Score: 9/10 SPORTS | ONLINE | SIMULATION
If you’re like me and you have a sweet spot on your calendar for the latest NBA 2K release, then you are in for a real treat with NBA 2K19.
“When it comes to just playing a match in NBA 2K19 you will be happy to know that it is business as usual when it comes to the mechanics of the game.”
NBA 2K is a basketball simulation game published by, you guessed it, 2K. Since their first release in 1999 they have solidified the NBA2K series as the best basketball game in the market and NBA 2K19 is sticking to this 20-year tradition. Australian basketball fans won’t be surprised to see NBA rookie of the year and Australian superstar Ben Simmons on the cover of the AU/NZ release – the first cover with any Australian NBA player. NBA 2K19 is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Like its predecessors, NBA 2K19 has an impressive list of game modes to play. From its story-driven MyPlayer Career mode and MyGM mode to it’s “Ultimate Team” styled MyTeam mode. MyPlayer Career has always been my favourite and that hasn’t changed in 2K19. This year you can scan your face using the MyNBA2K19 mobile app to put your face on your custom player. Whilst mine did not work as well as it should have it is still a great feature and I’m sure after a few more attempts I will no longer look like a poor man’s Chael Sonnen. Thanks again for that observation Gammah.
In MyCareer you start your story as NBA Draft failure, A.I., who is now playing in China in order to get some money and build up his numbers in order to get a chance of one day playing in the NBA. I am loving the story so far but playing as a character that is so self-centered is both annoying and fascinating to go through. The dialogue between characters is great and 2K’s motion capture is fantastic with capturing the decent acting talent in Anthony Mackie (The Avengers), Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton) and Ricky Whittle (American Gods).
You can also use your created player to play in the online mode called The Neighbourhood. In this mode you can walk around as your online avatar playing in pickup games against other players in 1v1 or team games with your own created team with your friends. You can ride around on bikes or scooters, check out the numerous shops to improve your characters look and attributes, or you can just chill with your online friends before you go in to another match.
Speaking of pimping out your created player, NBA 2K19 also allows you to upload your own custom logos for your custom teams/players. So, you want to put a giant GameOnAus logo in the middle of your jersey? Or do you want to slap on the Kerns Gaming Squad logo as your team’s logo in MyTeam? Go for it, just head to the NBA 2K website and follow their prompts!
Moving on to MyTeam you create your very own team in a similar fashion to “Ultimate Team” if you’re familiar with the FIFA games. Once you have created your team, you receive a pack of cards which contain players, contracts, logos, jersey’s and stadiums for your team. You then go in to single player or multiplayer game modes in order to get more VC (Virtual Currency) to spend on more packs, players, or to spend on attributes with your MyPlayer.
When it comes to just playing a match in NBA 2K19 you will be happy to know that it is business as usual when it comes to the mechanics of the game. The movements are fluid, you really feel the weight of the player and you are continuously looking for that inch perfect pass to drive the key & put your opposition on a poster. The visuals on NBA 2K19 are the best of the series and they are absolutely stunning even on my original PlayStation 4. Ben “Gammah” Saunders also confirmed that on his Xbox One X running 4K, the graphics look amazing and the animations are “top notch”. The commentary is outstanding with a cast of all-star retired players like my man Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and former ESPN analyst Bill Simmons involved in the broadcasts & half-time break show.
Overall, NBA 2K19 is the best in the series and in my opinion is the best basketball game we’ve ever seen. Whilst it isn’t without it’s negatives, there is no other basketball game that comes remotely close to what 2K has done.
Pros:
Graphics are simply incredible.
Commentary (Bill Simmons! KOBE!!!)
MyCareer story.
Neighbourhood 2.0.
Face Scan using MyNBA2K.
Customisation.
Cons:
Pay to win environment with Virtual Currency.
MyCareer story character is a bit of a wuss.
MyTeam can be overwhelming for new and some old players.
Face Scan making me looking like a poor man’s Chael Sonnen.
Overall Score: 9/10
A big thank you to Ben “Gammah” Saunders for his contributions to this review!
Are you an NBA2K superstar? Or do you just like hanging out in the Neighbourhood? Make sure you join our Discord server, so you can play with myself and other NBA 2K fans! We are also giving away $500 worth of Collector’s Edition games published by 2K Games to celebrate hitting 2,000 followers on Facebook! Click here to find out how you can win!
