FreeStyle Street Basketball

Now that the term "MMO" is synonymous with PC gaming (thanks World of Warcraft), game publishers have been looking for ways either to build upon Blizzard's success or differentiate without straying too far from the accomplished MMO mold. The trickiness inherent in this now-established genre is working out the kinks in pricing; do you have a higher cost of the game with all items available or a low-grade budget title where the publisher slowly bleeds your cash away? FreeStyle Street Basketball chooses the latter and taps the hip hop, in-yo-face sport with varying success.

FreeStyle lets you choose one of three positions and play online to slowly build your stats and ballin’ prowess. Guards are lethal at 3-point range but lack power, Forwards are your all-around type and good for mid-range shots, while Centers are best left inside the paint due to their size and lack of speed. You’ll need to choose wisely when creating your character, or you may suffer from lack of play at early levels; more on that later.

Your stats automatically adjust depending on position while you’re introduced to the two currencies - Points and Bills. Points are earned with experience and can be used to “purchase” trainings, which up your stats; so you can become faster or sink more shots. Bills are used to purchase freestyles, skills or clothing. Freestyles modify existing moves while skills are what make you a better player outright - two-handed dunks, screens, etc. Clothes are there to set you apart from all the other generic t-shirts and can have stat values attributed. Here’s where it gets tricky - Bills are only replenished with your credit card, leaving you to decide just how much ballin’ you’re up for.