Coming into EA Play, NBA Live 18 was in a tough situation. Few people had high expectations and most would have quickly dismissed it as another ill-fated release from the embattled series had it presented poorly and/or received negative feedback from fans.

Thankfully for EA Sports and the development team that has worked hard to revive the series, things are looking up. It began with the trailer for a new mode called The One.

Here's a breakdown of the game's features per EA Sports (h/t Operation Sports):

Gameplay Innovation

ONE-ON-ONE MECHANIC
Discover an array of game-changing moves and hundreds of fresh player signature styles, animations, and interactions at every position, with unprecedented one-on-one control and responsiveness.

DRIBBLE SYSTEM
On offense, use it to catch your defender out of position, and on defense, use the skill-based counter move to stay in front of the ballhandler to direct pace and tempo.

REAL PLAYER MOVEMENT
Delivers on-ball defense with control and responsiveness, letting you stay with the ball carrier and cut off the drive through skill-based timing windows.

IN THE POST
Be in position to control bigs and use size and strength to blow by your opponent, cut off the drive, protect the basket, or score down low.

ON-COURT AWARENESS
Experience rim-rattling dunks, smooth layups, and the pure physicality of player interactions within one-on-one gameplay around the basket, featuring an amazing amount of animation variety and signature finishes.

PHYSICS-BASED TRANSITIONS
With more animations than ever before, each baller in the game maintains realistic momentum throughout every matchup and every move. You’ll feel closer to real action than a front row seat.

Ways to Play

THE ONE
This is how you play NBA Live 18! An all-new and dynamic career journey. Create your individual player identity and become a legend in The League and The Streets. Master your selected role and playstyle on the court along with unique signature abilities, traits, and gear. Level up your player as you drive to become and icon. Ever choice you make defines your rise to glory.

FRANCHISE
Take control of your favorite NBA team and build it into an unstoppable hoop force while playing games and upgrading the team. Draft top players, make smart trades, and improve your skills with the distinctive upgrade points system. Every decision is yours as you ball through season after season in a streamlined experience while chasing championships.

ULTIMATE TEAM
Build a hand-picked squad of hardwood superstars from past and present. Earn Coins or purchase NBA Live Points and scoop up packs from the store to acquire more players, coaches, uniforms, and stadiums, adding strength to your roster. Complete challenges, receive rewards, and elevate your status. Collect. Upgrade. Dominate!

The One is obviously NBA Live's take on a single-player mode that replaces Rising Star and is designed to rival NBA 2K's MyCareer. Off the bat, there are things to like. Call me petty, but one of the first things I noticed was the hairstyle on the player who was spotlighted. It's a mohawk with graphics.

Franchise mode and Ultimate Team appear to be the only other modes of play that will be available. I think limiting the feature set at this stage of the franchise is smart. It should allow the developers to master the core of its game.

That said, it doesn't change the fact that franchise and collector mode fans may feel a little shortchanged. We don't know for sure, but it doesn't seem as if those modes are receiving the same attention. If you look at the verbiage for the feature set, the first sentence describing The One says: "this is how you play NBA Live 18!"

Obviously, without strong gameplay none of it will matter. Based on the impressions from those at EA Play, NBA Live 18's gameplay is moving in the right direction.

All gameplay impressions have to be filtered and it's important you know the preferences of the person giving the opinion. Still, it's good to see people giving the game a thumbs up. The sequence of gameplay that was shown during the presentation demonstrated the one-on-one mechanic and the cat-and-mouse game between the player with the ball and the defender.

The sequence of gameplay that was shown during the presentation demonstrated the one-on-one mechanic and the cat-and-mouse game between the player with the ball and the defender. If this dynamic is as good as advertised, it could be the basis for elite halfcourt gameplay.

However, that's not always where NBA Live has suffered. The issues have come more in the movement and flow. Players have felt stiff in the past and I've personally had an issue with what feels like a slightly exaggerated gravity pull when players jump.

Thankfully, we'll get a free demo version of NBA Live 18 in August. The exact date hasn't been shared, but it will feature a variety of modes and all of the progress you make upgrading your character will carry over to the full version of the game when it releases.

We still haven't been given a confirmed release date for the retail version but after a positive presence at EA Play, more are probably interested.