Metascore
59 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 32
  2. Negative: 6 out of 32
  1. NBA Live 07 improves on its predecessor best feature: the graphics. The game looks unbelievably good. Add to that some new features and improved gameplay, and it's hard to turn your back on the game.
  2. My recommendations for this game would be to speed it up. The loading in between games and the GM's desk is way to slow. It has to be faster.
  3. 80
    A major leap over last season and brings back all the features we so dearly missed. Although the visuals are some of the best we've seen on the Xbox 360, the controls and overall gameplay could take a lesson from close competitor "NBA 2K" series.
  4. The game modes, including my personal favorite the All Star weekend, are a joy to play and you will not get bored fast with Live 07.
  5. It was just so damn disappointing. For a game that laid such a promising foundation last year, there really hasn't been as large a leap forward as we would have liked.
  6. It's just not the cohesive, polished experience that it should be--and that "NBA 2K7" is. [Dec. 2006, p.86]
  7. Its core gameplay needs a lot of tweaking to be as fluid and approachable as I think they want it to be, they need to smooth out the animations to make the game look and feel more realistic, and they could probably do well to expand the multiplayer options to boot.
  8. It's simply not that fun to play, and is not what gamers should expect from a next-gen title.
  9. A solid game of basketball, but not one worth your money if you have Live 06.
  10. At this point, this is a game that will appeal to fans of the high score and dunks as A.I. and defense did not really show up this year.
  11. Despite the addition of several previously missing modes, NBA Live 07's many gameplay flaws and uneven visuals relegate the series to the bench for yet another year.
  12. In the end, NBA Live 07 falls far short of expectations. It will take a lot for NBA Live to right itself and be a quality title again next year.
  13. EA extends their NBA franchise for the next-gen 360, but sadly fails to refine the whole formula, resulting in an uneven and unpolished game.
  14. Overly complicated and almost no fun to play. [Issue 17, p.68]
  15. 60
    Unfortunately, the Superstar controls aren't as deep as the current gen or the PSP, and the gameplay is extremely unplayable and bland.
  16. A severe disappointment to fans of the genre. While EA has added many of the features that were missing from last year's offering, there are still too many issues that need to be ironed out, including the animations, the flow, the online gameplay, and the challenge.
  17. NBA Live 07 is an example of a game rushed to meet the deadline without paying any attention to quality. There are so many bugs in the game that any semblance of a basketball simulation is lost.
  18. While we love NBA Live 07's showy moves and new modes, the gameplay ultimately feels unfocused and unsatisfying. [Dec 2006, p.88]
  19. A pretty decent basketball game. That is, if you can deal with being unable to shoot while double teamed and character models that look nothing like their real-life counterparts. If you're cool with such mediocrity, then this one's for you.
  20. The entire control scheme and physics engine need to go back to the drawing board before next year's release in order to remove that constant feeling of dread that lingers during a typical game.
  21. But the list of shortcomings is so long that you wonder how the company has the cajones to charge $10 more for this version over the current-gen titles. Those are some big brass basketballs.
  22. NBA Live 07 does the basics, but when the competition, namely Take 2's NBA 2K7, does everything so much better (and we do mean everything), there's no reason at all why you should be wondering which title to pick up.
  23. If you're mulling over a b-ball game for your 360 this fall, the only direction to look is away from NBA Live 07. It's a disaster from the word go, and never should have made it out of training camp.
  24. It appears that the new foot-planting technology destroys the flow and look of the game when in motion.
  25. 50
    This just doesn't feel like basketball: there's no drama, you'll go full quarters without bothering to glance at the scoreboard, and even the swish of the basket on a long 3-pointer feels off. Live 07 tries to bridge the gap between itself and its rival by adding features, but it doesn't come close to this year's clear basketball champion: "NBA 2K7."
  26. Where NBA Live offends most is sadly in its gameplay. A reviewer could literally fill an entire page of notes with criticisms of this nature.
  27. 45
    Such a broken game that you'd be better off waiting for NBA Live 08 to hopefully rectify some critical issues.
  28. While the various play options and ESPN integration makes for a great front end, the slo-mo gameplay, horrid animation, and awful online execution means that the competition--"NBA 2K7"--is the only game in town for virtual ballers this season.
  29. Disappointing isn't the word. What is the word...Lazy? Rubbish? It's probably a word we can't print. [Issue 13, p.90]
  30. In the end, Live 07 reminds me of Shaq at the charity stripe: It throws up way too many bricks. [Dec. 2006, p.126]
  31. "NBA 2K7" is fast and beautiful, while NBA Live 07 is outdated, sloppy, and only worth playing for a quarter.
  32. The sad news is that the game is filled with tons of bad gameplay.
User Score

Generally unfavorable- based on 54 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 20
  2. Negative: 9 out of 20
  1. BryanMccann
    5
    this is the best live right now out for the 360. so if you really hate 2k just get this game. but it still sucks not much improvement. the only reason people get new games aka live 08 is because it has new players. same as madden. it is pritty much the same but live 08 went backwords unlike this game. gameplay was made a little better so I could play this game if I had to. this is the only live game worth buying or renting. 08 is worth a rental if you have a coupon that says rent one get one free because it is so easy to get the achivements in 08! and no I am not an EA hatter I got Madden even though 2k had theirs out in 2004 and when ever else. Full Review »
  2. MarkE.
    10
    A must have for the true basketball fan.
  3. NickC.
    8
    Well, I wouldn't go so far to say that - but I do find it enjoyable, and it is a good game for intellectual game players. Its franchise mode is great, and enables users to set lifelike rotations, do a 2006 draft over, and enable to piece your team. Playing with a friend makes it all the more enjoyable. Even better, you can adjust the global sliders as well. It's really a fun game once you understand the nuances of the game. Full Review »