2K Sports continues its winning run in the basket-ball game category with NBA 2k19, with its focus on providing a true basketball simulation experience, tons of customization options, as well as enough modes to suit various needs. However, the contest this time is not as lop-sided as in previous years, and because NBA Live 19 is a vastly improved game over last year’s effort, all the inherited flaws of NBA 2k19 became more apparent than it should.
Let’s start with the MyCareer mode which 2K has been really promoting against NBA Live’s The One. The developer Visual Concepts worked to improve not just the story, but the mode itself as it now has a streamlined experience along with the ability to skip cut-scenes. It still does not feel as entertaining as NBA Live’s The One, but not because the mode itself isn’t up to the task, but because the experience is more story-driven than anything.
And here is my problem with MyCareer: although the mode’s actual gameplay, as well as the concept of working your way from the bottom of the ladder to an NBA career, is stellar and a fun experience, the main protagonist isn’t. It was hard for me to really connect with the character of “AI” probably because of how self-centered, immature, and arrogant he is at the start. He does change for the better as the story goes along, but it was a torture to get into The Prelude, all the way to his struggles at the G-League.
I feel that it would have been better if we are given decision trees so that we have a better control of what AI decides and says. As it is, it was hard for me to like the kid in the beginning and although he eventually gets better in both his basketball skills and his attitude, the initial impression stuck.
Unfortunately, we cannot talk about MyCareer mode without touching on the matter of micro-transactions. It feels very ironic that at the time when the previous King of micro-transactions – EA – is starting to adjust the way they deal with it after what happened to Star Wars Battlefront II, that the NBA 2k series has stubbornly held on to it as much as possible.
Even though progression has been improved in MyCareer and you are still rewarded VC’s (the in-game currency) for playing games both in MyCareer and other modes, those who purchase points with real money are still going have an advantage. The rest would either have to grind for a high rating, or play as smartly as possible. This for me is what makes MyCareer such a chore to play compared with Live’s The One. Granted, it seems the developers are aiming to let the player experience the video game equivalent of actually grinding to make it to the big league, but if that is the case, then the execution is still so much flawed.
The purpose of MyCareer is to provide a single-player “campaign” experience in a basketball game. But that experience is undermined by micro-transactions making it a less-than enjoyable experience. Anytime you are made to pay dearly for not choosing to literally pay for a buff or VC to give you enough skills to be an elite player, it feels like being cheated on. Micro-transactions should only be an extra, or a bonus for putting in real money on top of the base game. I felt that this game is encouraging you to avail of those paid buffs in VC because the normal rewards felt too small and progression too slow.
Literally every review of NBA 2k19 talks about micro-transactions, and I vew that as a sign that things are starting to get out of control in the eyes of both the critics and the fans. This isn’t the first time the 2k series has been criticized for micro-transactions, and it doesn’t seem like it is going to go away. Probably not until Visual Concepts and publisher 2K Sports experience their own Battlefront II.
Moving on, the 2k series has been known to focus on providing a “true basketball simulation” experience to fans, and this title is consistent with that aim. Visual Concepts has made a lot of tweaks to improve the realistic basketball experience, most noticeably on defense, where you can now lock down the defender while enhanced ball physics means that every careless pass is a potential turn-over.
What this means is that each possession is a calculated affair, forcing you to exploit mis-matches, initiate plays, and be more selective of your passes. New animations also help with making sure that player movements are smooth and not too animation based. This makes for a more natural looking movement on the court.
The improved defense has its downsides, however. Fast-breaks by big swing-men can be easily prevented by a skinny defender, and while that may look entertaining, it’s hardly realistic. But what I’ve noticed in my four days of playing non-stop is that fatigue does affect the player beyond what is shown in the stamina bar. During one MyLeague game, I was playing the Golden State Warriors and I set my defense to “physical”. I managed to keep the score close, and played tough defense all throughout. By the fourth quarter, the Warriors started slacking on defense, and I took advantage. Then Draymond Green (who I have been abusing for most of the game), suddenly came down with an injury. Was that a product of my physical play, or just another quirk by the AI?
