For some reason the game only supports resolutions up to 1280×1024, and you have to wonder why this is the case. Even on maximum settings and at the highest resolution, NBA Live 08 can still look like a PS2 game at times, with jagged character models and some ropey animation. The game’s visuals are another area where it suffers. However, setting up the controller for use is more complicated than it needs to be, and can make for some frustrating games to begin with as you try and work out how to do some of the more complicated moves or plays. All of the different moves, both offensive and defensive, require combinations of analogue stick control and buttons, and if you want to make the most of the level of control the game offers, you’ll need a control pad for sure. First of all, the controls in a sports game like this are essential to getting the most out of the game.
NBA Live 08 is a case in point of this, and its transition to the PC does nothing to help its cause. With only slight changes from one year to the next, it gets harder and harder to recommend buying the latest version of a game when you can get the previous incarnation for less money, and with most of the same modes and features still present. This particular reviewer is getting rather fed up of the yearly sports updates that offer little in the way of improvements or additions to its predecessor.
