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A streamlined NBA arcade experience with realistic graphics | Review - NBA Infinite
1K View2024-02-15
✨Overview
NBA Infinite is a mobile basketball simulation game developed by Lightspeed Studios and Level Infinite. The game is designed to rival existing mobile titles such as NBA 2K and NBA Live, offering high-intensity gameplay and realistic AAA visuals across various basketball game formats. The game also features officially licensed NBA players and teams
🟩Pros
+High-quality AAA graphics
+Diverse gameplay options, including 1v1, 3v3, and 5v5 modes
+Streamlined gameplay modes with an arcade style feel
+Officially licensed NBA players and teams
+Smooth performance, extensive settings, and options
🟥Cons
-Animations can feel stiff and movement lacks inertia and quickness
-Cannot use real team rosters from the NBA in any game mode
⭐️Score: 7/10
NBA Infinite is a mobile basketball simulation game developed by Lightspeed Studios and Level Infinite. The game is designed to rival existing mobile titles such as NBA 2K and NBA Live, offering high-intensity gameplay and realistic AAA visuals across various basketball game formats. The game also features officially licensed NBA players and teams
🟩Pros
+High-quality AAA graphics
+Diverse gameplay options, including 1v1, 3v3, and 5v5 modes
+Streamlined gameplay modes with an arcade style feel
+Officially licensed NBA players and teams
+Smooth performance, extensive settings, and options
🟥Cons
-Animations can feel stiff and movement lacks inertia and quickness
-Cannot use real team rosters from the NBA in any game mode
⭐️Score: 7/10
🎨Visuals and Art
The developers have prioritized visual fidelity, with detailed player models and immersive lighting the results in AAA-level graphics that can go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights like NBA 2K, whether with mobile or even with consoles. The player models are remarkably detailed, although capturing the likeness of NBA stars is a hit or miss – sometimes it looks uncannily good, and other times it's off the mark.
🎮Gameplay
The core gameplay of NBA Infinite revolves around a card acquisition system for building and enhancing player rosters, and using these players to participate in a variety of basketball game formats. The game offers diverse PvP options, including 3v3, 5v5, and 1v1 games, allowing players to engage in street-style half-court battles or experience the intensity of 5v5 matches in packed stadiums.
The game features officially licensed NBA players and teams, but you don’t actually have the option to choose real, existing team rosters from the NBA. Instead, players are required to create and use their own customized rosters to compete against others’. You do get to choose your preferred team for your players’ uniforms. Hopefully we can get a game mode in the future wherein we can play with real team rosters, like in EA FC Mobile or eFootball.
In the 3v3 and 1v1 formats, you get to control a solo individual player of your choice from your card roster. In the 5v5 Dynasty mode, the gameplay transforms into a 1v1 scenario where you select and control an entire team from your card roster.
The whole format has been simplified across the board, even the 5v5 matches aren’t in full NBA scale and are just divided into two halves for simplicity purposes. The game features both 3v3 and 5v5 ranked matches as well as unranked 3v3 and 1v1 matches. It also features an additional 3-point contest game mode where you can test your reflexes, as well as a practice/training mode.
My personal favorite is the 5v5 game mode as I get to control everyone in the team. Your experience may vary in the 3v3 format because some players consistently hog the ball and won’t include their teammates in the game. This results in stretches where you aren't really doing anything aside from slightly moving around. Still, 3v3 will be the go-to mode here whenever you want to team-up with other players or with your friends.
The offense in this game is slightly exaggerated and leans towards an arcade-style experience. Dunks are far too common, and playing defense can be challenging as players tend to easily get through. However, when a block does happen, it’s almost always an emphatic block that’s always a sight to see.
🕹Controls
The actual gameplay includes both on-ball and off-ball play. Aside from dribbling, passing, and shooting, players also have the option to set screens off the ball, perform crossovers, and execute post-up maneuvers. Players also have access to Exclusive and Dominance Skills – unique abilities associated with specific NBA players, such as Tomahawk dunks and Shammgod crossovers – along with perks like long-range blocker and acrobatic airman.
I do find the animations a little bit on the stiff side, there is a lack of inertia in the animations, particularly noticeable during running actions such as shooting, jumping, or even player-to-player interactions. The running speed for all players is slower than usual, and it can sometimes take you out of the immersion. This issue becomes more pronounced when playing a big man with a speed stat of 200+, but it is still noticeable even when playing guards with speed stats of 700+.
⏫💵Progression and Monetization
Player progression in NBA Infinite is facilitated through a card-based system, requiring multiple copies of individual player cards for enhancements. There is a gacha system for acquiring cards, as well as microtransaction options, but there are still ways to unlock players without spending money, catering to both free-to-play gamers and those open to in-game purchases.
