User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 467 Ratings

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  1. Jul 3, 2023
    10
    Great Game LEBRON ofc so its very good so yeah its too great too good and i luv it
  2. Jun 22, 2023
    7
    The best 2K game. It had everything: a great MY CAREER, great gameplay, and an amazing soundtrack.
  3. Apr 12, 2023
    7
    Sound Quality still stands as the best heard throughout the series, even after 8 years or so.
  4. Jul 21, 2022
    7
    at this point im only writing reviews so i can actually look back on my score... screw you metacritic for only allowing you to look back at games you reviewed rather than just scored
  5. Jul 12, 2022
    9
    This Game Us The Best In History, Graphics, Defense Is Fantastic, Shot Timing Was Good! NBA 2K16 > NBA 2K22
  6. Mar 25, 2022
    10
    Wanted to start playing basketball games again since I haven't really been into the sport since 2006. Tried 2k22 and realized whi I don't like basketball games then my friend told me to try this one and even tho it's older, best basketball game on the ps4
  7. Sep 11, 2021
    9
    Best My Career ever with solid gameplay and a top tier MyTeam. This game is a classic for a reason.
  8. Jul 3, 2021
    0
    Pior jogo da minha vida e da história. Nunca jogeui jogo pior, do menu que dxa qlqr um com epilepsia até a gameplay de merda.
  9. Mar 31, 2021
    1
    This game is 2k18 but before 18 came out. Story was good. Gameplay just like 18's gameplay. Game is pay to win. I barely have fun playing it and most people call it the 2k ever when there is zero fun to have in it. 2k17 was a lot more funner than this dog ****
  10. Sep 24, 2020
    10
    This is one of the best 2ks of all time it was so fun, 2k16 and 2k17 were just great games
  11. Apr 6, 2020
    4
    Computer defense is literally denis Rodman on meth it really takes away from the game literally no one can beat curry 1v1 not cause of his offense with would be correct but for curry to clamp so hard Kobe couldnt make a layup or even get close to the basket
  12. Feb 21, 2018
    9
    the king of sports games!! 100% recommended! The closest I've seen of reality!
  13. Jan 31, 2018
    8
    The first NBA 2K I played. All Modes are pretty cool to be honest only thing I don't like is that the servers are shut down so fast, so you have to get a newer title more often. I did not know that the franchise did not evolve but devolve for the next titles therefore 2K16 gets a much higher score than the following 2Ks.
  14. Nov 14, 2017
    8
    I think everyone here knows by now that the story in this game is just so bad, and it is. I am not one to usually play the nba series games and this one was the only one I actually played (I have 2k15 but never play it). This game was free also, just thought I would mention that because it does sway my review a bit because I never actually payed for the game. I think this game though isI think everyone here knows by now that the story in this game is just so bad, and it is. I am not one to usually play the nba series games and this one was the only one I actually played (I have 2k15 but never play it). This game was free also, just thought I would mention that because it does sway my review a bit because I never actually payed for the game. I think this game though is simple enough for me to like because I didn't waste money on something and I had no expectations going in on what to expect. I honestly still play this version of NBA regardless that there are two new installments out right now. I know the story is bad, I know the gameplay isn't perfect, but honestly I have spent so much time playing this game that I really have no legit reason to complain or give it a bad score. Time flew when I played this game and it even still does now. I can't complain. I have enjoyed it thus far Expand
  15. Oct 4, 2017
    3
    **** trash simple as that playing on a harder difficulty doesn't make the AI smarter you can't hit wide open threes with kobe for example while the AI seems to make every shot even when heavily contested, shaq the most dominant player ever can't even score on curry in the post realistic my ass.My career is trash aswell you either grind to get vc or you can buy it wow wtf is this a f2p**** trash simple as that playing on a harder difficulty doesn't make the AI smarter you can't hit wide open threes with kobe for example while the AI seems to make every shot even when heavily contested, shaq the most dominant player ever can't even score on curry in the post realistic my ass.My career is trash aswell you either grind to get vc or you can buy it wow wtf is this a f2p game? Was having fun at the beginning but after playing this game for a long time i realized it's flaws if a player is hot or is just dominating will be double teamed (ok that happens in real life) until the end of the game... always leaving someone open guess what in higher dificultys even if you pass it to a open shooter you still gonna miss, if you play on all star for example you'll get double teamed even if you pass the ball to the shooter and hit shot's the AI will keep leaving him open because the other player has 30 points . Speed doesn't seem to matter either some times centers will run at the same speed if not faster than point gards
    . - Unrealistic / Higher difficulties are just cheese
    - My career mode is Garbage
    - A lot of bugs
    - Amazing graphics
    - Micro transactions break the game
    This will be my first and last 2k game greedy **** put the same game every year with updated rosters. Stay away from this game if you want a realistic and immersive basketball experience.
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  16. Sep 8, 2017
    0
    The game-play is just not fun. It feels sluggish, and the margin for error on anything is really low. I suppose it is all in the name of realism.

    I got this with a friend and we would have sequences like: missed layup, offensive rebound, missed wide open jumper, defensive rebound, turn-over, turn-over, kickball. Leaning jumper scoring on 4 guys. Time-out. The entire rhythm of the
    The game-play is just not fun. It feels sluggish, and the margin for error on anything is really low. I suppose it is all in the name of realism.

    I got this with a friend and we would have sequences like: missed layup, offensive rebound, missed wide open jumper, defensive rebound, turn-over, turn-over, kickball. Leaning jumper scoring on 4 guys. Time-out. The entire rhythm of the game is frustrating and slow for a casual gamer like me.

    Yea yea, I hear all you 2k-ragers saying "@#$%$#$% you NOOB @#$@#% play NBA LIVE." I played 2k15 and really enjoyed it, but I suppose I will check out NBA LIVE from now on. I don't feel like spending hours and hours just to learn how to dribble a basketball all over again. Or weeks of game play just to hit an open jumper. I suppose people with lots of time on their hands get their kicks out of this but I am a pass...
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  17. Mar 12, 2017
    0
    Games are only as good as two things. For PvE, they are only as good as their AI at the highest levels. For PvP, they are only as good as they are able to resolve what happens when two players DO something to each other at the same time (assuming the game doesn't suffer from fundamental network issues).

