Does Live 08 Bring Home the Prize?

In any sports league, there are great teams and horrible teams. Compared to a sports team, NBA Live 08 is an above average team, but not a great one. Think New York Knicks, not Chicago Bulls. Just like the Knicks, Live does some things well, and some things poorly. First, the good. NBA Live 08 is a very entertaining game. There's plenty of fun to be had on its virtual courts. The players look very good for its time of release, and even look decent when held up to today's standards. The shooting is great, as there is ample opportunity to make contested shots, unlike in Live's main competitor, the NBA 2k series. The game has good replay value, with Dynasty mode, the FIBA world championships, situational play (a game mode in which the player has the freedom to produce a situation (i.e. 10 seconds left in the game, their team has the ball and is down by 3), and a refreshingly entertaining game mode called quick pick play. In quick pick play, the player and their opponent alternate turns picking players from the entire NBA, much like a game of pick up basketball. However, Live 08 is not without flaws. While the player models look basically good, they are nothing breathtaking. Also, the game often slows down to a slow-motion drag, making it difficult to play. Thankfully, these slow downs only last a few seconds, but are still frustrating, especially when in a high-pressure scenario. Also, while shooting is fun, the game is quite easy, which might deter more experienced and skillful players. The Dynasty mode is good, but making trades is an extremely frustrating affair in which, at least on the PS3 version, the player rarely gets the upper hand of the bargain. Overall, NBA Live 08 is a good game. It is an entertaining and fun way to pass time. However, it is not a perfect game, and has some glaring technical issues. For its current asking price $10 or less, it is a good bargain, if you can put up with its issues. If you cannot deal with its flaws, I recommend you steer clear of this mediocre title.