NBA 08 Review

NBA 08 is a PSP, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 exclusive video game. The game makes another return and continues a similar trend from last season's NBA 07. That is not necessarily a positive considering the fact that NBA 07 was abysmal. The game is by all means a basketball simulation and not a amazing one. In terms of gameplay, there is not much to enjoy in this game. In this year's iteration of the game, you can earn points that can bolster your attributes by playing a progression system. There is online support in NBA 08, but you will not be seeing anyone online because they will be busy playing NBA 2K8. The game does have a full season mode with the playoffs and mini games (like shooting drills). Unfortunately, a franchise mode is missing in action. If a gamer does manage to finish the full season mode, then he or she will receive nothing in return. I would have at least expected to see a trophy presentation, but I was mistaken.

To make matters worse, there is no free agency and no drafting in this game. At one point, I even saw Steve Nash dunking the basketball. When has he ever dunked the basketball in the NBA? The controls in the game are not bad. You can use the six axis controller to keep the basketball away from defenders on offense; conversely, gamers can utilize the six axis controller to block shots on defense. It was intriguing to see a sports video game implement the six axis controller, and I felt like using the six axis controller was responsive. The artificial intelligence will behave like a bunch of spoiled athletes. They will do countless dubious things such as double teaming the mediocre players and take ill-advised shots. Why the hell the artificial intelligence would leave a player like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James wide open is beyond me. There are maneuvers that you can perform (ala cross over dribbles) that will make the game easier, but the game is never arduous at all. It was fairly obvious that little to no time was spent on the animations and collision detection because anyone can easily score points in this game. I learned that there is no need to use any exotic plays because you can just teleport through the defense without any resistance. It was almost like the defense was holding up a sign that read "I concede, so let me help you win this game by escorting you to the basket." The graphics in the game is just as horrible as the gameplay. None of the players look like their real life counterparts. Identifying a player can only be done by reading the name on the back of his uniform. Every intricate detail was phenomenal in NBA 2K8. You could even see the stitching and designs on the uniforms in that game. Regrettably, NBA 08 does not even come close to the attention to detail presented in NBA 2K8. I cannot think of any players that are accurately represented in this game. Maybe this was a glitch, but I saw Kevin Garnett wearing pink socks. Kevin Garnett is known for wearing white socks. Things like that have made this game deplorable. Do not even get me started on the audio in this game.

The commentators are saying lines as if they are reading from a script; moreover, this is exacerbated by the fact that the commentating is redundant. Overall, this game is lackluster. There is a updated roster for the 2007 to 2008 NBA season, but that is not enough to overcome the myriad of flaws associated with this game. I have had more fun watching a San Antonio Spurs game that playing this terrible excuse for a video game. The game has an immensely rudimentary NBA basketball gaming experience and lacks the immersion that made NBA 2K8 incredible. Do not be fooled into thinking that this game is worth playing because Amare Stoudemire is the cover athlete. As spectacular as Amare Stoudemire might be in the NBA, there is nothing he nor the game developers could have done to make this game enjoyable.
Final Verdict: NBA 08 is abysmal.
5 out of 10