NBA Live 14 is a next-gen game, but not for the reasons you'd expect. Its graphics aren't amazing, nor does it offer astounding, never-seen-before gameplay. In fact, for the first time ever, a major-label sports game arrives on store shelves as a work-in-progress.

Deep; solid controls in 5-on-5; Pick-and-roll mechanics; Gorgeous ESPN presentation

Clunky animations and physics; Lots of glitches in Challenges; Rising Star feels half-built

NBA Live's flaccid return is made all the more disappointing because we waited three years for it. After all that time, in no way advances the basketball sim genre and, worse, leaves little to be optimistic about for next year.

Big Moments and Ultimate Team modes

Sluggish; dunk-fest gameplay; Horrendous visuals; Generic commentary; Wasted ESPN license

It seems like every new generation of consoles launches with a game or two that makes you wonder what a developer was thinking. Some, like Super Mario 64 , reveal that the developer knew how to utilize a new system's strengths to its advantage – others, like PS1's Street Fighter: The Movie , are so...

Matching up against the terrific NBA 2K14 was sure to be a challenge, but EA's first basketball sim since 2009 barely puts up a fight, coming off as an unmitigated disaster rather than an entry worthy of the brand's almost 20-year legacy.

+ Challenges pulled from daily games are a cool touch

- Sluggish, awkward, and imbalanced gameplay; no training elements, - Dull, unremarkable player models; repetitive presentational aspects, ?

NBA Live 14 is a mess that probably shouldn't have been released – hell, EA have even apologized because it is so bad. The gameplay is fundamentally broken due to the ease of scoring dunks, and 2-point jumpers being near impossible to sink, whilst the poor AI leads to a highly unrealistic game.

NBA LIVE 14 is a difficult game to recommend, especially when the more stellar NBA 2K14 is available. Although developers smartly incorporate real-world NBA moments through mini-games, it's the on-court action that suffers most. Players are stiff, moving awkwardly around the court.

This game is just terrible. DON'T waste your money on it. Unrealistic gameplay. I traded this in after 4 hours. If you want to play a basketball game, go buy 2K. I see why EA hasn't made a b-ball game for a few years...

The game has some problems but the game is really fun. I play it all the time. I love how EA is taking our advice and is always working to improve their game. The game is worth the try. I really enjoy the game.

It's been five years since we've seen an NBA game from EA Sports; a company notorious for obtaining, monopolizing, and grinding a license into the ground before relinquishing the rights.

I was so excited about the revival of the NBA Live games. I downloaded the demo version to give it a try and after playing 2K14, I was quickly disappointed. The graphics were certainly not next generation. It didn't seem realistic like 2K14.