    This game is terrible at both.
  18. Nel
    Jan 21, 2017
    7
    Great NBA game, has a fun interactive be a pro mode. The game can be hard for beginners, but it is easily one of the best sport games out there. I recommend playing this with a friend or online.
  19. Dec 4, 2016
    0
    There are so many glitches in this game its infuriating. Career is badly thought through, with preset characters allowing little room for freedom for the player. Even in regular game mode, players that are not controlled by the user him or herself will randomly walk around the floor at times, leaving their opposition wide open. Shots that are considered A grade will regularly miss, whilstThere are so many glitches in this game its infuriating. Career is badly thought through, with preset characters allowing little room for freedom for the player. Even in regular game mode, players that are not controlled by the user him or herself will randomly walk around the floor at times, leaving their opposition wide open. Shots that are considered A grade will regularly miss, whilst the opposing Cpu will consistently hit shots that are tightly contested. Overall this game makes me so angry regularly due to the way it glitches out. They probably wont fix it because they are 2k, so I would just wait for the new version to come out and pray its actually playable. Expand
  20. Sep 23, 2016
    9
    I'm just writing at least 150 characters because I wanted to save this review in a more convenient way to look back at scores that I had given stuff as a user.
  21. Sep 11, 2016
    5
    NBA 2k has been easily exceeding over the past few years. But personally seems as if 2k is taking really slow small steps. While NBA 2k16 easily being the best NBA game out there, there are some things that I noticed. For one it is almost the same thing as last years game (2k15) An upgrade was the story mode. The story mode was entertaining but also has its little things.
    Myplayer is
    NBA 2k has been easily exceeding over the past few years. But personally seems as if 2k is taking really slow small steps. While NBA 2k16 easily being the best NBA game out there, there are some things that I noticed. For one it is almost the same thing as last years game (2k15) An upgrade was the story mode. The story mode was entertaining but also has its little things.
    Myplayer is great, but during the story, the players name is Frequency Vibration. I would like to choose my name instead of being given one considering it is my player. Another thing is that the story mode makes you come from the projects and you are from an African American family. All is fine cause it is a story, but also is myplayer. The story was produced by Spike Lee, and it kind of did give a feeling of "not me" Some positives include the story line, you get to start from high school, and choose your college, limited choices.
    The online gameplay, Mypark, is and upgrade as well as you get to play with other people after joing a group. You get to battle opposing groups and have different competitions. The gameplay overall is good but could be better. Feels very one sided, (offense) as defence is much more harder. The controls can be confusing at times. The gameplay to me seemed a little slow, I like a faster more excitement type of gameplay.
    Overall it is the best game out there, but not much of difference other than the myplayer story mode and mypark. For 2k fanatics would be a great game. For those that love playing basketball games, it is a good product but can get boring at times or even frustrated. 2k servers have some work to do. I would recomment that if you absolutely want it, get it, but if you can hold off for a year, these problems will be solved. I rate it a 5 because it is almost the same thing as 2k14, the rest is because again the myplayer and mypark.
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  22. Sep 4, 2016
    0
    It appears to me that 2K Sports spent much efforts in making more money by in-game purchases, instead of perfecting the game-play. This is a CONSOLE GAME, not a cheap cell phone game.
  23. Jul 31, 2016
    0
    this is the worst my career ever. you cannot do a fast small forward like durant or lebron or carmelo. If you make a small forward inside, he's only gonna be 80 in layup, ***kin 80 man!!! that's the stupidest thing i ever heard man for real. Also, if you make a 6'1'' point guard, you can only be 86 in speed:who the *uck made this game was high as hell
  24. Jul 28, 2016
    5
    THE WAIT TIMES
    For career mode and there is an incredible load time for every game
    This game drags you along and makes you sit through every cut scene. There is a skip feature but it still makes you sit through the first few seconds of everything, (pregame shows, postgame shows. timeouts, freethrows, inbound passes, etc) It gets so frustrating I want to throw my controller at the screen
    THE WAIT TIMES
    For career mode and there is an incredible load time for every game
    This game drags you along and makes you sit through every cut scene. There is a skip feature but it still makes you sit through the first few seconds of everything, (pregame shows, postgame shows. timeouts, freethrows, inbound passes, etc) It gets so frustrating I want to throw my controller at the screen in hopes it hits a secret button that allows me to get back the part of my life that was wasted on this.
    Spike lee creates a story line that gives your character a preset personality, this was a big turn off for me. Your character is already set on an egotistical show-off personality which was a real turn off for me because it's not the sort of player I wish to be. The story line then goes on to try to convince you to feel sorry for your best friend who is an awful terrible human being that refuses to take responsibility for anything in life and would end up in the same spot in life no matter what.
    They don't have as many interviews in the game which is really disappointing because that was one of the few features that let you develop your characters personality.

    Overall the gameplay is really fun and I think does a good job of all the mechanics. If they did not have all the waiting time in gameplay and made some changes to the story making this more open I might rate this a 9.
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  25. Jul 18, 2016
    7
    Great game BUT too much, too much, and again too much loading... Extremely slow interface. When you play a game, and internet goes down, you cant play a game. That would be the negative sides. The positive are: great graphics, great ingame physics, movement and best of all: great AI tactics. Its like I am really playing basketball with friend.
  26. Jul 16, 2016
    2
    Loading times for junk! That pretty much sums up the game. If there was a way to just play the game without having to wait for all the junk you don't even care about to load it might be an average game. The game does allow you to skip through the junk but only after it make you wait to load it. I played "My career" mode for as long as I could stand (which was about an hour). Made theLoading times for junk! That pretty much sums up the game. If there was a way to just play the game without having to wait for all the junk you don't even care about to load it might be an average game. The game does allow you to skip through the junk but only after it make you wait to load it. I played "My career" mode for as long as I could stand (which was about an hour). Made the mistake of making a PW. Wanted to create a KD type of player, instead I ended up with a Kwame Brown. My guy was 6'10" but couldn't dunk the ball. His nickname was "The Freq", which I guess is fitting because if you are that tall and can't dunk you are a freak.

    It's the same game as last year with a new sound track and a more annoying My career mode.

    I understand progression is part of the game but seriously any "5 star" recruit should already be able to dominate the court in high school and college. This game apparently feels a great high school and college basketball player is simply taller than their opponent and progression begins in the pros. A terrible mode and any money they wasted on a "Spike Lee Joint" would have been better spent on developing a more dynamic engine or figuring out a way to eliminate the constant long loading times that plague this game. Very disappointed.
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  27. Jul 5, 2016
    8
    So I've had 2k16 since release and now since its PlayStation plus freebie I've decided to do a review.
    NBA 2k16 is a great sports game and is one of the best on the market. The gameplay now is better then before and now you actually have to know how to play basketball and call plays in order to win the game. Another thing is that there is no more scoring countless of contested shots
    So I've had 2k16 since release and now since its PlayStation plus freebie I've decided to do a review.
    NBA 2k16 is a great sports game and is one of the best on the market. The gameplay now is better then before and now you actually have to know how to play basketball and call plays in order to win the game. Another thing is that there is no more scoring countless of contested shots either. The new game modes seem to be good. With the play now online now its encourages you to choose lower ranked teams as you'll get more rewards and you have to " play to win" with their new ranking system. Myteam looks the same with the nice new addition of the gauntlet mode and Myleague and MYGM have new customization that are fun to mess around with. Also another strong point is the new Myplayer customizations and improvements, I felt like the new improvements actually felt like you were getting better rather than buying everything.
    But now here are the downsides that keep this game away from perfect 10. First of all NBA 2K is an annual release so if you have an updated roster you can probably stick to NBA 2k15. and secondly is Mycareer. The new Spike Lee directed Mycareer mode felt like you were controlling someone else's career rather then yours hence ruining the name MYcareer.
    Overall 2k16 is a dominate sports and even if you don't get it free it deserves the $50-$40 purchase that it is.
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  28. Jul 4, 2016
    3
    This series sucks and I decided to look at the most loved game out of the franchise well god it's BAD! Why? The graphics look like the other games as usual. The controls are terrible and I find the game has little variety. This game sucks and the whole series sucks. If you like sports THEN JUST PLAY IT!
  29. Jul 3, 2016
    9
    Nba2k16 (Ps4) is the best Nba game i ever played in years! the graphics is great the players look exactly the same you can see the shoes that their wearing it's awesome! i can not wait to play Nba2k17 : )
  30. Jun 25, 2016
    1
    All I ever play is MyCareer and it sucks. The story is not about "My Player" but instead the one it forces you to be, and it forces you to play through 2 NBA seasons without being able to really upgrade your player significantly despite starting you out with abysmal stats and abilities.
  31. Jun 20, 2016
    6
    While NBA 2K16 is the best basketball game in the market currently, it does not make up for the fact that it is absolute garbage and full of awkwardness and ****

