NBA Live 16
By Marc Saltzman,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fun basketball sim fouled by bugs, gameplay flaws.
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NBA Live 16
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What’s It About?
NBA LIVE 16 is the latest installment in the long-running EA Sports basketball franchise. The simulation gives gamers get a taste of pro ball action on the court and adds a lot more customization than in previous installments. Gamers can tweak how they look and play, especially with a new HD face-scanning app. There's also new gear to dress your player from head to toe and a new physics-based movement system for more accurate control than in previous games. Along with solo modes or side-by-side matches on the same television, NBA Live 16 also offers revamped online multiplayer through the LIVE Pro-Am and Summer Circuit modes for players to compete with friends on indoor and outdoor courts (such as Venice Beach or Rucker Park).
Is It Any Good?
Though this basketball game has improved over the past three years, it's still not as good as its competition. NBA Live 16 isn't a horrible game by any stretch, but its mediocrity might frustrate virtual ballers hoping for the same caliber as Madden NFL 16, FIFA 16, and NHL 16. The game does offer tighter and more responsive controls, better artificial intelligence (offensively and defensively), and greater emotion after a big play (something EA Sports has mastered with other games), but the animations are repetitive -- which breaks the all-important suspension of disbelief -- and graphic glitches cause the ball to get stuck in a player or backboard. These could possibly be fixed with a downloadable update, so here's hoping EA Sports adds it to the list.
Though the new LIVE Pro-Am modes are a blast -- five-on-five action in a number of cool venues -- other modes such as Rising Star (i.e., Be a Pro) have issues such as a finicky points system. It's also missing some features such as deeper management options. Overall, NBA Live 16 is a mixed bag. Sure, it's a step in the right direction for EA Sports, but it's incremental compared to previous games. And that might not be good enough for a $60 purchase -- especially since another basketball game does gameplay much better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how well NBA Live 16 compares to real-world basketball. What does the game get right or wrong?
Discuss consumerism in sports games. Does including corporate and clothing logos add to a game's realism? Why, or why not?
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Subjects: Language & Reading: following directions, Science: physics, Social Studies: events, Hobbies: sports
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: applying information, decision-making, strategy, Creativity: making new creations, Self-Direction: effort, time management, work to achieve goals
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: EA Sports
- Release date: September 29, 2015
- Genre: Sports
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts, Great Boy Role Models
- ESRB rating: E
- Last updated: September 10, 2021
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