NBA 2K14 Review (Xbox 360)

NBA 2K14 is the most recent game in the long-running basketball simulation title from developer Visual Concepts and publisher 2K Games, designed to once more deliver a realistic but fun take on the sport that includes the biggest stars, the most impressive moves and the best commentary.

At the moment, the title has no competition, after EA Sports has canceled the last few installments of its own NBA series, and that seems to have given the development team a chance to abandon the quest for major innovations.

With NBA 2K14, they have created a set of incremental improvements that make the overall experience feel more interesting and engaging, but can also frustrate, especially because a lot of the basics of the simulation need to be re-learned.

This is still the best basketball sim on the market, but that’s only because it lacks any kind of real rival and some long-term fans might be wondering whether Visual Concepts needs to step up its game for next year’s installment.

Story

The big change for NBA 2K14 in terms of storytelling is the LeBron James powered experience, called Path to Greatness, which offers gamers an insight into the next years of the superstar’s basketball life playing out two different scenarios.

The concepts here are interesting and the presentation, including graphics and audio use, really allows the gamer to put himself in James’s shoes, who is widely considered the best player in the NBA and certainly the one with most media exposure.

His outsized personality really comes through in Path to Greatness and the developers constantly increase the stakes and create scenarios that will appeal to lovers of the sport, even if they do not particularly like LeBron James.

Dunk time

Towards greatness

MyCareer, MyTeam and The Association, the other three core single-player modes that spawn multiple seasons, are largely unchanged from last year in terms of core ideas and presentation.

This is a little disappointing given that My Career, the most elaborate of the bunch, can still feel incredibly difficult and could have benefited from the introduction of more scenarios that would teach a gamer how NBA 2K14 actually works.

Gameplay

NBA 2K14’s big change is that the controls no longer resemble those that fans of the series have spent so much time to master during the same period last year.

The right stick is now the most important element of the controller because all dribbling moves and shooting are now linked to it.

Quick taps in any direction are designed to beat defenders via a set of spectacular moves that depend on player profile and on his current position on the court.

Actually holding for a longer period of time will set up a shot and there’s no need to use any other button on the controller to perform some pretty impressive move sequences.

The left stick controls movement direction and it takes some time before the two hands and the two sticks feel like they are collaborating rather than working against one another.

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I have managed to make the transition faster when it comes to the offensive, but I still fumble around when trying to use the new right stick setup on the defensive, which means that I have to work really hard in order to make sure that I score more points than my opponents.

Once a gamer has the new control scheme under control, he will find that NBA 2K14 offers a solid simulation of the real world sport and gives gamers the freedom to create some very impressive moves.

The flow of the game is improved by the fact that the intelligence of all the computer-controlled players has been significantly improved, which means that they know how to move in offensive situations to create openings and also perform admirably in defensive situations and often manage to steal the ball.

There’s also an increased physicality on the virtual courts, especially clear when two of the big men of the NBA clash, with grunts and falls a clear sign that egos as well as bodies are involved in the contest.

The game seems to give a slight edge to the defensive, which can be frustrating at first, but makes it even more rewarding when gamers manage to pry it open and score often.

There are also moments when NBA 2K14 is too fast and I struggle to pick the best defensive options in order to match the tactics of the opponent team and limit their chances of getting points.

Graphics and audio

NBA 2K14 shows that current-gen consoles still have some power left and the team has been careful to add as much detail as possible to the players and the animations that they perform during the game.

LeBron James and the other superstars have received special attention from the developers and their every move is designed to be as lifelike as possible, often blurring the line between virtual and real.

But the game also has some weird artifacts at times and the heads of some players often seem attached to their bodies in an unnatural fashion.

Defense ready

Penalty result

The commentary team of Clark Kellogg, Steve Kerr and Kevin Harlan is also well used to create atmosphere and has a lot of lines that are clearly calibrated to reflect the action on the court and make the player feel important.

At times, they still feel robotic and repetitive, but this is the best commentary in the current generation of sports simulations, clearly better than that of FIFA 14 or PES 2014.

Multiplayer

For NBA 2K14, Visual Concepts has re-introduced the Crew mode, which allows players to create their custom teams and then play against anyone else online, but otherwise little has changed.

Matches are more interesting with a human opponent than with the computer, mostly because other actual players have a tendency to make mistakes, which adds an increased level of realism to the game, which can otherwise feel a little robotic.

The Good

The Bad

Conclusion