have come to really appreciate it. The game sometimes borders on a dunk fest and I can’t imagine how bad it would get if it was easier to get by your man. On the perimeter side I find the shot meter really easy if you have an uncontested shot so it’s a necessary evil to have smothering defense.

What I like is the game makes it necessary to move the ball. Get it to a slasher, try and beat him. If it’s not there move the ball around try and beat your man again. Keep going till you break down the defense or better yet get a step on your man and draw a double team and kick it to a wide open guy for a shot. You couple that with the shot blocking and every possession is a chess match. I love in this game that if you think you can just dribble by guys for easy layups your gonna pay a price. You gotta think before you go in the forest.

It's definitely different. Sometimes I love it, and sometimes it drives me nuts lol. I take a lot more jumpers than I should because the CPU is a little too overpowered when it comes to blocking layups on the interior.

I do agree about passing into the paint. I try not to abuse the pick and roll and only make realistic passes into the paint, even though I could force plenty more if I wanted to. I'm still trying to find a good slider balance to ease up the perimeter defense without making it too easy to score. I'd love to have more penetration without as many ankle breakers, which would lead to more rotation from the defense and really open up the offensive options.

[PhiPsi1]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

I recently took the plunge and purchased Live 19 ... have been away from the virtual, bball scene for the past year so lookin' forward to giving this franchise a go once again ...

I was impressed with the Live demo moreso than 2Ks offering ... Guess I needed a change a pace since I have been rollin' with 2K for how many years now ...

Was wondering if Live 19 demo gameplay is similar to retail or do you think retail has improved? For me, really liked the demo and have played it a ton! Really appreciate that EVERY single Warriors - Celtics matchup I play, a varied outcome occurs ... Every single game has been unique for which star player takes over ... who goes cold ... etc ...

Just wanted to get everyone's thoughts. Thanks all and glad to be back!

[CujoMatty]

Re: Official NBA Live 19 Impressions thread

I recently took the plunge and purchased Live 19 ... have been away from the virtual, bball scene for the past year so lookin' forward to giving this franchise a go once again ...

I was impressed with the Live demo moreso than 2Ks offering ... Guess I needed a change a pace since I have been rollin' with 2K for how many years now ...

Was wondering if Live 19 demo gameplay is similar to retail or do you think retail has improved? For me, really liked the demo and have played it a ton! Really appreciate that EVERY single Warriors - Celtics matchup I play, a varied outcome occurs ... Every single game has been unique for which star player takes over ... who goes cold ... etc ...

Just wanted to get everyone's thoughts. Thanks all and glad to be back!

What you described is exactly what I’m experiencing in the retail version so it’s pretty close to the same I think.

I originally thought retail was different but I think it more had to do with the fact I played the demo on a ps4 but bought the retail for Xbox one and getting used to the controller was throwing me off.

Either way if you loved the demo I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the retail version.