2016 is undisputedly the year of sports games. After Madden 17 proved one of the best in the series, the pressure was on for NBA 2K to make a splash — and just like Steph and Klay, a splash it made.
This year, 2K made a point to overhaul its presentation. Many elements return, such as pre-game and halftime shows by the TNT crew — Ernie Johnson Jr., Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith.
Developers said they traveled to each arena to capture the unique aspects of all 30 teams, so each arena will have its own buzzer and other sound effects of the crowd chanting, an impressive attempt to bring realism to the game.
Kevin Harlan and Greg Anthony return to the commentator’s desk, joined this year by a rotating cast filling in the third spot, including Chris Webber, Steve Smith and Brent Barry. Doris Burke has even graduated from the sidelines to join in on the commentator’s bench periodically, while David Aldridge replaces him on the sidelines to round out a star-studded cast.
Throw in more than 200 sound clips from coaches and 150 player interviews, and you can see 2K means business this year.
After last year’s Spike Lee-directed handcuffing story mode, I was hoping for a story mode with more player choice. While I’m only a few hours into this game mode, the improvements are only slightly better.
Creed writer Aaron Covington directs the story while fellow Creed star Michael B. Jordan stars as your counterpart. A few celebrities, such as Hannibal Buress, make cameos along the way.
With options to attend several practices a day, satisfy sponsorship requirements or hang out with teammates, the depth of your daily routine is much more detailed. While on the surface this seems like the player has more choice, so far I have felt this is more of an illusion compared to last year’s freedoms.
The story this year is much better than Lee’s last year, though at times the non-basketball cut scenes can become boring. Overall, MyCareer has taken a step in the right direction this time around, with a few surprises that I’ll let you discover for yourself.
Moving over to MyGM, veteran players will feel a comfortable familiarity, spiced with some much-needed changes. The already-deep franchise mode digs a bit deeper this year with additions such as starting with an expansion to league and taking control of a team before this year’s off season, to a name a couple.
Every off season, the rules committee will meet to vote on any changes for the upcoming season. In my first off season, the owners voted to change the number of fouls needed to reach the bonus to three. If you don’t like a change, you can overrule it, but this still adds an interesting dynamic to the game mode.
If you’re like me and love the analytical side of basketball and making trades to build the best possible team, then you’ll love the addition of draft picks having protections when used in trades. Scouting has also received some tweaks to make it more realistic; Veteran minimum contracts and off season injuries are just a few of the changes you will see.
On the court, there are several new animations, including new alley-oop dunks and lay-ins. Rebounds can now be tipped to open players, and several other minor animations such as revamped forced pickups are included, giving the game a heavier, more physical feel.
Adding to the physical feel, height and weight differences between players are noticeable when on the court. However, we are beginning to reach the uncanny valley territory, meaning the closer we get to real life graphics, the more unsettling it feels if you stare at their faces for too long.
During the several hours I’ve played on my PS4 copy, I have experienced one game-breaking crash, and several times the game skipped frames and felt sluggish and laggy. Hopefully these issues will be resolved with patches within the first month of release.
NBA 2K is a franchise that continually outdoes itself. With practically no competition, it consistently improves the game, making each year a strong consideration to pick up a new copy. This year is no different.