    To begin, the featured Spike Lee joint, "Livin' Da Dream," is very boring, full of clichés, and constantly losses your attention and caused me to skip basically all of the scenes. They are not necessary to watch and practically
    While NBA 2K16 is the best basketball game in the market currently, it does not make up for the fact that it is absolute garbage and full of awkwardness and ****

    To begin, the featured Spike Lee joint, "Livin' Da Dream," is very boring, full of clichés, and constantly losses your attention and caused me to skip basically all of the scenes. They are not necessary to watch and practically nothing you do on the court will correspond with the story. Oh, and don't even try creating a white MyPlayer because your entire family will be black while you are white.

    The gameplay, while is sometimes enjoyable, is an awkward **** Simply moving around on the court becomes a challenge when your player is a magnet towards every other damn opponent. Trying to detach yourself from the players is as hard as ripping dried tar off your skin. This leads to many "defensive breakdowns" which will lower your teammate grade a metric **** decreasing the amount of currency (VC) you will earn at the end. On top of this, every time you lose the ball it feels random and cheap; you can never predict when you'll have the ball stolen.
    For all actions, the game chooses animations to perform them such as for lay ups or receiving passes. A lot of the time the animations that it chooses **** you over. For example, rather than taking a simple open lay up with a defender trailing behind me, the game decides to have my player do a one-handed dunk allowing the player behind me to swat it away.
    Surprisingly, for a game this unpolished there are quite a few modes. The most important, and fun ones, are MyPark and MyCareer. While both use the same player that you create, these modes allow you to play with friends in pick-up 2v2 or 3v3 games in between loading screens that are longer than a ****ing turtle's lifespan. As well as this, ProAm lets you play on a 5 player team with your friends against other teams. I found most fun in these modes, while the rest are pretty basic and somewhat useless (I'm looking at you 2KTV).
    To conclude, NBA 2K16 is the best basketball game out there, but the gameplay itself is still lacking much polish and fluidness. I'd rather just play FIFA instead.
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  32. Jun 16, 2016
    0
    I can't play with my name Diogo? WTF? Ridicolous. The game is a lot worst than 2k15 and 2k14...............................................................................
  33. Jun 16, 2016
    2
    I've been playing this series since 2k5, and I have to say- this may be the most disappointing title in the franchise (alright, 2k7 may have been worse). Historically, the graphics have improved with each new year, but this latest installment looks like it may have even taken a step back from 2k15. The gameplay doesn't feel any smoother; the play-calling is awkward to bring up at times;I've been playing this series since 2k5, and I have to say- this may be the most disappointing title in the franchise (alright, 2k7 may have been worse). Historically, the graphics have improved with each new year, but this latest installment looks like it may have even taken a step back from 2k15. The gameplay doesn't feel any smoother; the play-calling is awkward to bring up at times; the cut-scenes are marathons and require waiting before skipping; the soundtrack is exceedingly limited; and the MyPlayer mode is heinous. 2k has partnered with Spike Lee to create a drama-nstrosity, where your player is supposed to be able to experience all the ups and downs of making it into the pros. However, the script hijacks your player, makes all decisions for you, and forces you to keep track of a tedious and long-winded plot about how your underprivileged, ghetto-born player copes with the struggles of his almost comically dramatic past. Certainly, I don't want to have MY PLAYER'S script written without my input. Ugh. I'm sure Spike Lee thought he was being "edgy," and "Avant-garde," by showing "lyfe 'n 'da streetz," but it comes off as overdone and tiresome. I hope 2k never attempts a project this poor again. 2/10, I may be finished with this franchise. Expand
  34. Jun 13, 2016
    0
    This game is completely unplayable, I think it has something to do with the update servers, but don't expect to actually be able to play the game when you load it up, there will be an update which downloads painfully slowly. I am lucky that I didn't actually pay any money for this game (PS Plus) because if I did I would be furious.

    I would like to review the actual gameplay of this
    This game is completely unplayable, I think it has something to do with the update servers, but don't expect to actually be able to play the game when you load it up, there will be an update which downloads painfully slowly. I am lucky that I didn't actually pay any money for this game (PS Plus) because if I did I would be furious.

    I would like to review the actual gameplay of this game, but I am not going to waste my life waiting for every 0.0001 MB to download.

    Awful, just plain awful.
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  35. Jun 12, 2016
    6
    I downloaded this game mostly for the career. I've always enjoyed sports titles with any kind of "story mode" aspect. (maybe one of the best examples being champion mode in fight night champions) But, this career mode is not very good. I think 2k needs to stay far from any Spike Lee influence for the next title because I really did not like his take on the career mode. It felt very cheesy.I downloaded this game mostly for the career. I've always enjoyed sports titles with any kind of "story mode" aspect. (maybe one of the best examples being champion mode in fight night champions) But, this career mode is not very good. I think 2k needs to stay far from any Spike Lee influence for the next title because I really did not like his take on the career mode. It felt very cheesy.

    And the games graphics do not look 4th gen. The player models look, for lack of a better word, crappy.
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  36. Jun 12, 2016
    6
    Online is broken as usual. MyPlayer is boring. Game is kind of tedious to be honest. Maybe its because I'm getting tired of sports games like this. Like the soundtrack though.
  37. Jun 11, 2016
    5
    Would be very good if it didn't make you work for in game currency. Playing this I kept wondering if the developers are having a huge laugh behind everyone's back. You pay full price for this game to relax and enjoy it as entertainment but it forces you to still grind and work to get the in game currency called VC. I did some research and you can get it by installing a phone app andWould be very good if it didn't make you work for in game currency. Playing this I kept wondering if the developers are having a huge laugh behind everyone's back. You pay full price for this game to relax and enjoy it as entertainment but it forces you to still grind and work to get the in game currency called VC. I did some research and you can get it by installing a phone app and grinding through some card game every day, secondly you can earn some VC points by watching the in game tv with ads. What a hilarious joke that no one is laughing at. Pay full game price and then pay more money for micro transactions if you don't want to work for it. Of course you can play the game for free, but remember if you are a casual gamer and not ready to spend months grinding enough to make your game play fun don't buy this. Expand
  38. Jun 8, 2016
    8
    PS+ freebie June 2016:

    So, PS+ time again, and at last another AAA title for free, £55, for free. I assume this is only on the EU release as free, given our lack of love for Basketball! It's true, I don't really understand or like Basketball, so this is a review from that view-point. Unlike other sports sims, I found my first game of NBA2K16 actually really REALLY refreshing.
    PS+ freebie June 2016:

    So, PS+ time again, and at last another AAA title for free, £55, for free.

