NBA Live 18 for PlayStation 4 (2017) was EA’s big attempt to dunk its way back into the basketball conversation after getting posterized by 2K for years. Did it win the championship? Not exactly. But it did give hoops fans something fresh with slick visuals, a new career mode, and the kind of streetball flavor that actually felt fun instead of corporate.

The highlight here is The One career mode, where you build your baller from scratch and grind your way through both NBA arenas and street courts. Want to dominate in Madison Square Garden? Do it. Prefer to break ankles at Rucker Park under the streetlights? That’s in here too. It blends authentic NBA action with a little bit of And1 mixtape swagger, which was a welcome change for Live fans.

Gameplay-wise, it’s smoother than the old days but still a little looser than 2K, which actually makes it more approachable if you’re just trying to have fun without memorizing stick combos. Toss in updated rosters and online modes, and you’ve got a solid alternative for anyone tired of 2K’s microtransaction grind.

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