📊Technical Performance
The game runs smoothly on my Snapdragon 888 device while still looking amazing. There is an extensive range of graphic settings, and I was able to run the game at the second-best resolution setting and ultra (highest) graphics in general. I also appreciate that they provided two frame rate options for both gameplay and menus. Naturally, the menus default to a low FPS, while I was able to set my gameplay FPS to super. There are three camera settings: one is the popular overhead behind the player view, and the other two are courtside angles, similar to a TV broadcast.
⚖️Conclusion
While the actual gameplay can feel a bit stiff, sometimes playing like a pre-2010 NBA Live gameplay mechanically, the high-quality AAA graphics and the game’s competitive nature do hide some of these shortcomings in the gameplay. For its first outing, I will give them credit for making a genuine effort to create an NBA game that can rival the big names in the mobile industry. This game lays the groundwork for future improvements that could further solidify its position in the industry.
The developers have prioritized visual fidelity, with detailed player models and immersive lighting the results in AAA-level graphics that can go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights like NBA 2K, whether with mobile or even with consoles. The player models are remarkably detailed, although capturing the likeness of NBA stars is a hit or miss – sometimes it looks uncannily good, and other times it's off the mark.
🎮Gameplay
The core gameplay of NBA Infinite revolves around a card acquisition system for building and enhancing player rosters, and using these players to participate in a variety of basketball game formats. The game offers diverse PvP options, including 3v3, 5v5, and 1v1 games, allowing players to engage in street-style half-court battles or experience the intensity of 5v5 matches in packed stadiums.
The game features officially licensed NBA players and teams, but you don’t actually have the option to choose real, existing team rosters from the NBA. Instead, players are required to create and use their own customized rosters to compete against others’. You do get to choose your preferred team for your players’ uniforms. Hopefully we can get a game mode in the future wherein we can play with real team rosters, like in EA FC Mobile or eFootball.
In the 3v3 and 1v1 formats, you get to control a solo individual player of your choice from your card roster. In the 5v5 Dynasty mode, the gameplay transforms into a 1v1 scenario where you select and control an entire team from your card roster.
The whole format has been simplified across the board, even the 5v5 matches aren’t in full NBA scale and are just divided into two halves for simplicity purposes. The game features both 3v3 and 5v5 ranked matches as well as unranked 3v3 and 1v1 matches. It also features an additional 3-point contest game mode where you can test your reflexes, as well as a practice/training mode.
My personal favorite is the 5v5 game mode as I get to control everyone in the team. Your experience may vary in the 3v3 format because some players consistently hog the ball and won’t include their teammates in the game. This results in stretches where you aren't really doing anything aside from slightly moving around. Still, 3v3 will be the go-to mode here whenever you want to team-up with other players or with your friends.
The offense in this game is slightly exaggerated and leans towards an arcade-style experience. Dunks are far too common, and playing defense can be challenging as players tend to easily get through. However, when a block does happen, it’s almost always an emphatic block that’s always a sight to see.
🕹Controls
The actual gameplay includes both on-ball and off-ball play. Aside from dribbling, passing, and shooting, players also have the option to set screens off the ball, perform crossovers, and execute post-up maneuvers. Players also have access to Exclusive and Dominance Skills – unique abilities associated with specific NBA players, such as Tomahawk dunks and Shammgod crossovers – along with perks like long-range blocker and acrobatic airman.
I do find the animations a little bit on the stiff side, there is a lack of inertia in the animations, particularly noticeable during running actions such as shooting, jumping, or even player-to-player interactions. The running speed for all players is slower than usual, and it can sometimes take you out of the immersion. This issue becomes more pronounced when playing a big man with a speed stat of 200+, but it is still noticeable even when playing guards with speed stats of 700+.
⏫💵Progression and Monetization
Player progression in NBA Infinite is facilitated through a card-based system, requiring multiple copies of individual player cards for enhancements. There is a gacha system for acquiring cards, as well as microtransaction options, but there are still ways to unlock players without spending money, catering to both free-to-play gamers and those open to in-game purchases.
📊Technical Performance
The game runs smoothly on my Snapdragon 888 device while still looking amazing. There is an extensive range of graphic settings, and I was able to run the game at the second-best resolution setting and ultra (highest) graphics in general. I also appreciate that they provided two frame rate options for both gameplay and menus. Naturally, the menus default to a low FPS, while I was able to set my gameplay FPS to super. There are three camera settings: one is the popular overhead behind the player view, and the other two are courtside angles, similar to a TV broadcast.
⚖️Conclusion
While the actual gameplay can feel a bit stiff, sometimes playing like a pre-2010 NBA Live gameplay mechanically, the high-quality AAA graphics and the game’s competitive nature do hide some of these shortcomings in the gameplay. For its first outing, I will give them credit for making a genuine effort to create an NBA game that can rival the big names in the mobile industry. This game lays the groundwork for future improvements that could further solidify its position in the industry.
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