    I assume this is only on the EU release as free, given our lack of love for Basketball!

    It's true, I don't really understand or like Basketball, so this is a review from that view-point.

    Unlike other sports sims, I found my first game of NBA2K16 actually really REALLY refreshing. Firstly, no commentary. If you're going to invest a lot of hours into a sports game, as I have in ProEvo in the past, I've grown to detest the commentary. First few plays its always okay - after hearing the same comments over and over again, it becomes like a knife in the side every time they repeat the sentence for the 4th or 5th time within 10 minutes. Instead, NBA2K16 has a soundtrack. Which I've liked so far!

    My understanding of basketball is that it's a game of attrition. The matches aren't about scoring as much as 'breaking the oppositions serve' as such. It's a given that the majority of runs at the hoop will see points, and the game makes this very fluid and very easy. I found using the Square button to shoot a little confusing at first, and my first game vs a friend was dominated by both of us endlessly travelling - but a few games in, I started using the right stick and shoulder botton's more for tricks, quick turns and extremely fluid play. I also figured out the balance of the game sits with your defence line blocking more than they block of you.

    To compare this to another sports title - I would compare it to the old NHL on the mega-drive. Something clicked with that game, it was very fast, simple to play, hard to master - and NBA2K16 feels like that. It took me literally 8 games to get a slam dunk in as such.

    As someone that has little understanding of the sport, or any knowledge of teams past knowing Michael Jordan, I am surprised at how enjoyable this game is. If you don't catch it on PS+, I would recommend paying up to £25 for this on future sales - but given its a sports sim, it will probably have an annual release and this version will be bargain bucket on ebay within the year if not!
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  39. Jun 6, 2016
    8
    The best basketball sim available with tons of game modes and heaps of option. There is literally 100s of hours in this game if you have the time to invest. I do however have 2 gripes, 1 minor, the other major.

    Its a little too realistic to the point that it restricts gameplay. The shot mechanic is very hard to get used to and I find myself watching the gauge instead of the game. Then
    The best basketball sim available with tons of game modes and heaps of option. There is literally 100s of hours in this game if you have the time to invest. I do however have 2 gripes, 1 minor, the other major.

    Its a little too realistic to the point that it restricts gameplay. The shot mechanic is very hard to get used to and I find myself watching the gauge instead of the game. Then again every time you sink a shot it feels that little bit more rewarding.

    Now, the major gripe. Holy Hell 2K what were you thinking with the Story Mode!? It is hands down the most ridiculous and worst video game story in the history of video games. I love Spike Lee, most of his movies are fantastic but the "brush" he has tainted 2K with is too glaringly obvious to ignore. I created a character to represent MYSELF therefore I made a white male with a beard; woah and behold the story FORCES my character to have a blatantly African American voice, be a twin of an African American sister and have African American parents. I could not believe that there were no options. And speaking of options, the story branches into what you would expect to be "Choice" situations, like which shoes do I like? which friend to I cut off etc etc. There are no choices what-so-ever and you're shunted on by the narrative which is, in effect, a poor man's He Got Game.

    No doubt 2K realises the huge mistake they made using the Spike Lee Joint to try and hook gamers (it worked on me) however it will be extremely unlikely that they take this route again.

    Oh, and one last thing, I started one of the owner/manager modes and who walked into the scene, my created character who I wanted nothing to do with. That's right, the game pigeon holes you into using the same broken character in whichever custom mode you play.

    2K16 is a good game let down by some poor choices by the publisher. I'm looking forward to 2K17 and its step away from a Spike Lee Joint. In the mean time its Madden 16.
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  40. Apr 24, 2016
    5
    The number one problem in this game is the NBA 2k servers. This is the only game I have ever played that will lag you out constantly due to the terrible servers. You can barely play a series of online games before lagging out. The fact of the matter is that you will lag out at least one time when you are playing this game.
  41. Apr 1, 2016
    8
    This game is so typical, yet not. the gameplay is insane, it is easily the best played sportsgame out there. but everything around it is a miss, the story just about ok, and the fact that there is a story is cool, so i don't mind that much, but i was expecting to have way more options in career mode. i like it when a sports game can explain how it works with simple setups, and yet haveThis game is so typical, yet not. the gameplay is insane, it is easily the best played sportsgame out there. but everything around it is a miss, the story just about ok, and the fact that there is a story is cool, so i don't mind that much, but i was expecting to have way more options in career mode. i like it when a sports game can explain how it works with simple setups, and yet have insane amounts of options that i don't have to fiddle with, but still be there. the character creation is **** and i also lost my cool since the first time i had to use their custom keyboard to register an account, later to find out, i had to confirm email, and then go though the horror of that keyboard again the next day.
    i realise im rambling here, but my main point is: gameplay = 10. everything else = a weak 6
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  42. Apr 1, 2016
    0
    Just another sports game only focused on selling cards not improving the game like madden and mlb the show. You can not use all of the players offline that are available to purchase online. That is just a money grab I hate all sports games now because I pay for a game and then they want me to pay for the players too.
  43. Mar 30, 2016
    6
    Only reason I'm giving this a 6 is because it's pay to win. :/ But if your buying it to only play my career and offline stuff then I'd say its a great game but when it hits online there are soooo many people that are pay to win in the game its really sad that a game that could be a solid 8-10 is being marked due to P2W.
  44. Mar 29, 2016
    8
    The gameplay is awesome and realistic. It feels like basketball. The voice acting was mediocre and the story itself wasn't that great but what can you expect from a basketball game. If you enjoy basketball, you'll enjoy this game.
  45. Mar 29, 2016
    8
    To say I'm surprised about the my career mode is a bit of an understatement. My lord I had to review this game because the dialogue is fantastic. By far the best my career mode I have ever seen. Love that high school mode more than anything as well.
  46. Mar 11, 2016
    0
    Good graphics but terrible AI which on harder difficulties basically means the 4 players you don't control are a liability & are more stupid than a 6 year old playing for the first time. The odds of completing myteam or MyCareer are basically nonexistent and an obvious ploy by 2k to get people hooked so they'll end up paying more money for a game they've already bought. Very concernedGood graphics but terrible AI which on harder difficulties basically means the 4 players you don't control are a liability & are more stupid than a 6 year old playing for the first time. The odds of completing myteam or MyCareer are basically nonexistent and an obvious ploy by 2k to get people hooked so they'll end up paying more money for a game they've already bought. Very concerned about what the game is becoming after being a loyal customer for years. Expand
  47. Mar 5, 2016
    1
    I write is out of my love for prior incantations of this game, but this is going to hurt you more than it hurts me, hopefully.

