help decide whether or not to get 05

[Matt]

Ok now that Uni exams are over and I have 3 months of freedom I’ll get plenty of tim to play Live. However I haven’t got 05 yet and there is mixed reviews here and I’m not sure what to do. So, I have thought of a good test that will ultimately decide whether to buy the game or not. 1-on-1, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble could somebody play a game of 1-on-1 to say 11 with two guards of close height (say Kobe and PP34) and then tell me how many blocks there were at the end of the game.

I hate perimeter blocked shots and some people have mentioned that these occur because of the way they play…but really, that only does so much, you shouldn’t be forced to play a team game and 1-on-1 is the perfect way to see what the blocking is like. This is the only way to decide whether to get the game or not.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thx

[Jay-Peso]

Don't listen to reviews, IMO get it. It's simply awesome

[Micchy_boy]

common bro follow your heart i know deep inside you want it.

Now go buy it dont listen to any review.

[Doug]

yah dont listen to reviews get this game you wont regret it it's awesome.

[Matt]

hmm, must beware of shifty EA sales reps that might be on this board

[Stevan]

The truth is Matt, this game will frustrate you, because it's Live 05 and it should be better by now. But it's still ok, the sliders can fix up a couple of things. The blocks on the perimiter are a problem, if you don't have a miss-match it's hard to shoot in someone's face unless you fade back or to the side. You just have to be really careful about which shots you take and and creating space for your jumper. A bigger problem is the 'catch' animations, which stop you from shooting open jumpers a lot of the time because they take too long, and then if you shoot it you get blocked! Maybe slowing down the pace of the game would help, I dunno if that slows down the ball though. If it doesn't slow down the ball, then when you slow down the players it could be ok I guess. Er... pm advice Matt...

[Matthew]

Matt, this game isnt perfect. However, it is the best bball game i have played. There are some bugs, but you can adapt to them and play around them. The all star weekend and improved franchise mode has kept me satisfied, and the gameplay has improved, albeit not perfect. I'd say rent it first and see if you like it...

[cyanide]

If you're not all about gameplay, get the game because the Dynasty mode and All-Star Weekend are really good. But if you're like me, and don't care about All-Star Weekend, the game is still worth it despite the frustrating issues; however, I can see myself getting bored of the game in a few months... I guess it depends on people. It appears the other people on the board absolutely adore the game, while others are critical like myself. It depends, really.

[Ruff Ryder]

I think you should buy it, just because it's great and has a few minor problems, but they aren't as bad as Live 04 and 03. If you liked 04, this is an upgrade, graphically(well, to an extent), and gameplay wise. Most of the bugs are fixed and you can still play a great game with sliders.

I couldn't even imagine making it a year without playing Live or any other bball game.

[Metsis]

I'm loving it... You can't shoot jumpers straight on with a defender in your face... TMac and Kobe do the fades all the time, they never shoot it straight so don't be surprised if you get blocked trying to do it even with those guys...

The game and the flow and pace of it all is so much more real than ever before that it's a must have. This time most of the moves actually look like someone could do them in real life.

The gameplay is great... One thing that has bugged me about the dynasty mode, I have had the game for less than a week now, but some have said that the CPU does not trade players almost at all and that's something that would bother me. But everything else is cooking...

If you have liked Live before, this is a must buy... It's better than Live 2004 atleast... Not sure about it being better than Live 2000 though, but looking good even in that perspective...

[Tuomas]

in my opinion this game beats the hell out of any Live, or any game. It simply is the best and most amusing game I have right now. it's realistic and fun at the same time