NBA 08 is the follow up to the PS3 first party launch title, NBA 07. The game looks to build upon what was started last year to take the game to the next level. But too many features were left out to bring it there. The game is pretty, but needs some depth to really compete in the basketball game market. Here is a breakdown of some of the facets of NBA 08 for the PS3:

Presentation and Graphics: NBA 08 runs at a blistering 60fps at full 1080p. Not many games can claim that honor, but Sony has made sure their NBA line looks top notch. There are, however, some clipping issues which prevent the graphics from being the best they can be. The details in the arenas and crowd this year are a huge step up, as are the player and uniform details. The game presents some really cool replays, but these seem vary sparse and only after a big dunk. I would have liked to have seem these occur more often, say with a big crossover to nice steal. The camera seems to stay too far away from the action, not giving you enough opportunity to find that tight passing line into the low post. 4 of 5

Sound and Music: The sounds in NBA 08 are just okay. Normal sound effects (bouncing balls, dunks, ball hitting the rim or backboard) sound good, but not perfect. Otherwise, there isn’t too much to hear in the game. There’s music in the menus, but once you get into the game, that music is very sparse. In NBA 07, commentary was literally non-existent. In the 08 edition, Sony brought in Kevin Calabro and Mark Jackson to call the games. Great addition, however they frequently skips plays altogether. In one instance, I heard one play call in the 3rd quarter, which really takes down the game experience. The crowds also don’t seem to get into the game. If the home team is playing great and making some amazing plays, they don’t get off their feet and cheer loudly. I think this is a one of the big areas Sony needs to focus on for next year’s title. 3 of 5

Gameplay: NBA 08 has an amazing tri-color shot meter which really helps with timing your shots. Wait until it turns green and you’ll make the basket. The meter runs at a different speed depending on the skill of your player, and the size of the “green” zone works the same way as well. SIXAXIS controls were enhanced this year to allow you to raise or lower your hands on defense by tilting the controller up or down. You can also perform crossover moves, spin moves, and stop moves on offense by flicking the controller in different directions. This works okay, but I’d rather use the right analog stick for moves on offense. I did like it for defense though. Where NBA 08 falls short is it’s gameplay options, though. The game has no Franchise mode, only allowing you to play through a single season. So you can’t try to start a dynasty with your favorite teams over a few years. There’s some decent mini-games, but not enough to keep you coming back. To put this series over the top, Sony needs to add a Franchise mode next year. 3 of 5

Multiplayer: One of the coolest parts of NBA 08 is the new Game of the Week feature. At press time, there are 65 scenarios from the 2006 season for you to play through and try to replicate. You may have to score 10 points in 2 minutes, hitting shots from certain points on the floor. As the season begins this year, you’ll be able to grab new scenarios as they happen, which can keep you coming back. Not all the scenarios are great, but there’s enough there to keep you playing. For standard multiplayer, the game is virtually lag free, which helps with timing your shots and crossovers. It took a while to find a game, but that could just be due to only press currently having the game. I’m going to assume this will get slightly better, but not largely as NBA 07 didn’t have a great community online. 3.5 of 5

Lasting Appeal: Without a Franchise mode, it’s hard to say how much you can keep coming back for NBA 08. If you’re a gamer who just plays one season anyway and calls it quits, you’ll be satisfied with NBA 08. If you’re looking for a deep online experience to keep coming back to, this might not be the game for you either. These are some issues that will hopefully addressed before NBA 09. 3 of 5

Final Word: NBA 08 is a very good looking game, but lacks the gameplay modes that it needs to compete in the next-gen basketball game market. The Game of the Week feature is a very welcome addition, which will hopefully add to the online community that wasn’t very prevalent in NBA 07. My recommendation: try the demo first, which is available on the PlayStation Store.

Overall: 3 of 5

1 = Not worth the bandwidth.

2= Demo is enough, not worth your money.

3= Game is good, depending on the price, seriously consider picking it up.

4= Worth your money. Should provide some good times for quite awhile.

5= Buy the game. Lock your door. Pick up a case of beer. This could take all night.