    The trustfully non-soliloquial dissertation below pertains most entirely to the MyCareer mode in NBA 2K16 playing as an inside scoring shooting guard, the facts and discussion of which contained, except “The Good” section, are born out of pure misery. The
    I write is out of my love for prior incantations of this game, but this is going to hurt you more than it hurts me, hopefully.

    The trustfully non-soliloquial dissertation below pertains most entirely to the MyCareer mode in NBA 2K16 playing as an inside scoring shooting guard, the facts and discussion of which contained, except “The Good” section, are born out of pure misery.

    The Good
    Game looks great, and music is really good this year.
    Ability to move your team to other cities in franchise and creating a different uniform for them is awesome.
    The defensive rotation after the latest update is a lot better, in terms of center rotation for help defense in the lane, and all players seem to be playing passing lanes better on terrible passes.
    The stadium atmosphere is great.
    I really like the badges and leveling them up. Great idea.
    The commentary is very good.

    The Bad (in addition to my other post on the subject matter)
    Inexplicably not responding to pushed buttons: I have ran out of bounds while holding firmly the dunk/layup controls on multiple occasions late in a close game, on a fast-break, after a steal, while running directly under a basket without a defender or unreasonable animation preventing the dunk/layup. Hmmm…. In what universe is it a good decision by 2K to implement this in their game. 2K, this is a directly paradoxical decision in terms of what you should be deciding to put in this games. Decision like this demolish 2K’s reputation and trust among gamers. How can I trust a game that disregards, at its whims, to respond to my input. Whoever made this decision at 2K is a freaking moron. I would love to be at that meeting where they decided this. E.g. “Great idea Jim! We will just makes sure that the game is surprisingly and completely unresponsive in these type situations. How much are we paying you? You need a raise you ingenious bastard”. If the proposed scenario above did not happen, how are decisions made at 2K in a vacuum? WTF. This complete lack of response, has also occurred on many attempted passes to completely open persons in scoring positions, and in regard to dribble moves, especially the super easy and inordinately successful spin-move.
    AI players going catatonic: Tardosaurus AI players, literally falling asleep, with the f-ing ball in their hands, just staring into oblivion, until the clock nearly runs out. You have to force them to pass the ball, and if not they would continue in their catatonic state until the end of time and then three seconds before the world explodes, finally shoot a completely contested shot directly in the face of an opposing player. (a little over-dramatic, but I despise this)
    Loose balls: Nearly complete inability to acquire a loose ball
    Unfair blocking discrepancy: Upon every teammate or MyCareer block ejecting the ball into the 15th row. But when the opposing team blocks you or a teammate, their ball seemingly always starts a fast break. (completely unrealistic and unfair stupidity by 2K).
    Idiotic failed dunking animation: Driving, trying to dunk in congestion, but instead of getting blocked or rejected by the rim, inexplicably throwing the ball over the rim and not surprisingly directly to the opposing team now on a fast break.
    Player Initiated teammate passes: Inconsistent ability of teammates to pick an appropriate passing type and location when throwing to your player. And, spraticatily picking the most inappropriate type and locate possible for the situation.
    Teammate post play: Teammate in the post taking a shot directly in the face of opposing post player, without any attempt to create space or utilize a post move, and unsurprisingly getting reject with virtuosity or hopelessly missing the shot. (Great AI guys).
    League progression: After five or more years into My Career mode the NBA sucks in terms of talent. Player progression of CPU players and teammates is terrible.
    3pt shooting discrepancy: Seemingly a better chance to make a half-ways contested three super late in the clock than to make a wide-open three in transition.
    Inability to effect your team: Inability to affect the franchise in any way, except performance and asking to be traded. You cannot even talk to the coach to suggest something. You are not only the face of your team, but eventually the face of the league, way is this not an option? In the NBA the player’s voice is exercised through the coach’s medium to management, if it truly is My Career shouldn’t we have a say in something that has to do with it?
    Too many wide-open 3pt shots: How am I shooting a career 46.6% from three with a 78 rating (most of my career my rating was way worse, less than 70) taking on average more than 5 threes a game? The answer is because, I am completely open without a man within 3 yards of me. I only take completely wide open threes. I don’t even running plays in order to get these chances, so why am I getting so many chances? How am I getting so open when I am the best player in the league? I have absolutely no Idea. Don’t get me wrong I like making open threes, but getting this many opportunities is ridiculous.
    Poor transition on-man defense: I am a transition finishing inside scoring dunkaholic. How is it that I don’t have a man on my hip most of the time while in transition? I can understand if the guy is covering me is one highly involved in a particular opposing team offensive play, but otherwise he should be on me consistently.
    Failure to deny the ball: The first way to stop a dominate shooting force is to deny him the ball. How is it that I can get the ball whenever I what.
    Failure to need plays for known shooters who don’t create: Most dominate players who don’t generally create and are good three point shooters must have plays run for them in order to get them the ball anywhere close to the three-point line with an open shot. This is almost never the case in 2K. If you disagree, look at the late career of Ray Allen.
    Rebounding dominance for sucky suckingtons: How am I getting so many rebounds as a 6’6 inside scoring shooting guard, without even one upgrade in rebounding? I nearly leading the league as a rebounding shooting guard it is ridiculous. Why? Answer, I am never ever boxed-out and always crashing the boards without any resistance from opposing players. 2K, did they not read the scouting report, or see me crash the boards for the 50th time this game?
    Get the F out of the way: Absolutely everyone gets in your way like you are the center of gravity.
    Out-of-bounds on opposing inbound: Why am I inexplicably situated out of bounds near the bench on nearly every opposing team inbound play? Can someone please explain this to me in a reasonably logical un-attenuated cognisable manner. Oh, you cannot.
    Back-board shots for years and years and years, derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!: If I shoot another basketball hitting the side or backside of the back-board next year, I swear I might lose it.
    Wrong dunk selection in congestion: Why does the game pick the most incomprehensibly stupid and most likely to be blocked type of dunk or layup, while in congestion, and at the most inappropriate times? Tard? What this does, is require me to take all the really cool, exciting, dunk and layup amination selections out of my possible options, because if I keep a dunk selection were the ball gets cliched back lower then my shoulders, the AI will inexplicably selection that one to do in congestion, which will result in a block or strip from behind. 2K is either too stupid to figure this out or just doesn’t what to remedy it. Maybe because it is a gimmick that makes the game harder without thought. The funny thing about using these type of gimmicks is the advantage for 2K is that it is easy, but the disadvantage is that it is wrong and makes you look like inbred idiots. Kind of the same thing that happens when people uses stereotypes unreasonably. Not to compare the two. . . but still to compare the two (perfect oxymoronic statement), because of the undeniable similarity.

    2K, I wrote this not to inform the world of this game’s intrepid idiodicy and neither just to blast your name, but in the hope that you see it, are listening, and actually care. I am officially done wasting my life on this subject.

