NBA Live 18: Latest Preview Trailers, Pre-Order Info, Features and Modes
With James Harden of the Houston Rockets draped on the cover, EA Sports' NBA Live 18 is ready to jump into the ring with other leaders of the sports video game genre when it's released on September 15.
Tasked with standing out from the crowd, NBA Live 18 pulls out all the stops, weaving in traditional modes, Ultimate Team, street ball and even WNBA action into a comprehensive package worth an NBA fan's time.
Like Madden 18's Longshot story mode, the biggest talking point surrounding EA Sports' upcoming basketball release is The One, which the developers looked at closely in a reveal trailer:
It's an exciting twist on a create-a-player concept, to say the least. Users get to create a player and seamlessly work through The Streets or The League, two modes worlds apart but always connected as users get to carve out their legacy in any way they desire.
Producer Mike Mahar shared more details about the mode with Tomas Franzese of DualShockers.com.
"The One obviously centers around your character. Your character's backstory is that he has to play his way back towards the NBA draft. You had a knee injury in freshman year. You have to then play your way back towards getting drafted, and then once you get drafted, two worlds open up to you," Mahar said.
In a call back to the NBA Street days, users can hit the street-ball courts in a new mode titled Takedown, which lets users team up to face off against legendary names on the street circuit. Live Run pits users against one another at various prestigious venues.
Perhaps best of all, users can work their way through the Nike Pro-Am Tour in the aptly named Pro-Am Tour mode, which comes equipped with challenges to mark progress.
The other traditional modes are still here. Franchise comes with all the bells and whistles of a streamlined experience, while Ultimate Team features the card packs, collection frenzy and challenges fans of EA Sports games have come to know and love.
One of the biggest new modes, though, is the implementation of the WNBA.
From the sounds of EASports.com, this a full-fledged mode featuring the biggest stars: "Choose your favorite from all 12 teams—including the L.A. Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, and New York Liberty—then gear up and get ready to show out. Play your matchups on official WNBA courts with stars like Elena Delle Donne, Sue Bird, and Nneka Ogwumike."
"The WNBA is home to some of the most incredible athletes on the planet, and we've been working hard to integrate them into our game in an authentic and meaningful way," executive producer Sean O'Brien said, according to ESPN.com's Katie Barnes. "This is only a taste of what we have in store, and look forward to working with the league on more great integrations in the franchise in the future."
The Seattle Storm's Breanna Stewart was one of many pros to celebrate the news:
Of course, the laundry-list of new features wouldn't feel complete without gameplay improvement. Superstar signature styles are back and the streamlined mechanics place a bigger emphasis on timing and skill than before.
New skill-based timing windows in the dribbling system and Real Player Motion add another layer of strategy to one-on-one scenarios, which pairs well with the style of play users will experience when taking things to the streets.
Alongside all of the features and new details, fans can see by the videos that this year's offering produces another stellar looker in the graphics department. It's a tall mountain to climb when it comes to matching the presentation found in the NBA 2K series, but EA Sports seems up to task.
If the total package is impossible to resist, EA Sports has a neat pre-order deal on THE ONE Edition that will knock down the price at certain retailers.
Both editions drop across all platforms on September 15.
Information courtesy of EASports.com unless otherwise specified.
