NBA 2K13

Without a doubt, one of the best sports games of the year.

This game is massive. It will easily keep even the most hardened player busy until next season. Suffice to say, this is the new bar that any future basketball title is going to be gauged against.

A noticeable step-up in class from 2K12, especially on court and in the My Career mode. Only poor navigation spoils an otherwise incredible sport sim. [Dec 2012, p.100]

This year it isn't just about your basketball skills, it's also about how popular you can become. A Twitter feed will let you know what fans are saying about your last game and you can capture some hearts by showing up at charity events. [November 2012, p.74]

NBA 2K13 again delivers by far the best presentation of all sports games. The realistic animations let you think one could really see a live NBA game. The commentators and the great audience are also a big part of the game's atmosphere. The change from the shot-stick to a dribble- and shot-stick is amazing and gives the player the chance to play like a real NBA pro. 2K Games and Visual Concepts again deliver the sports game of the year.

Even when left with a clear, unobstructed path to the basket, 2K13 throws down a monster jam with this year's edition – probably the last one developed solely for this generation of consoles.

Controls have been upgraded to include a more intuitive feel, with the right stick now used for ball control as well as shooting. The old button controls are still applicable, it just depends if you want to keep up with the times, as well as how much flare you want to add to your floor game. [December 2012, p80]

Aside from the confusing user interface and the quite ridiculous Jay-Z branding, there are no failures in NBA 2K13. Sure it's not very welcoming to new players and takes a while to get in to, but there is no doubt that EA hesitates to bring out a basketball game of their own when this simply beautiful, realistic and deep simulation of basketball is the competition.

NBA 2K13 is the unrivaled (literally!) champion of NBA action despite some struggles with implementing a user friendly interface. Jump right in with you own player or run the court with any of the dozens of legends included.

True to the series, NBA 2K13 is even better, in terms of production value, content, gameplay, all the while managing to gain in accessibility. It also boasts a new career mode and the Ultimate Team mode. It's probably the best sport simulation ever.

Despite introduction of micro-transactions and the lack of a proper tutorial NBA 2K13 is a must-have for every basketball fan. [12/2012, p.66]

NBA 2K13 proves that soccer games are not the only ones nearing perfection. This game offers a great virtual basketball experience, with smooth controls, a strong graphical presentation and an enormous amount of content.

Even though authenticity-wise Visual Concepts seems to have maxed out this console generation a couple of games ago and big new additions are scarce, NBA 2K13 sits firmly amongst my favorite games this year. I'm excited to see the makers shed the shackles of the old consoles and lead the way into the new generation next season.

You couldn't get closer to the real game if you had Spike Lee's seats at MSG. The labyrinthine interface, lack of tutorials, and obnoxious Jay-Z production form a barrier when first warming up to the game, but the enhanced right-stick controls, depth, and sheer realism of everything will hook you after logging a couple of hours on the hardwood.

As the years go on, NBA 2K remains the best basket-ball game in the video game industry. With its partnership with Jay-Z as an executive producer, NBA 2K13 is able to offer a lot of new gameplay features and new intuitive game controls that make us think we are facing a different game, compared to previous episodes.

A terrific recreation of the sport, where everything comes together brilliantly. The new controls are sharp, and you'll find yourself wanting to play just one more game in order to master a certain drible or improve your personal score record.

With no real competition in the NBA video game arena, 2K Sports could have phoned this one in and still dribbled away with a boat load of cash. Instead, they took a well designed NBA 2K12 and polished it up, threw in a few more needed additions, added some bells and whistles, and finished what could possibly be the Sports Game of the Year.

Once you get used to the new controls it is hard to get away from this excellent, incredibly intensive basketball experience.

Physical, fast and brutal. [Issue#224, p.82]

NBA 2K13 is another high quality entry into a franchise that continues to find ways to improve and get fans excited from year to year.

Niggling complaints aside, NBA 2K13 puts in another solid performance with its unrivaled broadcast-style presentation, improved online experience, and the best single-player mode in sports. None of its new features revolutionize sports simulations, and cutting out the historical mode was a poor decision, but it's still a polished experience NBA fans should enjoy.

The voice acting by the announcers is spot on. The animations on the court are smooth and realistic. The online play has perfect netcode and it never takes too long to find a match. It's a hands-down improvement over NBA 2k12 in every way.

It makes you feel more of a baller than wearing shades indoors. [Dec 2012, p.110]

NBA 2K13 is a brilliantly fun basketball game and one for all basketball fans to pick up. Casual sports game fans should also pick this up as it's good to play against others. Sure there are a few things 2K can improve, like the menu interface and the inclusion of a tutorial, but once you get a hang of it NBA 2K13 is a great experience.