    Your dear, trustfully consoleable, opprobrious,

    Turdsandwhich
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  48. Feb 27, 2016
    5
    Not as good as 2k15, sold the game and bought back 2k15 instead. 2k16 has twice long loading screens, more fillers to keep pressing x to skip, and most importantly annoying and linear my career not enjoyable at all. Practice is another annoying feature, no point and just more loading screen to get into then out. Graphics, animation, design, gameplay all the same as 2k15. Not worth the money.
  49. Feb 26, 2016
    6
    @k developers said “we’ve been trying to train our gamers that certain types of shots should be rewarded versus others”.

    Well, maybe instead of training gamers you should focus on making the game fun and entertaining again? It's too plodding, players feel like they have concrete boots, even though the game overall feels actually too fast. Worse of all sometimes the way the game tries to
    @k developers said “we’ve been trying to train our gamers that certain types of shots should be rewarded versus others”.

    Well, maybe instead of training gamers you should focus on making the game fun and entertaining again? It's too plodding, players feel like they have concrete boots, even though the game overall feels actually too fast. Worse of all sometimes the way the game tries to "simulate" (read: force) the real oncourt situation makes it a real **** with players making ridiculous mistakes and bad passes you wouldn't believe. I just stopped my game because the players kept passing the ball directly in opponents hands. Come on... The fun factor is gone. It's frustrating and broken. It's worse with each edition. Maybe it's time to finally scratch the old, well-worn core of the mechanics and start building a new one with less rigid gameplay and philosophy in mind?

    Meanwhile I'll try out NBA Live again. Heard it's pretty fun this year.
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  50. Feb 26, 2016
    1
    I don't care if NBA 2K is continuosly aiming for realism/simulation instead of arcade gameplay, but in this year's edition player movement/controlls feels stiffer than ever. Even worse when playing a Center or Power Forward. If this game is really developed with only simulation in mind, just label it as a simulator and not a game. This ruins the fun for me. NBA 2K15 disappointed me andI don't care if NBA 2K is continuosly aiming for realism/simulation instead of arcade gameplay, but in this year's edition player movement/controlls feels stiffer than ever. Even worse when playing a Center or Power Forward. If this game is really developed with only simulation in mind, just label it as a simulator and not a game. This ruins the fun for me. NBA 2K15 disappointed me and 2K16 disappoints me even more, so wish that those frozen brains at EA would develop at least a decent NBA Live. Expand
  51. Feb 26, 2016
    10
    El mejor juego deportivo del Mercado. La jugabilidad es exquisita, la ambientación y banda sonora buenísima. El modo GM además ofrece aspectos de gestión muy exhaustivos, por lo que el partido que se le puede sacar al juego junto al resto de opciones es casi infinito.
  52. Feb 22, 2016
    9
    Beautiful Graphics, upgraded AI and gameplay, but occasionally laggy multiplayer and meaningless myCareer "movie" slightly hampers several aspects of the game.
  53. Feb 18, 2016
    0
    Worst game ever. Whenever I try to pass, it always gets out of bounce. There are so many lags and the game is literally the worst game out there. Do not BUY.
  54. Feb 15, 2016
    9
    The 2016 installment of NBA 2k is one of the best all-around basketball simulator put out by this company. The gameplay found in this game is pretty similar to past installments of the game minus a couple control tweaks. One of te biggest new improvements to the A.I. is that they adapt to the way you play, for instance if you shoot a lot of perimeter shots the defense will adapt to that.The 2016 installment of NBA 2k is one of the best all-around basketball simulator put out by this company. The gameplay found in this game is pretty similar to past installments of the game minus a couple control tweaks. One of te biggest new improvements to the A.I. is that they adapt to the way you play, for instance if you shoot a lot of perimeter shots the defense will adapt to that. My GM is relatively the same but now you can customize pretty much every aspect of your team if you have the funds. All of the changes made in My GM are present in the My League mode. The story mode added My Career is alright but I found myself waiting for the scenes to end and not really caring about what happens to them due to the lack of choices I got to make. NBA 2k16 feels like it has made some major improvements from the last year and the series is definitely still one of the best sports simulators out there.
    9/10

    JB
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  55. Feb 2, 2016
    6
    I am a regular baller in the 2K series and this years is as good as usual. I only really play MyCareer with MyPlayer so can't comment on some of the negatives about online lag and cheaters in the community etc.

    MyCareer is a good as ever, nothing really different from last year in terms of on the court game-play, just up to date rosters and improved graphics. Game-play itself top
    I am a regular baller in the 2K series and this years is as good as usual. I only really play MyCareer with MyPlayer so can't comment on some of the negatives about online lag and cheaters in the community etc.

    MyCareer is a good as ever, nothing really different from last year in terms of on the court game-play, just up to date rosters and improved graphics.

    Game-play itself top drawer as always. I have noticed one or two new 'plays' such as the flagrant 1 foul a lot more. I never used to see that in the previous games. And also 'absorbing contact' whilst shooting a jumper is easier and more common among the AI characters.

    The thing that lets this one down compared to the previous is the 'Livin Da Dream' part of MyCareer. The storyline is garbage, cringe and embarrassing. The fact that 2K Sports and Spike Lee seem to think that all BBall fans are black grates on me. I am white but on this game I have to have black parents and a black 'twin' sister that looks absolutely nothing like me!? They are stereotyping all Basketball players into African Americans that all come from the 'ghetto'.

    As a result of the story my character has now been named for me, 'Freq' which is terrible. I am referred to on the court and in cut scenes as 'Freq'. I even have an extremely annoying dance which i can't change!

    Overall the game itself, on the court (the important bit) is as good as ever but Spike Lee and his racist, badly put together story seem to have annoyed a lot of people.

    6.5/10
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  56. Jan 17, 2016
    10
    This is the most realistic basketball game I've ever played. I'm playing on the Bulls in myCareer mode and D Rose gets hurt almost every game he plays in. 10/10 for realism.
  57. Jan 13, 2016
    6
    I'm an experienced basketball player in real life, and a sports video game enthusiast. This game should not be this hard. I've been playing for a few weeks now.

    There is an extreme lack of tutorials for a game with such complicated (and poor) controls. I've had to go online to youtube to find tutorials on anything I wanted to learn for this game. I can play as the Warriors against
    I'm an experienced basketball player in real life, and a sports video game enthusiast. This game should not be this hard. I've been playing for a few weeks now.

    There is an extreme lack of tutorials for a game with such complicated (and poor) controls. I've had to go online to youtube to find tutorials on anything I wanted to learn for this game.

    I can play as the Warriors against the Hornets on Rookie mode and the Hornets will match me step for step. Curry moves around screens like he's on sleeping medication. The lateral movement for the world's quickest players is inexplicably lethargic.

    The right stick (PS4) is downright dysfunctional. You never know which version of its many functions are going to happen each time you press it, if it even responds at all. I can run straight at the basket with a top player like Kawhi Leonard, with no defense in the way, hold R2 and press the right stick for a dunk, only to have him pull up and brick a jumper from just inside the free throw line.

    The opposing defense still has a superhuman ability to intercept your passes.

    Dribbling (another function of the much-maligned right stick) is awful. You never know if your player will even do a move. Driving into the lane is nearly hopeless. Even top players like Steph Curry will routinely lose the ball in the lane even if you are attempting dribble moves or various layup/dunk options.

