The Basketball Gods have not been kind to the NBA Live franchise, which has been in a rut for years and skipped its release entirely this past year. With the NBA 2K franchise dominating the market like the Golden State Warriors and their playoff opponents (though the Cavs still have a chance), EA has a lot of ground to make up to re-establish its place as a provider of quality basketball games.
NBA Live 18 represents that next step as EA has shown off what it has been working on all this time, and in many ways, it feels like a return to its roots. Here’s the trailer:
NBA Live 18 features a mode called The One which is a new take on FIFA's Alex Hunter journey. Players will play 5-on-5 games on street courts like Venice Beach or in real arenas in the NBA. A demo of the mode will release later this year in August.
EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson had previously called NBA Live’s on-going development a “journey,” but like it is with sports in real life, winning comes and goes in cycles, admittedly some taking longer than others. With all of the time that EA has been down and out on the basketball court, not mention their vast financial resources, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before NBA Live finds its stride again. NBA Live 18 has as good a chance as any to do just that.
NBA Live 18 releases for PS4 and Xbox One this Fall.
