NBA 2K15 Review

Time to lace up the old school Converse and Hit the Court with Kevin Durant. It’s time for another installment in 2K sports hit NBA 2K franchise with NBA 2K15 on the PlayStation 4. How does this years installment of NBA 2k hold up? 2K once again brings an outstanding presentation. The main treat this year is the NBA pregame show with E.J. and the big man himself Shaq. The in-game dialogue between E.J. and Shaq comes off naturally as the pair puts enthusiasm in their performance. Commentary team of Steve Kerr (Now Golden State Coach) and Kevin Harlan is recycled from last year with a few new additional lines. I can’t say the same for cover boy Kevin Durant’s awful script reading during tutorial videos. Visuals are cleaned up from NBA 2K14, the big name stars such a Kobe look life-like. I can’t say the same for lesser known players who look completely off from their real life counterpart.

Game play this year remains the same as in 2K14 but with a few minor adjustments onto the offensive and defensive side of the court. I noticed that AI controlled teammates on offense and defense do a better job of helping out this year. On offense teammates will try to get open and fight to get into position for low post moves. Defensively, teammates will attempt to stay in front of their assignments and even lend assistance. Despite the minor tweaks, there will be times you want to throw your controller in frustration. The cpu will drive you into frustration as you get shredded down in the post and you watch teammates neglect rebound duties. I had a situation were the center and power foreword stood around clueless as a lose rebound sat on the court only to have the opposing player pick up the basketball for an easy two. Luckily you can exploit the cpu down in the post as well, even though it feels like a cheap way to win. In one game I recorded 14 pts and 8 rebounds with DeMarcus Cousins in the 1st quarter.  I recommend finding a good set of sliders to your liking.

My GM makes its second appearance on next gen systems. Just like last year you assume the role of the GM of a NBA franchise. As in the previous installment of NBA 2K14 you can expect the RPG like conversation, owner goals, and micromanagement aspect. Conversation system remains the same as NBA 2K14. I wish 2K would implement more answers for options. Owner goals remain the same as well and need to be completed if you want to keep the owner in a good mood. Micromanagement aspect still allows you to set prices for the concession stands and keep an eye on your roster for trades.  This year adds a new element to MY GM, social media! You will need to be on top of whats going on through the virtual NBA social media world. That means calling players into your GM office and having a conversation with what ever problems players might have. I had to speak with D.J. Augustin three games into the season because he wanted more playing time at point guard. I had three options available for Augustin: (1) give him the minutes, (2) deny and coddle, (3) deny and tell him to shut up. I went with deny and coddle, Augustin lost some morale but understood where I was coming from.

The big selling point of NBA 2K15 this year is the ability to scan and insert your face into NBA 2K15. By using the PlayStation 4 or XBox One camera you can scan your very own face into NBA 2k15. I myself found the scan feature to be hit or miss over three attempts, never truly getting my face exactly to my liking. Once I fixed up my in-game virtual face with minor cosmetic changes, it was time for virtual me to make it big in the NBA. My Career for NBA 2k15 is a big improvement over last years story. The story begins with you as an undrafted free agent, eventually your agent gets you a try out with interested NBA teams. Impress the coach during the workout on the practice squad and you will be rewarded with a ten-day contract. During the ten-day contract is your chance to prove you have what it takes to make it in the NBA. Perform well and your player is rewarded with a NBA contract. From that point on it’s up to the player to pave their NBA legacy. Expect choices just like last years My Career that will affect you relationship with teammates, management and the fans. My Career has one glaring negative, VC (Virtual Currency) is heavily involved. Everything from upgrading stats  to buying clothing requires VC. You can earn VC through the game or purchase VC DLC through PSN or XBox marketplace.

This years installment of NBA 2K is more of the same as last years title. With a few minor tweaks made to improve game play. My Career is what saves NBA 2K15 from being a let down, it’s a must play game mode. If you missed out on next gen basketball last year or just have a kick for some NBA 2K. I would recommend picking up NBA 2K15.