    Your team's defensive AI is laughably bad. They will frequently camp out around the perimeter, just inviting the other team to drive in for a dunk.
    As for controlling your player on defense, it is complicated and challenging, but I can appreciate some of the nuances of risk/reward there. But CPU players can still blow past you with little effort. And forget about trying to intercept passes. I can stand right in between two CPU players, wait for the pass, press steal, and I still won't get the ball.

    I tried adjusting the gameplay settings and see almost no difference. The very high difficulty level is still there.

    As for the good parts of the game:

    -presentation - Fantastic. Commentary is the best in the business. Animations are very realistic - except for the super sluggish lateral movements of the ball-handlers.

    -Game modes- this really isn't a selling point for me, I just want to play a quick game whenever I have time. But there are loads of game modes in NBA2K16 - playing online, seasons, the Spike Lee story mode, etc.

    Bottom line: Looks great, sounds great, loads of game modes. Hampered by extreme difficulty and embarrassingly bad controls.
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  58. Dec 21, 2015
    7
    NBA 2k16 Overall is a great game. It has great graphics it had got better animations. Also, The AI is a great challenge. But it had a few cons. The way MyTeam was set up has been downgraded from last years game. It's to hard to get a good card in a pack. Also,The matchmaking is not the best. This years MyCareer has went down and was very disappointing. Spike Lee did a fine job on the game.NBA 2k16 Overall is a great game. It has great graphics it had got better animations. Also, The AI is a great challenge. But it had a few cons. The way MyTeam was set up has been downgraded from last years game. It's to hard to get a good card in a pack. Also,The matchmaking is not the best. This years MyCareer has went down and was very disappointing. Spike Lee did a fine job on the game. But as soon as his storyline ends there are only THREE more cut scenes after that it was very pathetic. The only thing you could look forward to was a shoe deal. But they add patches and new things mostly every 2 weeks. Play Now Online has made a heavy improvement. They had made it so if you are new to the game you play others that are new to the game. This game is a solid game. Expand
  59. Dec 20, 2015
    4
    Community managers are a joke and mock their community. The development teams and community team obviously don't work together. Online modes lack stability and the Offline modes can't even get things like jerseys, lineups etc. right. It's sad 2K has a hold on the market because any other developer would look at how the whole player base is complaining about lack of content, stability etcCommunity managers are a joke and mock their community. The development teams and community team obviously don't work together. Online modes lack stability and the Offline modes can't even get things like jerseys, lineups etc. right. It's sad 2K has a hold on the market because any other developer would look at how the whole player base is complaining about lack of content, stability etc and work towards fixing them, where as 2K and Take-Two are just robbing their loyal customers blind. Expand
  60. Dec 20, 2015
    1
    Game is trash and has several issues dating back to release date that 2k has simply not bothered to fix, such as 0 0 "2k trash server" losses, terrible input lag, issues with bouncing the ball off a players foot everytime you come close to someone and so on. to cap it all off, they have the WORST community managers ever and they have an absolute TRASH ultimate team mode where they provideGame is trash and has several issues dating back to release date that 2k has simply not bothered to fix, such as 0 0 "2k trash server" losses, terrible input lag, issues with bouncing the ball off a players foot everytime you come close to someone and so on. to cap it all off, they have the WORST community managers ever and they have an absolute TRASH ultimate team mode where they provide "Content" maybe once a week and usually the content is garbage, so recently they have resorted to releasing 96 overall Luis Scolas Ty Lawsons and theyre gonna drop a 97 overall Andre Miller sometime soon(OMFG)

    Along with the my team issues, My career is repetitive garbage as the Spike Lee story lasts you 2 days at the most and after that its the same boring crap, My League is literally the same thing its been the past 3 years and Park is full of cheaters and LAG.

    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET PISSED OFF
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  61. Dec 20, 2015
    1
    The gameplay itself is great, however this game's community managers do a very poor job communicating ideas to the developers. In the most recent updates they created players that are better than some of the the sports greatest legends, but in real life have absolutely no chance of even seeing their names on a hall of fame ballot. It's honestly so frustrating that it is difficult to putThe gameplay itself is great, however this game's community managers do a very poor job communicating ideas to the developers. In the most recent updates they created players that are better than some of the the sports greatest legends, but in real life have absolutely no chance of even seeing their names on a hall of fame ballot. It's honestly so frustrating that it is difficult to put into words. Expand
  62. Dec 20, 2015
    0
    0-0 losses, 96 diamond players who suck, terrible community managers, false promises. Don't buy it. The game can be fun but it's run so damn poorly that it will frustrate you more than you'll enjoy it.
  63. Dec 20, 2015
    0
    The community management and dynamic rating updaters/new card releasers doesn't give a **** about the community, especially on PC.
    In this game, you have a mode where you got to win 10 straight games to win one of the best players in the game.
    Because 2K didn't fix his game since 3 months, you can have your opponent dc, you'll lose the game and then you're done with this challenge. Nice
    The community management and dynamic rating updaters/new card releasers doesn't give a **** about the community, especially on PC.
    In this game, you have a mode where you got to win 10 straight games to win one of the best players in the game.
    Because 2K didn't fix his game since 3 months, you can have your opponent dc, you'll lose the game and then you're done with this challenge. Nice job 2K.
    Actually they're adding trash and unknown Diamond players (highest rating in the game) that are better than some **** legends like Magic, Bird, Shaq or Jordan.
    WHAT THE **** ARE YOU THINKING???

    2K has no competition and their playerbase is just now a moneycow for them.
    The game is still pretty good, but i'll put them a 1 on metacritic because they have to LISTEN their community and stop the **** non sense bull****.
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  64. Dec 20, 2015
    1
    This game has the worst community managers you will ever see in a game, along with online server issues lack of playable content, as the Park my career with Spike Lee with the worst story ever that allows you to make none of your decisions followed by the same repetitive boring BS My League, and especially my team are all trash. Especially my team, as they have resorted to the cash grabThis game has the worst community managers you will ever see in a game, along with online server issues lack of playable content, as the Park my career with Spike Lee with the worst story ever that allows you to make none of your decisions followed by the same repetitive boring BS My League, and especially my team are all trash. Especially my team, as they have resorted to the cash grab by releasing cards like diamond Luis Scola who are rated higher than HAKEEM OLAJUWON. Dont buy this game Expand
  65. Dec 20, 2015
    3
    Game suffers from very poor community management and technical issues like online lag and cheaters. 2K cares only for your money, the potential is there, they forgot to focus on making it a great involved game. I guess having a monopoly makes you lazy and microtransactions make you greedy. It's the customer that pays the price.
  66. Dec 19, 2015
    0
    Do not buy this game, and if you do purchase it, please don't play myTeam. The issue starts with Ronnie2K and the development team has begun mocking the community. They flooded the myTeam game mode with 96 overall Luis Scola, Jamal Crawford, JR Smith, and many others after blatantly going back on their promises.
  67. Dec 19, 2015
    2
    this game is a joke, my park always lags and sucks butt. The only good thing is the story line (kind of) and the soundtrack. Don't buy it. I repeat don't waste your money.
  68. Dec 17, 2015
    3
    Extremely disappointed with this game. I personally enjoyed NBA 2K15 helluva lot more.

