I have been playing the NBA 2K series since its inception on the SEGA Dreamcast. I have always felt that the series was a visual marvel that broke the barrier between a good isometric NBA Live and what future basketball games would be in the games industry. It did so much for sports games and Visual Concepts will always be a developer that took professional-based games to the next level before anyone else. They single-handedly forced EA to get off its caboose and start competing when it came to the NFL and NHL licenses.
Now, having said that I think that Visual Concepts needs to start rethinking how it’s making the NBA 2K annual game. I fear that they are slipping into the role of mid-2000s EA, where throwing in a future feature, updating stats, and calling it a day means a new game has been released. The series is in desperate need of a mechanics upgrade, where players have full and smooth control of their favorite superstar, fewer ads and microtransactions, and a complete disconnect from pairing single-player and multiplayer modes in a server-required environment. Bells and whistles are fine, and NBA 2K25 has plenty of them to sweep the above underneath a basketball rug, but there is certainly more work to be done.
On a personal note, let me also add, in case you’re wondering, I played basketball from the age of 10 until 35. I know how basketball should feel and the many mechanical expectations a video game version of it should contain. I’m not new to the sport. I’m an enormous fan of it. From college (go, Kentucky!) to professional (diehard Suns fan since the Dan Majerle and Kevin Johnson days), I feel that I have a firm grasp on the game.
So, sit back, take a swig of Gatorade while you’re watching from the bench, and let’s get this triangle offense of a review going.
What NBA 2K brings to the table this year
I have spent the better part of the last week and some change playing various parts of NBA 2K25. I started with the MyCareer mode, where I developed a player that I felt was representative of my basketball inner spirit. He played for the Brooklyn Nets, a team I enjoy solely for their basketball court (it’s so black and white) and he had a great supporting cast around him to form a championship team. Well, they were on their way to it – I never made it through 80+ games.
The MyCareer mode of NBA 2K25 is pretty girthy and wide. If you’re not familiar with the mode, you’re essentially building a player into a superstar. You go through leveling him up as you become more and more successful. You’re also intertwined with a story that allows for branching narratives and different responses that carve a unique path for the player to journey through, such as needing to include specific teammates in-game success, or just simply building upon weaknesses. Nothing too out of the ordinary, rather spot on to other career sports game experiences, and for the most part, it is fun as hell.
When you’re not on the court playing against other NBA teams, you’re completing side quests. For example, the quests could be practicing with other NBA players during your off time, choosing which sponsors to go with, and having to play for and meet their lofty expectations and goals. All of these small pieces of MyCareer expand the experience. Building your player piece by piece is how MyCareer works, and it does a brilliant job. I thoroughly enjoyed the crafty carefulness that Visual Concepts put into this mode and how its core gameplay was executed very well. It’s fun, it’s big, and you could certainly spend a large amount of time just building out your perfect player.
I spent a tremendous amount of gameplay time with this mode and enjoyed the slow uphill build of my guy. While it ran into some forced quests here and there, the overall body of work kept me hooked and engaged. It felt like I was building a player up into a professional and it brought some perspective about the NBA process that most of the time fans are unaware of, such is the case with the quest to get your teammate more involved or otherwise, they will not be your teammate the following year. It’s a lot of cool business pieces that fit well with the play.
The other mode that I appreciated, mainly on the surface, was MyTeam, which was the Diamond Dynasty from MLB The Show or Ultimate Team from the Madden series. The concept is the same, where you choose a random group of NBA players from packs of cards, put them on a team together, and then go and play various games against other stars, or other actual gamers. This is a huge draw with other games series, and still a huge draw for folks that enjoy NBA 2K. I know quite a few people who live to play this mode and other modes like it in other series.
I had an ex-NFL player in one of my classes (I taught for a university – still do) who once told me they dropped $1900 on UT in Madden. People do this and they purchase these games to play this type of mode, and I expect this to be the same. Customizing and building up favorite players to go against other gamers online is a huge deal, and it makes the purchasing of card packs such a fun and random process. It should be noted that you do not have to use real-world money to purchase packs of cards in the game, as virtual currency and MyTeam (MT) currency can be used as you gain it. It just makes the process faster if real money is involved. It’s up to the player.
Anyway, in addition to putting together a team of stats and representatives, MyTeam also allows you to acquire Free Agents, which are temporary teammates who are from multiple classic eras of the NBA game and who will go away after you play them an X number of times. Thus, the phrase “free agents”. They want to get paid, and they can’t hang around with the same team to do that – I certainly couldn’t afford Kevin Durant playing on the same team as Michael Jordan for my entire experience.
