As we already know, NBA 2K11 sets out to be more than just another yearly typical basketball simulator. The greatest to ever play the game will not only grace the cover of NBA 2K11, but Michael Jordan himself will lend his likeness, his legend, and his legacy to the NBA 2K11 experience. The developers stressed this fact, reminding us that NBA 2K11 is a celebration of the legacy of Michael Jordan.
In the Jordan Challenge, players will face the task of recreating some of MJ’s greatest feats during his ten of his greatest games by matching or exceeding stats such as point totals, field goal percentages, and assists. During this mode, the player takes control of the entire Chicago Bulls team in full games featuring eight-minute quarters, complete with your own Dennis Rodman or Steve Kerr.
Without a doubt, the labors of maintaining the authenticity of Michael Jordan’s look and mannerisms were vast. Hoop aficionados will recognize Jordan’s classic shrug during his flurry of three-pointers against the Blazers, or his demeanor during the “flu game” against the Jazz. Speaking of the other classic teams, you’ll be free to use them in multiplayer games. Needless to say, Jordan’s presence alone is more than enough for any basketball fan, but Boenisch was quick to point out that they haven’t forgotten about the core gameplay mechanics.
Perhaps the most important gameplay issue addressed during the call was the issue of ballhandlers and defenders getting trapped in pre-canned animations, seemingly removing the scope of control from the player. 2K clearly learned a lot from some of quirks in NBA 2K9 and NBA 2K10, and seemed to be focused on keeping control in the hands of the person with the controller. These types of animations, while still necessary to create an authentic basketball game, look to be shorter and more limited in NBA 2K11, even giving you some input on how the events depicted in the animations will play out. How this focus will affect the overall gameplay package remains to be seen and will surely be addressed in our full review.
Also addressed was the overhaul in visual style and presentation. As always, it looks like 2K maintained a continued focus on enhancing lighting effects, player animations, and frame-rate improvement. In fact, they mentioned that all alternate camera setting will run at 60 frames per second (including the 2K camera), something that was not achieved in last year’s installment. On top of this, an estimated 2500 to 3500 new player animations have been added to the already robust and player-specific movement.
Last year, 2K introduced the My Player mode, which allowed you to guide your own player through his career, from training camp, to the NBA Developmental League, to the NBA Championship. This mode returns this year, but it looks to be completely overhauled with this addition of the NBA Draft Combine (featured last year as a separate downloadable game) and press conferences. The pressers look to be a ton of fun, complete with game-specific dialogue options that shape both the personality and perception of your player.
With some of the most exciting features (read: Jordan) in a basketball sim ever, NBA 2K11 looks to remain supreme. We’ll find out for sure on October 5.
