MyPark is a key example of one of NBA 2K’s biggest Achilles heels
Having spent the better part of the last week going through every strand of the game on PS4, there’s plenty to talk about. In this year’s game, the ratio of accurate and inaccurate player models is about the same. CP3 was corrected, but apparently, the dev team hasn’t had a chance to scan Williams or Crawford. Follow Stauffer on Twitter to stay abreast of updates through the season. On offense, the freelance sets incorporate elements of each coach’s playbook NBA 2K coins, so you can get movement and action without calling a play. This allows for authentic gameplay for gamers who don’t want to run detailed sets on every possession.
I created a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Marshall University (my alma mater) and picked up 18 points and a B-minus on my teammate grade in the rookie game. After the game, your player has to answer two questions from teams that will be interested in drafting him. How you answer is taken into consideration prior to the draft. The Charlotte Bobcats (No. 9 pick), Golden State Warriors (No. 11) and Utah Jazz (No. 12) were interested in my shooting guard. I answered the questions in a way that I hoped would get me selected by each team, but there was an answer choice, “I do not want to play for your team,” that would have automatically dropped me off that team’s list.
So is this the year 2K Sports’ franchise, NBA 2K14, will finally meet stiff competition? Here’s a breakdown of NBA 2K14 and NBA Live 14 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (and if you missed it, our review of NBA 2K14 for PS3 and Xbox 360). No third-party video game has benefited more from the upgrade to PS4 and Xbox One than NBA 2K14. Now, it’s silky smooth gameplay is complemented by stunning new visuals. Developers at 2K continue to blur the line between reality and game with incredible digital renditions of pro players from LeBron James to Nerlens Noel. The overhauled prospect scouting stands out the most in MyGM and MyLEAGUE. From organic stats, social media, big boards, and mock drafts, you have more information than ever, and that data comes in throughout the season as it does in real life. It’s wonderfully envisioned and implemented. The 2K team should feel proud of their work with it.
MyPark, I think, is a key example of one of NBA 2K’s biggest Achilles heels: Its propensity for going big without nailing down the foundation of the gameplay. Last year, much the same thing happened to MyGM mode. And though I’m glad that Virtual Currency is less pervasive and unbalanced this year than it was in NBA 2K14, I’m still concerned by how much of the experience is tied to remote servers that can only be accessed by playing online. If the servers are down, for instance, then it’s impossible to upgrade player attributes in MyPlayer, since VC information is stored remotely. Given how badly NBA 2K14’s servers were slammed over the Christmas last year, I think this once again has the potential to be a real problem.
The depth of MyCareer is a welcome addition to an NBA title, but is not without its flaws. At one point, after a close loss where my guy had little playing time off the bench, Cousins confronted me in the tunnel after the game and ripped into me for not passing him the rock enough. I wanted to say, “dude. I was only on the floor for six minutes and only had eight touches. WTH?” The confrontation even made it to the Twitterverse. It completely felt forced and took away from the overall feeling of the story.
As the engine is more and more refined for the newer consoles, cheap NBA 2K16 coins for PS3 the physics of actual play will get better. They’re still very good, but some players will find frustration with not being able to do whatever you want. You have to play somewhat intelligent basketball, run pick-and-rolls, and find a balance to passing with precision and driving with space to operate. Play like the San Antonio Spurs and you’ll succeed. Turn it into an And 1 Mixtape and you’re going to catch a loss against a decent opponent.