Getting back to MyTeam gameplay, the more permanent and temporary teams play in small tournaments that last a fraction of the time of a regular game in MyCareer. For example, the classic players play mostly a game mode called Triple Threat. This is a 3v3 game where the winner is the first team to hit 21. This starts easy but quickly starts to become challenging as the competition gets tougher and tougher.
The more permanent teams play in a 5v5 game that usually consists of fourth-quarter heroics. This part of MyTeam is certainly more traditional but also almost equally as quick as the classic player games. I found more longevity and satisfaction with the 5v5 because it seemed a bit more competitive. Not that playing 3v3 with Jordan and Durant wasn’t, it just wasn’t as predictable as that pair. I missed shots in the 5v5 gameplay. Jordan missed maybe one out of all the games I played. Honestly, is that surprising to anyone? Jordan is the GOAT and should have the highest possible access to endless success.
MyTeam is more than just winning with Jordan or creating the perfect team, it’s also about leveling and rewards. You have the chance to snag packs and MT currency when you play enough and are successful. You also have the chance to level up your players and improve them as the game mode pushes forward. There is a lot to like about MyTeam and the short spurts of gameplay help to keep it interesting. Unless you have Jordan and Durant, then it becomes boring because you’re whooping teams left and right. Sorry, Bird and Johnson, you ain’t shit.
What was also pleasant about MyTeam was the ability to play online and offline. If you like the online challenge, then it’s very much embedded in MyTeam. Going up against others and seeing how everyone’s team-building decisions pan out is a wonderful experience, if you dig that sort of direction. For me, I’m always an offline sort of guy and would prefer to keep my successes and failures close to the chest. Plus, I don’t want to get cursed out by a 10-year-old kid destroying my team. That would certainly happen. Sure, they might get technical, but I don’t want to chance the emotional embarrassment. My ego is fragile. I don’t want to shatter it like that. Who does?
The other mode that is very solid in this year’s NBA 2K release is the MyGM, which allows you to get into the front office and run an NBA team. That mode is fascinating for number crunchers and is akin to playing as a coach in Madden or playing SEGA’s Football Manager series where you move dots on screen with player choices and plays you run during a football match. To clarify, that’s soccer and not American football. I didn’t want you to think there was an EA single-serving IP sold off to SEGA. Different game. Anyway, some people dig that sort of gameplay, but it’s not my first go-to. I do think the concept is cool and think that Visual Concepts did a great job with it. It will certainly make the right type of gamer happy.
There is also a WNBA mode in this year’s game, and it features a career mode. It’s great that the WNBA is becoming a permanent fixture in this series, and good that the folks at Visual Concepts did some amazing things to make the mode compelling and interesting. It’s proper to include it and I’m sure that the interest for the WNBA will build and build over time, hopefully one day gaining a title of its own. Lord knows that the league deserves it. People are starting to catch onto the WNBA’s skill and entertainment, so it’s coming. Hopefully, 2K will see the value in it and make it a game of its own.
With all the modes combined, NBA 2K25 has a wonderful set of ideas that blend well together and help to make the overall game worth it regarding the content. These are great ideas that are mostly executed well, so there is no shortage of entertainment options in NBA 2K25. Even the reputation system for these modes is solid and properly progressive, as it feels like you’re growing your player and team as you get more and more REP.
Now, all this said, the division between virtual currency and MyTeam (MT) currency is a bit baffling, as one should relate to the other, but it’s a well-established structure for sports games and nothing is shocking or surprising about them. The virtual currency will get you unique outfits and allow you to customize your player and experience, while MT currency works mainly on acquiring more player cards to build out your MyTeam experience. Again, how these fit into the scheme of NBA 2K isn’t surprising, as it’s common practice within sports titles these days. Anyone drumming up rage over these currencies is yelling at a wall. Get it out, let it go, and move on. It isn’t changing anytime soon. Their purpose is fine, but maybe not their presentation. We will get into that last part in a second.
Overall, I like what the content is in this year’s NBA 2K game and I think there is enough variety to warrant a hard look at snagging it. It’s fun and there is plenty to do.
