Written past times Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: NBA 2K19
Developer: Visual Concepts
Publisher: 2K Games, 2K Sports
Price: $59.99
Genre: Sports
Also Available On: Android, iOS, PS4, Steam, Switch, XB1
Let’s human face upwards it. The NBA 2K franchise is a venerable i built on both the intrinsic clit of its source cloth as well as the collective talent of its developers. Never has the National Basketball Association been to a greater extent than popular, as well as its already immense global attain — propped upwards past times outstanding leadership as well as straight off recognizable marquee names — continues to grow past times the day. Meanwhile, Visual Concepts has turned the otherwise-vicarious experience of appreciating matches at the sport’s highest aeroplane into an extremely immersive undertaking.
Needless to say, exceedingly high expectations borne of previous successes receive got accompanied the unloose of NBA 2K19. Even equally sports titles are an acquired taste, the serial has continually managed to describe inward a broad swath of the gaming public, including multi-discipline sports buffs who unremarkably gravitate toward real-life preferences as well as casual clit mashers out for adrenaline-pumping activity devoid of violence. Its immediate past times iteration sold due north of 10 meg copies, as well as it expects to generate at to the lowest degree equally much occupation organisation this fourth dimension around.
Which, inward a nutshell, is why the NBA 2K serial has engendered extreme loyalty over the final ii decades and, along alongside the likes of Borderlands, Civilization, as well as WWE 2K, counts amid Take-Two Interactive’s flagship franchises. Despite the high bring out of primary releases inward its lifetime, it has managed to continually churn out bigger as well as amend offspring. And for NBA 2K19, the improvements are evident from the get-go, its gorgeous looks manifesting inward everything from the courts to the players’ faces to the activity itself.
Needless to say, NBA 2K19 benefits from the latest advances inward technology scientific discipline to run across its overriding objective of approximating existent life. Painstaking attention has been taken to brand gamers experience genuinely business office of the proceedings. Cutscenes as well as animated sequences catamenia naturally and, relieve for the stilted dialogue on occasion, grapple to prepare the activity well. Meanwhile, the Face Scan characteristic is much improved vis-a-vis its predecessor’s, allowing it to transcend its arm’s-length leanings as well as boast of equally firsthand an offering equally possible.
For gamers who desire the best version of NBA 2K19, the PlayStation 4’s is the agency to go. It’s stunning graphically as well as aurally, as well as the DualShock four trumps other controllers inward damage of executing complex players’ moves. And spell it provides neither the on-the-go selection of the Switch nor the native 4K resolution of the Xbox One X, it all the same comes out ahead because of its humongous ownership base. Unlike the competition’s ecosystems, Sony’s is extremely populated, making interaction alongside others online a breeze; Microsoft’s looks grand, but isn’t equally dense, spell Nintendo’s is especially barren, hence negating whatever advantages of undocked gameplay.
In damage of the on-court action, NBA 2K18 plays smoothly as well as runs fairly well. As alongside previous incarnations, it displays a natural smoothness to the animations, as well as in-game players command as well as handgrip naturally, fifty-fifty for serial neophytes. The programmers’ painstaking aeroplane of attention as well as attending is evident inward the visceral feast. As alongside previous iterations, graphical bugs occasionally manifest themselves, as well as the feedback tin live on jarring at first; over time, though, they tin live on welcome injections of levity inward the midst of intense battles.
Quick games aside, NBA 2K19 volition invariably live on getting the nigh mileage through its MyCareer mode. Providing a Create-And-Control-Your-Own-Character system, MyCareer is basically the game’s story track, entitled “The Way Back” as well as delivered alongside elements to a greater extent than commonly constitute inward role-playing games. And, inward this regard, it takes pains to deliver an enveloping experience. It begins alongside grapheme creation, wherein gamers tin arts and crafts their histrion to their liking and, yes, fifty-fifty to their likeness through the work of a smartphone app. They are as well as then thrust into the Prelude, which serves to inform them of their player’s plight; non practiced plenty to live on drafted inward the NBA, he gets to hoop inward Cathay as well as and then advance to the G-League earlier he meets his objective as well as makes it to the bigs.
Make no mistake. The procedure isn’t equally uncomplicated equally it sounds. En road to unwrapping the narrative, the histrion volition receive got to pick out teams, negotiate contracts, testify his worth on the court, as well as hone his skills as well as prepare novel ones required for him to progress. Parenthetically, MyCareer grants access to “The Neighborhood,” an online hub that has him roaming to a greater extent than or less as well as doing whatever he pleases inward semi-open-world fashion. In short, it’s the agency that gives players the best smasher for their buck.
On the flipside, MyCareer is likewise where gamers are encouraged to business office alongside existent bucks. How practiced their respective players tin spill out away is determined past times upgrades equally acquired through Virtual Currency (VC) either toiled for or bought outright. The practiced tidings is that NBA 2K19 has made these easier to live on earned. Notably, its immediate past times predecessor all but compelled real-life spending inward social club to bypass the intense grinding otherwise required for grapheme improvements. The bad tidings is that progression via in-game locomote remains wearisome as well as time-consuming, what alongside myriad private skills needing to live on improved as well as higher-level upgrades becoming to a greater extent than expensive. Simply put, the appeal of microtransactions continues to live on underscored past times evident pay-to-win features.
That said, NBA 2K19 delivers inward spades. MyGM as well as MyLeague, its management-sim components, are deep as well as engrossing. Meanwhile, contest is enhanced past times subtle as well as pregnant changes that serve non but to satisfy, but to delight; amid the to a greater extent than pronounced is the introduction of the Takeover arrangement which provides stat boosts i time a meter is filled through streaks of offensive as well as defensive gems. And regardless of the player’s station or science level, the fluidity of movement, seamless transition betwixt animations as well as controlled situations, as well as near-perfect presentation of variables — from the pre- as well as post-game shows to the live-ball commentary to the interviews — assist maintain gamers involved as well as engaged.
All told, NBA 2K19 is an tardily recommend. Forget EA Sports’ apparent conclusion to revive the NBA Live franchise. For pro hoops (or, to live on honest, whatever form of hoops), no championship is better. And spell it equally good shines on the Switch as well as Xbox One X, it’s best appreciated on the PS4 platform, where the sheer bring out of gamers makes for a robust “My Neighborhood” experience. (As an aside, Sony has kept alongside tradition as well as rolled out a console packet that includes a physical re-create of the game as well as extends the warranty to ii years). The superb execution as well as unparalleled gameplay arrive the undisputed Rex of basketball game simulations. Enough said.
THE GOOD
- Outstanding gameplay, hewing equally unopen to existent life equally possible
- Excellent audio-visual presentation
- Seamless transitions betwixt in-game animations as well as controlled actions
- Open-world offerings inward “My Neighborhood,” peculiarly on the PS4
THE BAD
- Microtransactions abound inward MyCareer Mode
- Occasional graphical glitches tin stunt the immersive experience
- Preset cutscenes for “The Way Back” don’t ever reverberate the character’s progression, or lack thereof
- Fewer online peers for Switch gamers
RATING: 9.5/10
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