After NBA 2K21 set new standards for sports simulations, especially with its open world approach in career mode, it remained to be seen in the following offshoot whether this new idea would now be expanded and the major problems of this innovation could be resolved. With NBA 2K22, which was released on September 10, 2021, 2K Games were now able to fully concentrate on adapting to the next-gen consoles and, as it has now turned out, with success.
Story:
The career mode in this game is by far the most interesting aspect of the new NBA 2K game. In the previous offshoot, fans were able to enjoy the open-world experience for the first time, which the makers want to consistently integrate and expand into their games from then on. This year the creators have made a big leap forward, because where the whole career mode in the predecessor felt as if it was still in its infancy and with it actually came along with some game errors and other inconsistencies, one has to say, that the current title has gone a long way. In addition to the city itself, there is also a cruise ship with numerous opportunities to let off steam. The city itself is a lot bigger and, by and large, feels a lot livelier and more fun. In contrast to last year’s title, you have a very lively city here, where something new is waiting to be discovered on every corner and often makes you forget for a moment that you are actually playing a basketball game. And yes, the game also has a lot to offer far away from basketball itself: There are quests that you can do, you can explore the city, build up a social media presence, found a fashion label, make music and of course Attract sponsors and cultivate relationships with them. So in story mode you can definitely assume that even players who don’t really have much or nothing to do with the series will enjoy this game a lot!
Graphic:
Although this is not so common for a sports simulation, the graphics do indeed show a positive development compared to the predecessor. The facial expressions and gestures are often still inadequate and you can see little life in the characters’ faces, but above all the city has been upgraded a lot in career mode. Even in the actual basketball game, the color scheme is a little richer than its predecessor, but it should still be mentioned that I played the game on the PS5 and therefore have no knowledge of the difference to the PS4, but this is likely to be relative be clear.
Sound:
Almost nothing has changed in the sound area, so there is not much to say about this. A positive point, which is still noticeable, is that the soundtrack is very suitable and that additional tracks are added every Friday – one would perhaps also wish for other sports simulations!
Gameplay:
In the area of gameplay, too, not much has changed compared to the previous offshoot. Yes, the dribbling combos are a bit smoother and the announced changes in defense are briefly noticeable here and there, but there is definitely no talk of new or even revolutionized gameplay here.
Multiplayer:
The My Team mode, which acts like a kind of counterpart to the Ultimate Team mode from FIFA, remains unchanged except for one new mode. My-Team: Draft is the name of this new mode, in which you put together a team from completely random players and then achieve as many victories as possible. It is clear that the wheel was certainly not reinvented, because a draft mode based on the same principle has existed in the FIFA series for years, but as the saying goes – better late than never!
Pro:
- Bigger city
- Cruise ship
- More possibilities
- Better graphics
- New My Team mode
- Attention to detail
Cons:
- Few innovations, apart from career
- Still Pay2Win opportunities
- Gameplay no real changes or promises rather disappointing
Game test
-
Story – 9/10 -
Graphics – 8/10 -
Sound – 7/10 -
Gameplay – 7/10 -
Multiplayer – 7.5/10
8/10
short version
The adaptation to the next-gen consoles was implemented successfully.
Conclusion:
NBA 2K22 is a very good next part of the already very successful NBA 2K series and sets new standards in the field of sports simulations, especially in terms of career mode. All in all, you can tell the game that the main focus is on the career mode, because around this mode the game has remained pretty much unchanged. This fact is okay for now, because the starting position is so positive that no major changes are necessary, but the stagnation of development far away from the story mode could still take revenge in the coming years. It remains to be seen whether and when the other big names in the sports simulation industry will adopt this revolutionary open-world principle and incorporate it into their games.
von Esteban Belon
