NBA Live 14 Reviews

NBA Live 14 is ranked in the 3rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
5.5 / 10.0
Jan 7, 2014

NBA Live 14 delivers an unambitious, sporadically exciting basketball simulation held back by its slavish adherence to replicating the televised game.

Read full review

3 / 10
Dec 26, 2013

NBA Live 14 doesn't drop the ball entirely, as the aforementioned arcade mechanics can make for some tolerable head-to-head matches in multiplayer, where the artificial intelligence is less of an issue. However, unavoidable comparisons to the infinitely superior NBA 2K14 make this look like a bit of a mess. The gameplay's poor, the modes are predictable and shallow, and it's aesthetically extremely underwhelming. Don't even consider giving this a shot unless you find it very, very cheap.

Read full review

4.5 / 10.0
Dec 25, 2013

NBA Live 2014 marks EA's return to the basketball sim, but there's little reason to play it when NBA 2K14 exists.

Read full review

Ken McKown
Top Critic
3.5 / 10.0
Dec 19, 2013

NBA Live 14 is a hot mess. There is simply no other way to describe it. I wanted to derive some enjoyment from the game, hell I was a fan of NBA Inside Drive back in the days of the original Xbox, but this is simply broken on so many levels.

Read full review

4 / 10.0
Dec 11, 2013

The visuals are a mess and the atmosphere is flat and generates no excitement. The game modes are generally the standard affair but the gameplay makes them un-enjoyable. Perhaps the only remotely redeeming feature of the game is the net, but let's face it: you don't buy a basketball game because of the net physics, do you? NBA Live 14 is a bad game that is not worthy of your time and money – if you really want a basketball game on the Xbox One or PS4, there is a much, much better alternative.

Read full review

Dec 10, 2013

NBA Live 14 is a pretty lousy basketball game.

Read full review

4.2 / 10.0
Dec 9, 2013

That's about all we've got, though. NBA Live is a colossal disappointment in more ways then one; the technical aspects are well below average, the physics and animations are some of the worst we've seen this year, the AI is mentally deficient, and worst of all, nothing about this feels real. There are a few positives to which to cling, if you're a die-hard basketball fanatic.

Read full review

4 / 10.0
Dec 6, 2013

If you want a next-gen basketball game, buy NBA 2K14 instead.

Read full review

Dec 5, 2013

At some point EA Sports had to release a basketball game. That is exactly what they did. It's not the best, and it can barely be considered good. In fact, it's not good. NBA Live 14 producer Sean O'Brien posted an apology of sorts only four days after the games release where he promises a lot of changes to this year's game, from animation and graphic upgrades to helping players more easily understand the gameplay controls. In a world where NBA 2K14 exists, this game cannot be recommended until these promises are followed up on.

Read full review

4.5 / 10.0
Dec 5, 2013

If anything, NBA Live 14 helps prove that the NBA 2K series will be the reigning king of video game basketball simulations for years to come. Some decent game mechanics are ruined by very poor AI that has little to no idea of what to do most of the time. The audio is poorly put together, and the visuals are decent for the middle of the current generation, not at the beginning of a new one. The ESPN license feels largely wasted in the bare-bones presentation. A few modes are too tedious to be fun. There are some good ideas and modes here, but with so many issues plaguing it and few players online in the first few weeks, the whole effort seems pointless. With any luck, the plan for EA is to learn from this and deliver a worthy product next year. Unless you need every game on your chosen platform, just pick up NBA 2K14 for your hoops fix this year, and don't look back.

Read full review

50 / 100
Dec 4, 2013

It gets some parts (such as Big Moments) right while other parts don't appear to be fully baked. I can't help but wonder if it would have been better for the series to have skipped the launch season in favour of a a game truly worth of the next-gen tag next year.

Read full review

Dec 3, 2013

NBA Live 14 muscles its way to the top of the list as the worst next-gen launch title. The competition has nothing on its significantly subpar visuals, paltry commentary and incredibly stiff gameplay.

Read full review

2.5 / 5.0
Nov 30, 2013

NBA Live 14 isn't awful. Faint praise, to be sure, but with the way the internet has erupted the past few weeks, one would think that this is the Fighter Within of sports games.

Read full review

Nov 27, 2013

A half-baked attempt to revive the NBA Live franchise should have waited another year.

Read full review

3.5 / 10.0
Nov 25, 2013

NBA Live 14 is the worst PlayStation 4 game currently on store shelves. This game deserved to be benched...again.

Read full review

5 / 10
Nov 25, 2013

[I]t's difficult to recommend now, and, given the wait between releases in the Live franchise, you're left knowing that NBA Live 14 should stay on the bench. Sorry kid – maybe next year.

Read full review

Cheat Code Central
Angelo M. D’Argenio
Top Critic
3 / 5.0
Nov 25, 2013

The problem is justifying an NBA Live 14 purchase when NBA 2K14 is on store shelves. As a newbie, I had fun with NBA 2k14, but I didn't have nearly as much fun with NBA Live 14. I felt like it assumed I knew more about basketball and basketball video games than I actually did. It just dropped me into the deep end and asked me to figure it all out, and all I could really do was button mash and hope for the best. It's a good foundation for a franchise that could prosper in the future--after all, I've been saying that sports games should use live updating stats via the Internet for years now--but at this very moment, it just pales in comparison to its competition.

Read full review

Nov 23, 2013

In its return, NBA Live 14 helps kick off what there is to come for next-gen gaming, but as a representation for sports brands, it's not the best outing.

Read full review

5 / 10.0
Nov 21, 2013

Based on user and critic reception so far, I highly doubt that we will see NBA Live return next year unless EA Tiburon is truly committed to merely compete with their rivals at 2K Sports. If they can't, I think it's more profitable for them to revive one of their more critically acclaimed franchises like NBA Street and NBA Ballers.

Read full review

4 / 10.0
Nov 20, 2013

Like a former star player struggling to rediscover his form, NBA Live 14 is tough to watch

Read full review