Always online
Do you remember that time when Joystiq (RIP) asked Microsoft about how people who didn’t have access to the Internet would play their Xbox One system that, at the time, required always needing to be online for the games to work beyond 24 hours? And how Microsoft’s response was for those people to buy a 360? The world lost its shit and was outraged. And they should lose their shit at that gaming concept, especially as the gaming world is shifting to a more digital age and physical media is going the way of the dinosaur. We are losing security but gaining convenience. Maybe a price drop since shipping, boxing, art, and such are also leaving? Not a ****ing chance.
While some companies still require that connectivity to play their digitally downloaded games (looking at you, Nintendo – you saucy minx), and no one has batted an eye at that concept, having that be a requirement for a single-player experience within a game is confusing as it is simply wrong.
As I was playing MyCareer mode, a storm blew into my area and knocked out my network. The lack of connectivity triggered MyCareer mode to stop what it was doing and kick me back to the MyCareer splash screen. In that brief three minutes of confusion about what the hell happened, I realized that MyCareer requires a network connection to function. It must always talk with 2K’s servers according to this incident. Why in the world is that a thing?
I discussed this incident with other editors on the site, and a few fans of the series not on the site, and they pointed toward virtual currency being the reason. I know that 2K has been trying to prevent VC from becoming a side business for people, and surprisingly it has – just google it, but to have that connection drive the MyCareer mode to a make/break with network connectivity is simply bad design.
As luck would have it, my player was having the game of his life right before the network went down. All of that gameplay was lost, and those potential rep points were flushed down the toilet. It simply was not a good way to do things. Nothing was retained from that game – no points, no acknowledgment that John Smallberries was becoming a dominant player – NOTHING. He might have been elected into the NBA Hall of Fame because of his efforts that day but now there isn’t a chance as the story of his greatness that night is that of myth.
In all seriousness, don’t get me wrong, the network going out was my issue but not having a safety net and simply kicking me out of the game is a Visual Concept issue. At the very least, there should be a snapshot taken and stored somewhere, so that I can continue that game with those amazing stats. In the end, losing everything and getting the boot in single-player MyCareer mode shouldn’t have been a thing. That should never happen during a single-player experience. It would make perfect sense for it to happen during a multiplayer experience, but not this one. This is unacceptable and adds stress to making sure network reliability is maintained to simply play a single-player career experience. It also dangerously limits the accessibility of some gamers out there who don’t have access to the Internet for whatever reason. While this isn’t a thick story of the haves and have-nots, this falls into that category and helps expand an ever-growing digital divide for kids who love basketball games.
Always online should be an MP thing, while offline should be a single-player thing. Online should not cover and be required for both.
Things that need to change soon
Shifting back to gameplay, while I have read a lot of outrage about VC and MT online, and some of it is justified, I have several issues with the series that haven’t been changed since its 1999 introduction. The SEGA Dreamcast brought the world the first comfortable and practical thumbstick that was taken seriously by developers, and that would pave the way for future control designs. I understand that you can argue that the PlayStation or the Nintendo 64 brought their thumbsticks to the table, but not like SEGA’s. Developers didn’t use the PS thumbstick as often as they should have back in the day, and generally, it was clumsy in its execution (see Metal Gear Solid for details), and Nintendo built something to hurt your hand. It was useful in a 3D environment (see Mario 64 for details), but if the Atari Jaguar didn’t exist, the 64’s controller would be the most painful of all time. Change my mind.
Anyway, the reason why I bring this up is that Visual Concepts seamlessly developed the use of the Dreamcast thumbstick to comfortably and properly move around players on the court in a basketball fashion. It looked good, it felt good, and it was good…for the time. There was some drag to the thumbstick when players started an animation and had to finish it before giving back complete control to the player, but that was understandable for a new basketball gaming concept and a new way to play a basketball video game. In short, it was excused because it was new and flashy.
Well, 25 years later, the animation drag is still very much present. The animation is slow, almost impossible to break out of when it starts, and does not represent a good 1:1 with the actual game of basketball. For example, I was playing Andre Drummond and found myself chasing Embiid around the court. He is a burly man, so Embiid is tough to guard. Anyway, on more than one occasion that wily fellow would cut on a dime and broke for the basket. Multiple times, I would see this coming and try to move Drummond in the direction of Embiid (I could see the play forming). What happened is that Embiid stopped and jetted towards the basket, while Drummond stopped, slowed down, delayed for nearly a second, and then started toward Embiid. By the time all those Drummond steps went down, Embiid was dunking, and I was left cursing.
