The NBA 2K24 game is the latest in a long line of definitive basketball games, the clear standout in the genre.
Since the start of the century, the NBA 2K series has been the game to get each year for basketball fans. It has developed and experimented to ensure the closest possible experience to being on the court through the television.
Fans on NBA, from young hopefuls dreaming of one day making it as a pro to older fans who follow the games and keep track of the live betting throughout the season, are all able to enjoy the NBA 2K games.
There have been many different legends of the game to grace the cover of the yearly released title. Allen Iverson was the first, and for the first four years, while stars like Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić amongst others have all had their turn.
For NBA2K24 they have gone back to a star who also was first the cover in 2K10, the late Kobe Bryant.
In memory of one of the greats of the game, this edition of the NBA 2K series is dedicated to Kobe Bryant, supporting cross play on next-gen consoles, meaning you can play online against friends from PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and uses the Jordan Moments concept in its gameplay.
NBA 2K24 brings excellent on-court gameplay which developers have worked on so well that it really does look, feel, and sound like a genuine NBA experience.
The new ProPLAY feature has enabled real NBA footage to be translated into the games animations in real time making it much smoother on the court than any of the titles before, specifically in passing and dribbling.
With such leaps in the quality of development of the game, it is highly noticeable in individual player movement. Take control of LeBron James in the game and his movements and his look make it almost exactly the same as real life.
For any defensive players out there, you’ll be happy to hear that the gameplay, especially online, is even more engaging. Off-ball defenders do a better job at understanding the opponents’ movements and player boosts are lost when a defensive player bumps or interrupts the offensive players movement too.
That’s not to say the game play is perfect, there is still work to do on the fast-break gameplay which is almost non-existent in the game. It’s something which hasn’t really been attended to over multiple releases and is one of the most exciting parts of real-life basketball making its absence even more infuriating. Some decisions from the AI can be a bit baffling to avid fans, such as random time out calls, but otherwise the game flows very well.
Jamal Murray is a huge fan of the NBA 2K franchise and 2K5 was his go to release for a long time and one of his favorites. He plays a lot of 1v1 in the Gatorade Gym online as it reminds him of his youth and how he played a lot when learning the game on the court too. When on the road with the Denver Nuggets, Murray will take his Playstation 5 with him and be playing NBA 2K24 in his downtime.
It’s not just NBA stars who love the NBA 2K series, Deebo Samuel, NFL Wide Receiver for the San Francisco 49ers is a huge fan too. On his rest days, he sets up his player to be a left-handed Small Forward and gets his character on the court and enjoys playing against friends and having a party of it.
Sadly, for the developers, there had been quite a bit of negative reaction to the release of the game. A lot of this comes from the PC gaming community who found that once again, there was not a next-gen version available to them.
Those who play through Steam have experiences inequality in gameplay experience, bugs, and server issues, which leaves the franchise stuck in a bit of cycle of underperforming to this particular part of their customer base.
According to SteamDB, NBA2K24 was, in September 2023, their third worst-rated game on Steam, of all time, with 13.94% positive reviews. This really highlights the frustration and disappointment fans have had with its development over the years.
For gamers on all platforms, the annoyance of the essential in-game purchase options to help you experience the full scope of the game, make it feel like there is little reward for skill and ability.
All in all, while the PC community may not be too happy, the console gamers have received another highly engaging and exciting chapter in the most popular NBA gaming franchises. Year on year, the quality of the gameplay comes closer and closer to mimicking real life experiences, giving NBA fans the chance to fully immerse themselves in one of the most exciting sports on the planet.
