ESPN NBA 2K5 Preview

Last year’s ESPN NBA title really did great things for ESPN Videogames, a division of Sega. The addition of the 24/7 career mode, Xbox Live support, and fantastic graphics and gameplay (a reliable aspect of Sega Sports games) made this the best NBA videogame out there. This year’s version, even with great steps from EA’s NBA Live series, puts Sega even further on top of the basketball heap.

Even though it was considered the best looking basketball game last year, ESPN NBA’s players were still a bit robotic and stiff, at one point standing straight up and the next running into a motion capture animation. This year, thanks to triple pass rendering (some technology that gamers don’t need to understand how it works, just that it does) animates the players brilliantly. All the movement has been smoothed out and looks even more fluid, a great improvement for the franchise. Random motions have been added for slashing, driving players to make their bodies twist and turn in the lane. Players diving for balls out of bounds actually throw the ball back in realistically – Bibby saved the ball, but chucked it errantly to the other team. The crowd is now fully three-dimensional – something the team has always wanted to do and finally got a chance to this year. They’ll cheer for the home team, and a few dissenters may even root for the visitors. The stadiums look even better, with the shiny court showing the arena lights’ reflections. The Playstation 2 and Xbox versions were side by side, and the Xbox version looked much better. Pick it up for the Xbox if you can.

Gameplay seems to be a bit faster this year, mirroring the NBA better. In game AI adjusts according to gamer’s play, so those who like to run the floor will see their teammates breaking away more often, and those who prefer setting up a half-court offense might get more help on the defensive boards. A player’s size and weight with respect to their momentum has been refined in the physics engine, effecting their movement, ability to cut, and more.

The multiplayer version was the only mode on display at E3, but I’ve been promised that the 24/7 mode will be back with more items and some new features. Look for ESPN NBA Basketball 2005 to drop with the start of the NBA season.

For All E3 2004 Previews