There’s not much change in the controls, but the changes in the defense and ball physics means that the way you use them. The old cheese plays I used to rely on are not as effective as before, and there’s a greater emphasis on careful utilization of dribbles and passes than ever. That’s not to say that an elite player would not be able to easily dominate the match-up – 2k19 allows for the edit of attributes, after all – but a defense-focused player can at least “make things hard” for him.
NBA 2k19’s graphics are standard for the franchise with some improvements here and there; but on the whole are just more of the same. As mentioned earlier, there are new animations that help make movements look and feel more natural, possibly more so than in previous years. But it is easy to overlook them due to the already familiar visuals. Having more of the same is not necessarily a bad thing (especially if it does the job fairly well) but after seeing how big NBA Live 19’s improvements are, NBA 2k19’s graphics loses some of its luster.
That says a lot because NBA Live has historically been the better-looking of the two in terms of player renders, stadiums and courts. So people are already coming with the perception that NBA Live 19 will look better, but for me – who historically does not care that much about graphics – to really notice it this time around means that the 2k series should probably start to consider working on with their visuals for next year. Even the menu looks like something from the PS2 era. Again, I am not saying that the visuals are bad, but they’re not spectacular either, and NBA Live 19’s attention to detail should make 2K pause.
My favorite mode has always been MyLeague. Nothing feels greater than running your own team, and with the 2k series, that experience can be enriched by letting you run your own team in a League where you adjust each and every possible option available, from how talented the next batch of rookies will be, to how players will react to contract offers, and even intricacies such as the salary cap.
MyGM is a mode under MyLeague that puts you in the shows of a GM of your chosen team. Unlike the general MyLeague mode, MyGM locks you to just one team, and you will take care of the business of running everything, from contract negotiations to ticket prices and merchandise. While MyGM also has a lot of options available to you, it is not as comprehensive as the generic MyLeague and you cannot edit player attributes.
As my favorite mode, 2k19’s MyLeague showcases the all the best things the 2k series has to offer. This is the mode where the simulation gameplay is showcased, and often, running your team is more fun than going through the life of a prospect wanting to make it to the NBA someday.
https://youtu.be/DUx07Kn4Ows
My reason for liking this mode (on top of it being the least affected by micro-transactions) is that you can create your own narrative each season. I’ve heard of players who opt to control each and every team so that they can keep the balance and prevent the CPU from making questionable off-season moves. For my part, I prefer to control one team (usually the Hornets for the sole reason that it is owned by Michael Jordan), but opt to approve or reject trades between other teams so that I can review if the trade is balanced or not.
I also like the ability to edit rosters so that I can give a draft class at least one superstar. And even that has now been made easy by the addition of Player DNA. This works by importing the attributes of a player into a created/generated one. So if you’re looking for the next Shaq or the next Steph Curry, you don’t need to edit each and ever attribute, you can just import his player DNA. In this way, it is much, much easier to bequeath attributes without having to edit them all by yourself. Just a few tweaks like the number of years active, and durability points.
You are also afforded the option to import Player Likeness if you want to, although there is no real incentive to, unless you’d like the created/generated player to keep that skin all throughout his career.
Verdict:
NBA 2k19, remains as the premier basketball sim for this year. The realistic gameplay and the sheer amount of options in MyLeague mode still manage to put this game on top. But Visual Concepts cannot always rely on the gameplay to always put them on top. They really need to work on the graphics and think of new modes that will keep consumer interest going. NBA Live touts its WNBA license, what does NBA 2k have against that? Nothing.
Most importantly, the series needs to really lay-off on the micro-transactions and fix the character progression into an independent mechanic, and not heavily hinting at you to take out your wallet and pay for VC to spur your progress. NBA 2k19 wins this round, but if it still doesn’t address these things, it will be a different game next year.
NBA 2K19 is now available in retail. You may also want to check out the PlayStation®4 NBA 2K19 Bundle which includes a PS4 console, a DUALSHOCK 4 wireless controller, a Blu-Ray Disc version of the game and a PS4 One-Year extended warranty service. The bundle also comes with an A2 size poster featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo and a premium decal sticker. The bundle has a suggested retail price of PHP 20,490.