2K16 delivers an experience that is almost television worthy
2K16 isn’t a revolutionary year for gameplay either, more a refining moment for the series which has been building out an incredible move-set for players. Again, this is as real as it gets for NBA fans. Just about anything you’ve seen an NBA player do in real life can be accomplished on the court in NBA 2K16… and then some. The game has both a simple and complex way to play it. You can use one button to shoot and one button to pass and have a lot of fun with it. However, you can also dig deeper into the move-set that requires learning more complex button inputs matched only by fighting games to pull off amazing moves with players whom are capable. Runners, Step-Throughs, Euro Steps, Amazing Dunks, Fall Away Jumpers, and many more moves can be pulled off at will with enough practice NBA 2K coins.
However, these moves, again, aren’t something entirely new to the series, but there have been quite a few new animations added to the game. Also, movements and interactions between players make for the most realistic looking and feeling game to date. Players struggle to shed defenders to get open. Collisions and the resulting reactions of them look realistic. Things like height, weight and player wingspan seem to matter a little more than they have in the past. NBA 2K16 is what all sports games should aspire to be. Not only is it the most ambitious title of its kind-offering expansive single player, multiplayer, cooperative, offline, and online experiences-it does so in a way that simultaneously respects core basketball aficionados and casual hoops fans.
While each of the deep game modes has items I can quibble with, the whole of NBA 2K16 is much greater than the sum of its parts. If-and this is a big if-its online servers manage to stay afloat, NBA 2K16 is not only the best sports game of the year, but one of the best of all time. The even more pressing issue with the passing, however, is learning it. There is no step-by-step tutorial in NBA 2K16, and it’s a glaring issue in a year when so many pieces of the game were overhauled. To implement the new passing controls, Visual Concepts switched the old post-up button (formerly the triangle button, now remapped to the left trigger), for example, so if you spent last year posting up, expect to accidentally lob the ball out of the post in your first few days of gaming. This is a game and franchise that demand a tutorial; the controls themselves are brilliant, but they need time and reps to be learned.
There are dozens of things that simulation-leaning fans will have issues with, such as the timelines between joining the NBA and becoming a free agent, or how terrible performances on the court won’t impact how you’re celebrated by your hangers-on. The story itself has plenty of eye-rolling moments, but is also punctuated by a series of very intense – and unexpected – performances and powered by impressive motion-capture technology that shows off terrific character facial expressions and emotion. Once the main ‘film’ section is complete – about a four hour timeframe – you’re free to move throughout your career in a more traditional way by playing all the games, upping your attributes, and building out your home court with all sorts of accoutrements. It may be a bit on the corny side, but I love it.
Presentation has always been a major strength of 2K, and cheap NBA 2K16 coins delivers an experience that’s almost television-worthy. Kenny “The Jet” Smith joins Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal for pre-game, halftime and post-game analysis after being absent from 2K15 – and you’d be doing yourself a disservice by their segments. Loading into a game in 2K16 is just like watching NBA on TNT, and the banter between the three broadcasters is completely natural and hilarious. You can tell they had fun recording their lines, and it turns loading times into an enjoyable experience.
The modes are great, but what about the game on the court? For the most part, you’re going to get a suped-up version of the 2K experience you’re used to. Passing is smoother, more intuitive, and you have better options. When you run a pick-and-roll, you can not only choose whether the screener rolls or pops, but you can also decide which side of the defender gets screened. Post play is now activated by holding down the back left trigger (L2 on PS4) and it’s easier to put together moves out of it.