VERDICT: In the 5 years since 2K9, the game has just gotten worse in gameplay, graphics, and content. J or MJ for your damn team! The Lebron thing I didn't really get into but it looked pretty stupid, I was too pissed to play it and returned the game within a few hours. IN 5 YEARS the game looks exactly the same! Me and my friend actually commented that the graphics looked kinda worse! The controls were clunky, as they bloated the hell out of them with a million fancifications (my own word) you can do, and I couldn't even get Michael Jordan to f***in dunk! They gutted the blackcourt mode which pissed me off the most, and in the version they do have you can't even pick Dr. I put the game in and immediately jump into a quick game.and I immediately am dissapointed.
Now mind you, 2K9 was the last game in the series I played so I was really anxious to see what had been done.
I happened to see they had 2K14 out so i immediately rented it. So fast forward to a few days ago when i was checking out the games at redbox. Three point competitions between ray allen, larry bird, reggie miller, and shaq.fun as hell! The pickup basketballs games were also an awesome feature and me and my buddies played them for hours. I had completely forgotten how much fun it was! The controls were tight, graphics were solid (for a game released in '08), team selection was awesome (50's-90's all-star teams), and the blackcourt mode was perfect. I recently found my old NBA 2K9 game in the back of my game shelf and decided to play it. I recently found my old NBA 2K9 game in the back of my game shelf and decided to So let me begin with my perspective coming into this game. So let me begin with my perspective coming into this game. Honestly if I could go back to 2K13 I would, but the minor improvements that 13 was lacking that are in 14 keep me playing.
The whole idolisation of this game reminds of the personality cults communist leaders such as Mao Zedong or Joseph Stalin set up in the 20th Century, with the order of the day being complete and utter praise to the target of the cult. So they aren't basketball related songs, and really, don't cater to a wide audience either. You see, these are Lebron James' favourite songs. Yet it's the music that gets me, this is the kind of soundtrack that JayZ and his accompanying 2K13 team of Puff Daddy, Notorious BIG and assorted others would laugh at, the sort of soundtrack Kurtis Blow and the 2K12 soundtrack team would beat up in the playground. The visuals are virtually identical to 2K13, with minor enhancements. As previously noted the shot stick has left me fearing for the safety of the ball, and also instilling the question of the 2K removed the brilliant previous system. Also, 2 point shooting has become a mess, and I've discovered the only way I can 'consistently' score is to take the ball into the paint, despite fear of the new collision system knocking the ball away or fear of the redesigned shot blocking creating easy opportunities for opposing players to swat the ball out of my hands. The shooting is where the game goes downhill 2K admirably tried to tweak the overpowered 3 point shooting of 2K13, but have taken it to the point where even in training, a player ranked 99 in three point shooting will only make a third of his shots, regardless of timing. The game does advance in the department of mycareer, yet is still lacking the essence of perfection as each iteration has the essence that would cater to any scenario, and the ability to truly affect the design of your character from the beginning.
Despite all the complaints about the Pro Stick, it isn't all that bad, certainly the previous 2K13 shooting and dribble move system was vastly better, but once you get the hang of it you get slightly adjusted. But the game does improve slightly upon 2K13 in minor ways. Despite all By no means is NBA 2K14 perfect.