Basketball, one of my favourite of sports, has always been best represented by the team at 2K Sports. I never quite vibed with the efforts from EA (outside of their retired NBA Street series) and in fact, thanks to 2K, everyone else’s efforts felt obsolete. Before even playing the yearly iteration, you know the package will be just bursting at the seams with content.
Last year, for my coverage of NBA 2K23 I said the following –
In a nutshell, this is one of the most complete sports games on the market and you will not be disappointed with NBA 2K23. Simply put, it’s the best basketball videogame of all time.
So, will NBA 2K24 take the ‘best basketball video game of all time’ title away from last year’s superb package? Or will 2K23 remain King of the Court? For clarity, this review is based off of the Xbox Series X version of the game. With that said, let’s get into NBA 2K24!
With the enjoyment I found in 2K23, NBA 2K24 has a lot to live up to. The heavy focus on Michael Jordan really spoke to my inner child who absolutely idolised the man. This year, as I predicted, things are focused on the career of one Mr Kobe Bryant. There are few players out there that deserve such an in-depth look of their careers, but Kobe is up there on the Mount Rushmore of basketball.
Swapping out the Jordan Challenge for Mamba Moments, this year highlights Kobe Bryant’s incredible NBA career, like a story mode broken down into seven key games for the Lakers Legend. However, seven moments from a career spanning decades does feel a tad thin; there is definitely room for more career moments to have been added in this mode.
Talking of more Mamba Moments, I would like to thank the developers for leaving out my beloved Raptors’ devastating night against Kobe and his Lakers from 2006. That awful January evening saw Kobe rack up a staggering 81 points, on his own against Toronto’s finest. An embarrassment for us, an achievement for Kobe, one only bested by the legend Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game.
To have this career highlight left out of the package is however a bit of a surprise. The other notable omission is oddly his farewell game against Utah where he managed 60 points, four rebounds and four assists. For these moments that look back at NBA legends careers, those two should have definitely been included in Mamba Moments.
Before we talk about the other modes, I have to grumble a bit here. I get annoyed every single year when changes are made to the shot meter. It takes me weeks to adjust to the new one, every single time. Granted, there is nothing wrong with this year’s shot meter, but I would love for 2K to pick one idea and stick with it. After all, they have reached the peak of basketball games so why fix stuff that isn’t broken?
Anyway, I get that they try to shake things up to make the yearly update feel fresh, but surely they can leave some things as they were?
Talking of changes, if they brought back the old NBA Preludes that acted as a demo/early access, it would be much appreciated. Getting an early peak at the game mechanics and building your MyCareer player during college games was fantastic and very much a missed addition.
As always, MyCareer allows you to scan your face into the MyNBA 2K app for use on your MyPlayer. Results are best described as varied, and I have never been able to fully achieve a decent likeness any year. It might just be my face though, so I can’t really complain about that.
Customisation is deliciously in-depth as always. Hours are lost before even putting a foot on the court, tweaking the MyPlayer sliders till they are just right. It’s hard to ever fault 2K when it comes to options in their NBA 2K games. Of course if you just want to get things moving, there is a selection of 35 presets for those that aren’t as fussed over how their character looks.
NBA2K24 looks absolutely stunning on Xbox Series X and 2K are always top of their class when it comes to player likenesses. This year ProPLAY tech has been used to scan actual game footage to apply in-game. What we get as an end result is accurate playstyles from superstars when you meet them on the court. Combining this visual accuracy with the heavily improved defensive AI, brings us a sports title unmatched in accuracy and challenge. It is truly superb.
Another fantastic (and overdue) feature arrives in NBA2K24. Now you can play with your friends and other players, as Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 gamers can settle the console wars on the hardcourt. Yet while multiplayer is a favourite for many, we should take a look at some of the single player components included. MyCareer is the go to for players to create an avatar and head to the City to build their own legacy. This time round, the city has been condensed (it was getting too large) and the amount of quests have been reduced. Now, reducing quests may seem like a welcome change, but a lot of the needed VC to level up came from these smaller missions.
Thanks to this change, heavier grinding rears its ugly head during the MyCareer mode, and utilising the digital VC as a way to level up and purchase clothing for your player is becoming a tad tedious. Before you leave the review thinking I’m about to go on a rant about predatory in-app purchases, I’m not. I’ve never found too much of an issue with these optional purchases, but had to mention it as I don’t think they have a place in MyCareer. They should allow progression to level with player skill so it makes for a more natural and fluid system where you can feel yourself improving rather than paying to improve.
That said, MyTeam is where VC absolutely should be used. Say what you will, these card collecting modes prove popular year after year regardless of online criticism. I need to keep myself away from this mode, not because I don’t enjoy it, but because of the complete opposite. I LOVE MyTeam – three on three is my go to and I adore the challenges tied to each player, creating an urgency and desire to take the game online to compete against others.
My problem is the old Pokémon mentality of gotta catch ‘em all – I go deep and spend way too much real money. That is not a dig at VC at all, like I said it has its place (just not in career mode) and it can be fun when used in moderation. It can be very easy to get caught in the “just one more pack” cycle, leaving a very sad looking list of in-game email receipts to stare at in the morning. Just pace yourselves.
Coming away from VC we have MyNBA. This mode is a fully comprehensive basketball sim experience, tweaking your line ups, signing new players and customising your experience to your heart’s content. This entire mode is free from any in-game purchases and can last players the entire year of NBA 2K24.
In MyNBA mode you can find Eras Mode and this year sees the addition of one of my personal favourites – the 2010 Lebron era when he was at Miami. These give fans a chance to relive moments in time with accurate teams to boot. Something no other sport game can offer due to the messy world of licensing player likenesses.
Talking of likeness, Charles Barkley is once more notably absent from the commentary desk. Shaq, Kenny and Ernie all deliver a convincing performance behind the desk, but the lack of banter between former on court rivals Chuck and Shaq is sorely missed.
The omission of Charles Barkley can also be felt in-game too – there are no line ups from his time as a player that feel right without him, and he is a glaring hole in the card collection in MyTeam. It’s a shame that such an iconic player is missing, especially one that had such a big impact on the NBA during the 90s. But, equally, for such a complete package, it’s hard to get past this.
Missing legend aside, NBA2K24 is a worthwhile upgrade for fans of 2K23. Yes, the VC being sewn into the seams of MyCareer needs to stop, hopefully replaced by performance based upgrades to bring the fun back, and there could maybe have been a few extra Mamba Moments. But, the rest of 2K’s yearly package is full to the brim with options and modes that will have something for every single fan to enjoy.
I was right in my prediction for Kobe being this year’s focus. If NBA2K25 can use Vince Carter for the showcase mode, I will be forever grateful to the guys at 2K.
