I confess that I'm not a fan of basketball or in fact sports games in general, so when I offered to do the review for NBA Ballers: Chosen One, I wasn't sure what to expect and felt that my limited knowledge of the game and its stars might hamper my review. However, NBA Ballers Chosen One isn't your typical basketball game and somewhat deviates from the usual shenanigans you'd expect. Having completed the single player portion of game I can say from the off that you really have to be a chosen one to get the most out of this title.

Gameplay:

NBA Ballers Chosen One offers various modes of play including a story mode, and then your basic matches which comprise of 1v1 or 1v1v1 or 2v2, practice and a couple of the mini games like shootout and challenge. For achievement hunters the place to really sink your teeth into is the story mode. First you must create a character using a very simplified creation process, in fact the option are pretty limited with few face templates and then tweaking options which leave little room for maneuver. Once you've created your would be superstar, you enter the first of six chapters. What's cool about these is the fact that Public Enemy frontman, Chuck D is the host in the NBA Ballers TV studio. Ok it's not a real studio, but the developers have recreated a TV style flavour to get you into the mood. Chuck D is mostly great as a presenter, but at times looks a little uncomfortable in the role. Each chapter has a TV intro and all in all they are short and sweet and a neat inclusion to the game.

Each chapter is broken down into various events where you'll face off against the cream of the NBA. The events incorporate the 1v1 or 1v1v1 or 2v2 play modes but at times will place win requirements to test your mettle. This is where the challenge lies and of course lots of frustration. For me the problem lies in the fact that some events are easy to beat, which lulls you into a false sense of security. Then early on you'll face a challenge which seems impossible to beat. One thing that stood out for me was the lack of explanation for anything. Sure, there's a coach tips page in the practice mode but sadly no actual tutorial which would helped greatly. The coach tips are also only accessible via the practice mode, which means you have to quit the story mode and then head to practice mode to have a look. This might be fine, but the long loading times make this a chore and a half.

If I was to give advice, and in hindsight I would say gamers really need to spend an hour or two in the practice mode first to get to grips with all of the moves available, because at some point during the story mode, you're going to have to use them all. There are a number of moves to learn which gives you an edge during the matches, most noticeable the combo moves which are activated using the left bumper and X button. Here you enter a button matching mini game where if you take too long, you mess up the combo or allow your opponent to counter it. Doing combos, offensive moves and blocks fills up your super meter which allows you to perform the more flamboyant moves - and boy there are some crazy moves to unleash on your foes. The super moves range from stealing the ball to super slam dunking moves from the half way line! Let's say NBA Ballers is not based entirely on realism and shares some similarities with FIFA Street series.

At the end of each chapter, you'll face off against a boss (one of the more high profile NBA stars like Kobe Bryant as an example). Once complete you can then say that you are "ballin". Between events you can return to the character edit screens and bling out your created player, with things like unlocked moves, clothing and jewelery.

Graphics:

NBA Ballers Chosen One features some pretty decent graphics all round although there's some dodgy looking audience character models used. The main players are actually very well crafted and when you see the close ups during super moves you'll see things like veins and dimples on the skin which has to be seen to be believed. The overall pacing of the game is reasonably fast and I noticed no issues with frame rates or screen tearing. The courts are well presented as well which is great and adds another layer of atmosphere to proceedings. The only real downer is the long loading times, especially when you mess up and have to continue.

Sound:

The sound is as you would expect in game, with audience cheers, squeaks and ball sounds being the most noticeable sound effect. However, you'll also get the voice of Chuck D booming out to add that extra layer to the experience. The music is pretty decent for my tastes but if you're not into hip-hop flavour instrumentals, then I suggest muting in the options menu or using your own custom soundtracks.

Longevity:

This is pretty tough because you could keep creating characters and building different stats to suit various play styles. By completing events you get to add attributes to your character's stats. The story mode isn't the longest by any stretch of the imagination, but due to the difficulty, probably lasts longer than it would do if there were no restrictions, like limited continues. Gamers can obviously play on one machine and duke it out around the sofa. Then there's the Xbox Live play where you can prove how "Ballin" you are against other players around the globe. If you're an NBA fan then there's certainly enough here to keep you entertained for a while. There's even an achievement for beating the story mode twice!

Overall:

Now the crunch. NBA Ballers: Chosen One isn't for the feint hearted. I'm normally a mild mannered chap, but found that the game turned me into some red faced, hot tempered demon. I could have easily thrown the controller followed by the Xbox 360 out the window at times, and my language would have probably made Samuel L Jackson appalled. The game's learning curve is probably as steep as Everest and like I said if you jump in expecting to kick ass, the game will grab you and dunk you back into reality pretty sharpish. There's some appalling cheap AI and the restrictions are a real pain. I almost gave up many times, but obviously I like torturous challenges and persevered. I think Midway need to take a look at what makes a game challenging yet fun, because with NBA Ballers Chosen One, there's no difficulty select and as I said, no helpful tutorial to ease you into the game's mechanics. To me this is going to alienate a lot of fans,who simply will give up on the story mode due to the frustrating levels of difficulty. NBA Ballers Chosen One made me want to go outside and hurt somebody!

NBA Ballers: Chosen One has some enjoyment if you play in short sessions. If you do get sucked into trying to beat the unnecessarily tough challenges then beware, because you'll either age 10 years or start hurling abuse at the TV screen. I think non fans could enjoy some aspects of the game, such as playing with friends, but for the most part the game is pretty inaccessible to non basketball fans. Even the language used is steeped in phrases you might not understand right away. All in all I can't say I've come away fully enjoying the game. There's an almost masochistic flavour to proceedings, although I must confess that the joy and elation gained from beating the last boss is second to none.