This animation drag and slowdown has been a part of the NBA 2K series since it was first formed. I feel like Visual Concepts could have improved or eliminated it over the years. Instead, it looks like it has been shrugged off and ignored in favor of new modes and crazy-nice visuals (the visuals are gonzo-good here). This is my single most dreaded part of reviewing this series because I know the animation is going to drag every time I play it, and I know I’m going to be frustrated because of it. It’s akin to a nightmare I have where I somehow running in mud from a monster. It’s slow, it’s infuriating because I know what I must do to escape, and my goodness that damn monster always gets me.
Anyway, the mechanics of any game should be a priority. Improving mechanics should be at the top of every developer’s list that is involved with making a series. That should be before graphics, before commentators, and before the musical playlist that comes with the splash screen. It should be a top tier, never wrong, always want to improve it, gameplay element. For example, Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear series has consistently found better ways to improve mechanics. Hell, MGS3 re-released itself just to improve camera and player control. It certainly worked wonders and set a new path for MGS for the future, allowing the player to concentrate on the story and Snake’s journey while taking away any annoyance from the controls. And 2K needs to follow suit when it comes to improving mechanics. Player movement should be natural and should stop on a dime when needed. If you want accuracy with it, ramp up injuries because of quick stops and shifts, but please allow that instant stop/turn/run so that the gameplay is faster and better.
NBA 2K25 is less fun because of the drag and slowdown of player animation. It’s not how real basketball works, especially at a pro level where people are very aware of play schemes and when something is set in motion. People turn on a dime and people can break from their current motion to get to a spot quite easily. Weirdly, this is still a persistent problem in the series, and baffling why this hasn’t been fixed after a quarter of a century. The game will change in a good way if it is improved and possibly become far more competitive in the process.
It’s a major knock against the series and one of the bigger frustrations I have with this year’s game.
Lots going on
Second to mechanics is how much is going on in the game and the intentions of the title. Like any sports game, it should be a straightforward experience. People purchase it to play basketball and that should be the big focus of the title. Just basketball, and nothing else.
While I commend 2K for trying to expand the typical basketball game structure and take it in different directions, such as expanding the world that your player travels through in MyCareer, I must knock it for how much of the environment contains constant reminders of VC purchasing and microtransactions, as well as in-game advertising. The latter of the bunch is laid on thick.
Listen, I enjoy Jake from State Farm and all the whacky commercials he is featured in, but c’mon, there is no real reason to keep putting State Farm in a basketball game. There is no reason to force a quest on players that have you playing 2v2 against Jake from State Farm. Funny as hell the first time around, sure, but a necessary element of MyCareer before I can progress in the game? No. Absolutely no. Should – not – be – a – thing. This is quite unnecessary. If you must have additional advertising and must include State Farm, then let it be optional. I mean so optional that you don’t know it exists until you stumble upon it.
Now, getting back to the VC part of this equation, every single time I logged into NBA 2K, the first thing it was trying to push on me was purchasing the season one pass. Spending real-world money on a game and then requiring the player to purchase a season pass is a double-dip scenario. Also, pushing virtual currency purchases with real-world money to acquire custom clothes is a dangerous game. Having raised a son who spent $200 on Little Big Planet skins, which taught me a lesson that children are easily influenced and, if unsupervised with even the most innocent of games, can financially hurt a family in the long run, this needs at the very least to be toned down. The microtransaction world is lucrative when the right game is thrown on there, and sports games by construction seem to have the right lucrative formula. I know that 2K counters this with the ability to earn VC during games, which is great because it should be that way, but their game offers an easy way to purchase gobs of it, which can potentially be bad. Doing it the right way sometimes requires effort to hide purchase pathways. Bungie’s Destiny series quietly went this way with silver sales in its game, but didn’t throw it in the face of its players. Those are preventative, out-of-sight/out-of-mind measures to ensure that there has to be a searched-out option.
Again, this is a dangerous game. This shouldn’t be blatantly out there for everyone and God to see. It should be accessible in a place where players must search and work for it, rather than to be a splash screen. This must be improved. I know that microtransactions aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, mainly because the gaming industry is a business before pleasure construct, but more needs to be done.
Anyway, let’s wrap up this long-winded review.
Conclusion
NBA 2K25 from developer Visual Concepts and publisher 2K has a lot of intriguing and fun modes it offers from MyCareer to MyTeam, and MyGM, if you love that sort of control. It seems to have a nice spread of goods that caters to almost every basketball interest out there. Sadly, its need to stay online for single-player experiences and its need for smoother less animation-locked gameplay mechanics hurts the experience considerably.
