NBA Live 19 Reviews
Is NBA Live 19 worth the money? Yes, indeed. There is a lot to do and no matter the skill level, there's fun to be had. The upgrade to the WNBA and character creation is a giant step forward in widening EA's audience and The One is strong enough to warrant its own title. With enough practice, anyone can be the baller they want.
Change can be scary, but this time it paid off big time. In the past NBA live would not be a game I'd talk highly of. The slow pace of the players and the too realistic play style and the shooting mech was just all messed up. If you stood in front of another player and tried to shoot the ball, even if it was an easy shot, there would be no way you'd make the basket because of the simple fact someone was in front of you. It would require you to juke, run or somehow shake the player off you so that you had a wide-open path. For me, that was too much and too realistic. Yes, I love realism and the fact that games have player motion to make it look absolute, but the past Live games were out of hand. Luckily that has changed.
NBA Live 19 is a great basketball simulator. Besides its easy gameplay mechanics, it can put the player inside the courts due to its realism. Although the game modes are the same, The One is addictive in its literal meaning. NBA Live 19 is a 3 point shot from the middle of the court.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
NBA Live 19 is an admirable attempt at snatching the NBA video game throne, but ultimately it fumbles. While there are a number of quality of life improvements in the career mode, it drops the ball in too many areas. Even diehard fans will be hard pressed to find many improvements to the series' gameplay compared to entries from a decade ago.
NBA Live 19 is slowly closing the gap with NBA 2K19 the giant. The game chose a more spectacular path, more fun to wheedle basket ball fans and it's pretty successful.
Review in French | Read full review
While the series is still far from perfection and the direct competitor is always fierce, NBA Live 19 is another step in the right direction.
Review in Italian | Read full review
DiRT Rally 2.0 is once again a great rally game, aiming to please hardcore rally fans, but even other gamers that aren't afraid of dust won't be disappointed.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Another step forward for NBA Live, which although still far from the historical rival NBA 2K, manages to reach good levels with this new episode.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Look, there is a lot to like about NBA Live 19. The One career mode is a welcome addition that has brought NBA Live forward, and make no mistake about it, this is the best NBA Live in years. Unfortunately, the visual presentation lets the game down and, until that is sorted out, NBA Live will continue to lose the Championship to its competition.
NBA Live 19 continues to trend in the correct direction in terms of overall success.
NBA Live 19 finally steps out of the shadows of the competition and makes a name for itself as the best "basketball" game on the market, as opposed to the best "NBA" game.
In the end, any progress made, whether it's leveling up my player or regaining control of my court, just feels aimless. If I'm simply being rewarded with cosmetic options, I don't see the point of furthering my character's career. If my Icon path is linear, why make me go to a menu to activate those perks? Why play the mid-range game if driving straight to the hoop while getting double teamed will still grant me the 2 points I need? It's questionable decisions like this that sets NBA Live 19 just below the bar of greatness.
NBA Live 19 fully expands on its The One mode while adding a little more weight and momentum to its actual gameplay. While its in-game presentation and distinct style of gameplay might turn off players looking for a strict basketball sim, NBA Live 19 consistently rewards players for actually playing without trying to gouge them for more money.
"NBA Live 19" seeks to carve out a niche in the sports game genre through its well-designed Career Mode and its accompanying online cooperative and competitive modes that involve the player's created character. That direction will resonate with some but alienate those seeking a more traditional NBA experience, which is severely lacking.
With an overall smooth gameplay and a fresh The One mode, NBA Live 19 does enough to distinguish itself from competitors, but it does not rise above as the best simulation basketball game of the year. For those who much prefer a casual playing experience, NBA Live 19 has got you covered.
NBA Live 19 is a great improvement over previous years' iterations, but the developers need to show some extra confidence to ever make the game feel like a true slam dunk.
The biggest challenge for EA is getting people to give NBA Live 19 a shot over NBA 2K19. Overall gameplay in NBA Live 19 is good, but nowhere near great.
NBA Live 19 is an improvement over last year's NBA Live but it's not about to beat the competition
While it may have some issues like the lack of attention to Franchise mode and some gameplay problems — that are fixable –, one thing you can't deny is the overall package of NBA Live 19 nails what video games are supposed to be all about and that's delivering a fun experience for the gamer.
This is not the best year for NBA Live, despite EA's efforts to improve this basketball game. In fact in some ways this game looks like a step back in the series, just mantaining what the game did well a year ago.
Review in Spanish | Read full review