NBA Live 14 was met with harsh criticism upon release, and rightly so. EA failed to deliver a quality product, and the game faced sever issues on all fields – lackluster graphics, terrible sound, unresponsive controls and generally weak AI. The dribble mechanics were decent enough, but overall, fans of NBA Live 10 felt cheated and disappointed. EA promised a next-gen NBA title, and NBA Live 14 was anything but that. However, the game is receiving massive updates constantly, both as a necessity to make an unplayable game enjoyable, as well as to prepare for the upcoming NBA Live 15, which will surely come towards the end of the year.
EA released its second major update for NBA Live 14 today, addressing several issues. Graphics have been improved (especially through textures and lighting effects), controls are more responsive, the physics have received an overhaul and new aesthetic customization options have been made available. The patch is live now on the Xbox One and Playstation 4. Here’s the full list of changes:
ALL-NEW SHOOTAROUND MODE
– Improve your shooting, dribbling, and offensive moves by selecting any current NBA player and taking to an empty practice gym
– The mode will improve your game, and also serve as the foundation for NBA LIVE 15
GRAPHICAL IMPROVEMENTS
– NBA LIVE 14’s lighting system has been updated and re-tuned to help bring the game to life. Color values have been improved to help remove some player’s “plastic” look
– Tweaked and/or tuned every player and every uniform
– New lighting improves the skin texture of players, and colors will be more accurate and robust
NEW ACCESSORIES
– Added official court and jerseys for 2014 NBA All-Star weekend in New Orleans
– Added new adidas Hardwood Classic uniforms
– Added new basketball, complete with the signature of the NBA’s new commissioner Adam Silver
IMPROVED CONTROL AND RESPONSIVENESS
– Tuned first steps and dribble moves (including start and stop) to smooth out animations
– Improved transitions between animations
PASSING IMPROVEMENTS
– Players experience increased responsiveness with improvements to ball physics, pass speeds and branch points within animations
– Ball interacts with rim much more organically. Swishes have been reduced
– Increased the variety of passing speeds
– Improved lead passing