How It Holds Up Against 2K
While yes, this year’s game is a massive step up for the franchise as it relates to the past two entries, in a head to head comparison to its main competition (NBA 2K), Live still isn’t living up to its contemporary in enough ways to make any real run at 2K’s throne as the number one basketball sim. From its career mode to its graphically presentation, NBA Live 18 is severely underpowered in its fight for the NBA crown.
Despite these shortcomings, the game does have a few silver linings that could build a foundation for the series going forward. The addition of WNBA teams, and its emphasis on gameplay stand out the most and are something that EA can hang their hat on from here on out. And while I don’t think that NBA Live 18 is destined to usurp 2K this season, it could prove me wrong with just a little more fine tuning in some key areas.