Very few titles in gaming are capable of building up as much expectation as the yearly NBA 2K releases, and that could not be more justified this time around, as NBA 2K24 is both the successor of last year’s acclaimed release and the title which celebrates the franchise’s 25th anniversary. But did the game manage to live up to the hype?
Being On the Court Never Felt Better
The first thing worth noticing in NBA 2K24 is how amazing the game plays and looks when you are on the court. That can be attributed to how, although no big advancements were made to its overall presentation when compared to 2K23, the improvements made in the overall gameplay, and the addition of the ProPlay technology make each game feel as authentic as they can be.
A true testament to the improvements made in the game’s flow lies in its MAMBA MOMENTS mode, which puts in you the shoes of Kobe Bryant himself as you relive some of his most iconic moments, now from within the court.
A Less Intrusive MyCarrer
One of my biggest gripes with the MyCarrer mode featured in NBA 2K23 was related to how the progression of its main storyline was tied to its other features, which forced players to sit through hours of uninspired dialogues and horrific cutscenes to play the game. Fortunately, NBA 2K24 eliminates most of that by allowing players to experience the main storyline —which this time feels way more grounded and focused— on their own terms, all while also allowing them to dive into most of its remaining features from the get-go.
The new Miami-themed city also serves as a fitting stage for this new iteration of the mode, as it breathes creativity and pulses with style.
Although I’d love to say that the MyCarrer experience featured in NBA 2K24 raises the bar significantly with no drawbacks, all of its features and positive points are forced to take the backseat when faced with the way the mode’s high VC (Virtual Currency) demand pushes players to spend. In MyCarrer, VC is your premier currency and it’s used to make all kinds of purchases, as well as to increase your attributes.
The City thus becomes a city of inflation, as even cosmetics cost an unusually high amount of VC when compared to your standard earnings. That, when paired with the mode’s high attribute-enhancing costs (which periodically increase), forces you to either expend tens of hours in tedious grinding (accounting you can even afford to do so) for a chance of being competitive or to open your wallet for a chance of getting a more complete experience, which is something you should have access to regardless. For comparison’s sake, we had to expend 75,000+ VC to reach OVR 74 in the game.
The change made to the badge system, a cornerstone of the MyCarrer mode, was also controversial, as your badges will now both increase and decrease in rarity based on their usage and your success rate. This feature, although focused on helping each build feel as unique as possible, ends up doing more harm than good, as sometimes you will be going one step forward but two steps back.
MyTEAM and a Questionable Choice
Going past MyCarrer, the MyTEAM experience in NBA 2K24 did not change significantly when compared to the one featured in 2K23, apart from a few additions like the ability to compete with a team built within a fixed Salary Cap. But one controversial decision seems to have taken more from it than developers realized, as it is hard to justify or even understand the logic behind the removal of the mode’s Auction House.
Even if some may argue that the decision may help even the game out (at least at first) when paired with the alleged increases in earnings from both its MyTEAM single and multiplayer modes, the removal of the feature stripped players of one of its most vital and engaging features —the ability to both auction their cards for in-game profit and buy cards from other players freely— all while once again forcing them to abide by the values proposed by the game.
MyNBA and The W
Shifting from one questionable choice to one that was a huge plus, the MyNBA mode received a refresh in NBA 2K24, as together with some of the usual tweaks made to keep the mode in tune with the changes made in the NBA, players can now take on the challenge of managing a team during what NBA 2K calls The LeBon Era, which starts in 2010 (the year in which LeBron James decided to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and join the Miami Heat). A new Lite variant of MyNBA also debuted, thus allowing players to get the feel of what it is like to manage their teams, but without all the technicality that comes with it.
Needless to say, the new features were a perfect fit, as they enrich the mode’s meticulously built experience, all while, in the case of the addition of the MyNBA Lite mode, making it more approachable for casual players.
Although it features an almost identical experience as the one featured in 2K23, The W also received a few welcome new features in NBA 2K24, with the most noticeable one being the ability to start your NBA career as either a generational 75 OVR prospect carrying an already established brand and fanbase or as a fairly unknown OVR 85 star. But once again, even if it’s possible to spot a few key improvements as well as appreciate the fact that the mode is not VC dependent, The W still feels as barebones as it can be when compared to MyCarrer, which in turn left me thinking more about what it could have been than what it actually is.
The Verdict
NBA 2K24 offers an extremely polished experience, given its unrivaled on-court feel and a few welcome additions, but questionable decisions and an uncanny push toward microtransactions hurt what could otherwise be considered a natural step forward for the franchise.
This game was reviewed using a copy of the game provided by the game’s publisher, public relations company, developer, or other for the express purpose of a review.
