NBA Live 19

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NBA Live 19
Cover nbalive19 theone.png
NBA Live 19 cover art.
Developer(s) EA Sports
Publisher(s) EA Sports
Series NBA Live
Platform(s) PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Release date(s) September 7th 2018

NBA Live 19 (stylised as NBA LIVE 19) is an NBA basketball simulation video game by EA Sports, released on September 7th 2018 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first game in the NBA Live series (not counting cancelled titles), and the sixth game in the series to be developed by EA Tiburon. Joel Embiid is the game's cover player. It is the direct sequel to NBA Live 18, and currently remains the most recent release in the NBA Live series.

Development & Features

NBA Live 19 is a sim-oriented basketball game, which aims to realistically portray the real National Basketball Association. Running on the IGNITE engine, it retains features such as Franchise mode, ESPN presentation, right stick dribbling controls, Ultimate Team, LIVE Pro-Am, and other established staples of the NBA Live series. The One, the game's career mode featuring both NBA and streetball play, also returns and is the focus of the experience.

The One has been expanded to include international courts, with The Streets now featuring a world tour. Gamers can play pick-up games around the world, and build a squad comprised of current and former NBA players. WNBA players and special characters such as Stretch from NBA Street also have a presence in the mode. A new player progression system has been introduced, including new Icon abilities and skills, which complement the existing Playstyles and Traits. The mode also has a new story.

Key improvements to gameplay include Real Player Motion, which enhances the animation quality and responsiveness of the controls. It also allows for more signature animations, and unique player movement. New dynamic AI, deeper one-on-one scenarios (both offensively and defensively), and enhanced right stick dribbling moves are also among the key gameplay improvements. Players are more interactive with their environment, and there has been a focus on making the game feel more alive and dynamic, as well as more realistic.

In an interview, new Executive Producer Seann Graddy (formerly of the Madden development team) indicated that all of the game's modes would be receiving some attention in NBA Live 19. Roster editing, added to NBA Live 18 post-release in a patch, also returns and was in the game at launch.

Cover Player & NBA Live Squad

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers was revealed as the cover player during the 2018 NBA Awards show on TNT. He is part of the NBA Live Squad, which also includes James Harden and Devin Booker, Hall of Famer Allen Iverson, and Candace Parker of the WNBA. In addition to promoting the game, the players also have a presence in The Streets World Tour in The One.

Demo

The NBA Live 19 demo was released on August 24th, 2018. It featured the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Sparks, and Minnesota Lynx as the playable teams in Play Now, and allowed gamers to get a head on start on The Rise in The One. Xbox One gamers with an EA Access subscription were also be able to play a trial version of the full game on September 3rd.

Reception

NBA Live 19 holds a Metacritic score of 75 for Xbox One, and 73 for PlayStation 3. Critics described it as a solid foundation, praising some of the gameplay improvements, while singling out the AI and animations as two of the game's key weaknesses. Once again, The One generally received acclaim, though the lack of depth in other modes was also criticised. NBA Live 19 received more of a mixed reaction among gamers, some of whom felt it was either not enough of an improvement, or a step back from the year before. Franchise and Ultimate Team gamers in particular were disappointed by the lack of attention those modes had received.

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