NBA 2K17 presents the greatest advancement to date

The NBA 2K series has been setting the bar for sports video games in terms of realism, presentation and gameplay for years - and with NBA 2K17 developer Visual Concepts and 2K Games have created another deep and rewarding NBA simulation that redefines itself with an innovative yet imperfect single-player experience. Visual Concepts has always produced some of the most visually impressive sports games on the market, and NBA 2K17 is nothing short of stunning.

With the addition of dedicated bounce pass and lob buttons, which each have double tap functions that allow you to throw flashy passes or alley oops, respectively, players feel more in control of their players than ever before. Though EA has been striving to convince the public that there is a real rivalry between NBA Live and NBA 2K, these new mechanics, as well as the addition of over 1000 new animations (including 32 post moves that make this technical gameplay style even more fun to master) will likely end that discussion even more.

If you’re looking for a basketball video game that feels awesome to play, NBA 2K17 is certainly the game for you. Though MyCareer certainly stumbles this year, the fact of the matter is that NBA 2K17 continues the mechanical excellence that this franchise is known for. NBA 2K17 does feel like a game built-around online connected modes though, and this year there’s something for everyone. A lot of the fan-favorites return, but there are a couple of notable additions.

Play Now Online adds a league and ladder structure to the mix, seemingly revamping the game’s matchmaking system to match players of similar skill levels and allow them to compete to progress in higher leagues by simply playing/winning games. It tracks player tendencies, and keeps you grinding towards becoming one of the upper echelon NBA 2K17 players. Beyond the career mode, there is actually a lot to experience in NBA 2K17. You can earn street cred by playing against others in the My Park, take on the role of a general manager as you create a team and lead them to glory, or even take part in the weird trading card game that still utterly baffles me.

Once you get into the NBA, you start experiencing some of the aforementioned lengthy cutscenes. You begin to see your player battle with a host of personal issues, such as the owner of your team not wanting you to hang around with Vic, your best friend. On top of that, your sister and your new girlfriend bicker incessantly, and your parents do not want to move out of Harlem. It’s a weird, interesting mixture of story topics that do bring about some intrigue.

Any comparison of past and present games starts with the features, and the biggest development for 2K17 is the expansion of MyCareer mode. First introduced in NBA 2K10, MyCareer/MyPlayer mode has changed a lot over time, but 2K17 presents the greatest year-to-year advancement to date. In last year’s version, you started off as an undrafted free agent who had to hustle to earn a guaranteed contract. This time around, you start off as a heavily recruited high school destined for the first round of the NBA draft.

Overall, I really think NBA 2K17 is worth picking up this year. There’s so much to do, and the gameplay is really top-notch. It’s not perfect necessarily, but it’s remarkably close. I’m looking forward to playing more and more of it in the coming months, and I’d like to really commend Visual Concepts and 2K Sports for putting together one of the best basketball games I’ve played in years.