‘NBA 2K16’ king of courts
EA’s got a good game, but their competition nets a slamdunk
Although Electronic Arts has dominated the market for most sports video games, there is one area that it hasn’t cracked — basketball. The company’s “Madden NFL” series is synonymous with football, and its “FIFA” soccer games are just as popular outside American shores. But for several reasons, the “NBA Live” franchise has yet to catch on in the same way.
The series took a huge blow when it was delayed and then put on the back burner after an unsuccessful revamp. But that’s the least of “NBA Live’s” problems. The franchise’s biggest obstacle has been the competition. It’s not that EA’s game is bad, but rather that its rival, the “NBA 2K” series, is so good.
That’s the case again this year as the two NBA
games go head to head. On the surface, “NBA Live 16” and “NBA 2K16” look comparable. Both include a franchise mode, a collectible trading card mode, a pro- am mode and, most important, a career mode. They feature slick presentations: “NBA Live 16” has ESPN dressing, while “NBA 2K16” uses personalities from Turner Sports. But digging deeper, players will notice that 2K Sports’ basketball game is a full step better.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the career mode, where gamers create an NBA player and guide his career. It’s equivalent to a basketball version of a Japanese roleplaying game. With “NBA 2K16,” the developer, Visual Concepts, upped the drama by asking Spike Lee to handle directing duties for part of the campaign.
Different from other takes on career, players take on the role of a Harlem basketball phenom whose nickname is Frequency Vibrations. The narrative takes players from his high school basketball career through his first year in the association. “Freq,” as he’s called, will have to balance the responsibilities of being a pro athlete with his obligations to his old friend Vic Van Lier from the projects. The story adds an intriguing back story to the career mode, but at the same time, it’s overwrought like a bad soap opera.
The career mode opens up after Freq’s rookie year, when gamers have to deal with free agency, endorsements, their fandom and other issues pro athletes face. They have to face the media if they falter during a big game. They choose whether to hang out with teammates to build chemistry or help out a sponsor. The way Visual Concepts integrates all these elements makes “NBA 2K16” feel alive, and the best part is that this type of storytelling extends to other parts of the game, including the franchise mode.
“NBA Live 16” has similar features, but they’re only adequate. It has playby- play announcers, but it lacks in- game interviews or cutaway segments. Those shortcomings also show up in the visuals with some of the players ( check out Joel Embiid) failing to look like their real- life counterparts. The crowds also look more robotic and don’t have the same energy as the ones in “NBA 2K16.” In addition, a few noticeable bugs show up, the most notable of which is centered on the audio.
Despite its glaring flaws, there are things “NBA Live 16” does better than “NBA 2K16.” The leveling system in EA’s game is easier to understand, and the control scheme is much easier on newcomers. It’s more arcadelike, allowing gamers to drive toward the basket with ease most of the time. It’s also easier to execute a play with a diagram overlaid on the court.
On the other hand, “NBA 2K16” is more realistic and rewards players who can swing the ball around, using the new passing system, and find the open man. It’s a more cerebral take on basketball and one that hard- core fans of the sport will get the most from.
In the matchup of the two NBA games, EA Sports puts up a decent offering but it still has a long way to go before challenging “NBA 2K16.”