NBA 2K24 is the latest game in the NBA 2K series. It is available on PC, PS5. PS4. Xbox Series X, Series S, One and Nintendo Switch.
This is a game I look forward to playing annually. Even though I’m not the biggest basketball fan, I occasionally like to check in to see what’s going on with the NBA world. As a gamer, I can do that with an annual playthrough of an NBA game from 2K.
I must admit though, I have missed the last three games in the series so was a bit rusty when it came to this one. This was my first NBA2K game that I played on a next-generation console and I found the graphics to be impressive. Character models look amazing, the courts look shiny, the audiences are alive and the entire atmosphere the game immerses the player in is amazing.
Another big plus this game has is the commentary. The in-game commentary is excellent, I always feel like I’m playing a real-life game on TV. I would love to see one day how this is all recorded, it’s excellent.
The gameplay for the main matches is also another big plus. Games feel smooth and passing the ball to the right player is easy. Shooting to score is challenging due to having to time the shots, but it’s a game so there has to be some challenge there. Everything on the court is smooth and nice. I love how easy it is to play this game when on the court, it’s not clunky at all.
Off the court though, things are a little clunky. There’s a mode in the single-player story where you as the player can explore the world before you play the game. It’s super clunky and awkward. It also doesn’t feel like a next-generation gaming experience. The NBA 2K24 open-world exploration mode feels worse than PlayStation Home did on the PS3. If this is going to be a regular thing, they need to improve it for next year for sure.
Players may also be a bit disappointed with the amount of microtransactions. I’m an NBA casual so I don’t purchase these, but for the hardcore fans that desire to buy these to make their game experience better. I feel sorry for them, it’s expensive to play this game. The industry as a whole seems to be increasingly filled with microtransactions and I don’t encourage this type of thing, but it’s where the industry/business seems to be going and consumers seem to keep paying for it, so I guess it’s here to stay.
Overall, you can have a great time with NBA 2K24. The only negatives are the off-court gameplay which is embarrassing for a game in 2023 and the microtransactions are bad. But the core game is all about the on-court action. On the court the game is smooth, the graphics are amazing, character models are detailed. The commentary and the sounds of everything in the stadium as you play the game are incredibly immersive. It’s a great game and the best basketball experience you can have right now.