    MyCareer story by director Spike Lee is so poorly written, stereotypical and boring. So I'm caucasian, but I have black parents, a black twin and **** up accent that doesn't seem to fit a white person. Dull and awkard. However, the most annoying aspect of this game is definitely the shooting.
    Extremely disappointed with this game. I personally enjoyed NBA 2K15 helluva lot more.

    MyCareer story by director Spike Lee is so poorly written, stereotypical and boring. So I'm caucasian, but I have black parents, a black twin and **** up accent that doesn't seem to fit a white person. Dull and awkard.

    However, the most annoying aspect of this game is definitely the shooting. MyCareer player is maxed out at shooting, but I miss so many obvious and open 3 point attempts, mid-range shots and contact shots it' s unbearable. I strongly consider trading this game.

    Also the VC (Virtual Coins) is a god damn cash cow - so messed up!

    I really believed in 2K - now I'm not so sure...
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  69. Dec 14, 2015
    8
    It's still the best basketball game in court, but the MyPlayer mode definitely let me down (despite the addition of college basketball): how Spike Lee directed it make me feel I have no choice at all. And the story is too predictable and caricature (the agent is basically a walking parody of one, making you feel uncomfortable with the cliche). And I didn't mention the impossibility ofIt's still the best basketball game in court, but the MyPlayer mode definitely let me down (despite the addition of college basketball): how Spike Lee directed it make me feel I have no choice at all. And the story is too predictable and caricature (the agent is basically a walking parody of one, making you feel uncomfortable with the cliche). And I didn't mention the impossibility of playing all the 82 games, making it harder to develop your player. A rewind to the NBA 2k15 MyPlayer with the addition of college and maybe a free roaming on your team would be a significant improvement than that MyPlayer. Expand
  70. Dec 5, 2015
    5
    The gameplay is pretty enjoyable but the cheesy AI and the bad online servers are really bringing this game down. The fact that 2K were told this so many times and they still don't do anything about it makes me realise how they don't give a s**t about customers.
  71. Dec 2, 2015
    9
    *DISCLAIMER* I haven't played online or MyCareer yet, so this only from a MyGM mode and exhibition game standpoint.

    I liked last years game for being easy to pick up, get into and play without issue. 2K16 takes the simple gameplay, adds some small nuances to make it better, add difficulty to making shots and driving to the basket, and ultimately made the game better. The MyGM is robust
    *DISCLAIMER* I haven't played online or MyCareer yet, so this only from a MyGM mode and exhibition game standpoint.

    I liked last years game for being easy to pick up, get into and play without issue. 2K16 takes the simple gameplay, adds some small nuances to make it better, add difficulty to making shots and driving to the basket, and ultimately made the game better. The MyGM is robust and adds a lot of features that is going to add many hours or game time, making it as thorough as any other season or GM mode from any sports game.

    The presentation is beautiful and the music adds a great vibe to the game.

    Of course, I haven't played online or the Career Mode, but I will soon.
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  72. Nov 13, 2015
    8
    I only play My Career and I have been enjoying it. Gameplay is great, but i have some minor things to mention.
    1- you cannot skip cut scenes ( which should be a default option for any game with a cut scene)
    2- you cannot sim the game except after starting the game, i play most of the games but with 82 per season its a bit long 3-Simming the game also makes you lose your off day, its
    I only play My Career and I have been enjoying it. Gameplay is great, but i have some minor things to mention.
    1- you cannot skip cut scenes ( which should be a default option for any game with a cut scene)
    2- you cannot sim the game except after starting the game, i play most of the games but with 82 per season its a bit long
    3-Simming the game also makes you lose your off day, its perfectly logical that if i sim a game i dont get any gold and that is fine. but why take away my off day, im only simming the game...

    Other than that, its as addictive as ever.
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  73. Nov 9, 2015
    10
    The best sports game in years. No for real, this game is that good. There are so many options and modes to get yourself addicted to. MyTeam is back and they finally have an Action to by your favourite players. Never really been a fan of MyTeam till this year. My Career is back with a little Spike Lee flavour and its as cheesy as ever. Some of the things they say are ridiculous and almostThe best sports game in years. No for real, this game is that good. There are so many options and modes to get yourself addicted to. MyTeam is back and they finally have an Action to by your favourite players. Never really been a fan of MyTeam till this year. My Career is back with a little Spike Lee flavour and its as cheesy as ever. Some of the things they say are ridiculous and almost painful to watch. Once the first season is done we get into the meat of my career and it is cooked to perfection. you now get the option on how you want to spend your off days and it makes the mode more enjoyable. My Park is also as good as ever with more customizable options you can get lost for days at the park.
    No sports game out now a days gives you these many options to pick and choose from. My Career story was a little disappointing but still better than any story Madden has ever tried to tell. The people at 2K seem to care about there games and I respect them for that. This truly is the best sports game in recent history.
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  74. Nov 9, 2015
    8
    Best sports game on the market, even better than the last one which is hard to believe for me. Hands down for this ultimate basketball experience. Get it ASAP!
  75. Nov 6, 2015
    4
    gameplay is somewhat solid but the story in the create a superstar mode is horribly RACIST . dont make anything but a black character or you will be so removed from the story line it will be laughable. thanks spike lee for ruining the only good part of this franchise.
  76. Oct 28, 2015
    8
    This game is an improvement from 2K15 in many different areas, and improves every mode in a different way, and allows for a more improved basketball simulator, and is the most realistic basketball made to date and should be played by any and all basketball fans.
  77. Oct 17, 2015
    6
    Having to be twins with a black sister and being part of a black family as a white person will never make sense to me and will make me not enjoy this my player experience
  78. Oct 16, 2015
    6
    Disappointing when it comes to new features.. The MyCareer mode (which was so hyped) , and lack of advancements in graphics made this game feel weak. Almost want to say that 2k15 was better, it not exactly the same. I noticed that it was easier to block, steal the ball, and on occasion, passing seems smoother. Defending All-Star players like LeBron, or Curry was almost impossible. ThisDisappointing when it comes to new features.. The MyCareer mode (which was so hyped) , and lack of advancements in graphics made this game feel weak. Almost want to say that 2k15 was better, it not exactly the same. I noticed that it was easier to block, steal the ball, and on occasion, passing seems smoother. Defending All-Star players like LeBron, or Curry was almost impossible. This game challenges you offensively as well. Making shots is just plain hard, any type of shot. A challenge isn't always bad... but come on. All in all, still very good basketball game. Kept to the same basic amazing 2k experience we all know and love. And for that, this game gets a 6. Expand
  79. Oct 15, 2015
    7
    The game play is still great, but overall I think 2k15 is a better game. The Spike Lee story mode is just terrible. I don't mind the fact that it makes your sister or your parents black. What I do mind is that the story is pointless and dull. Also advertising it as "Be the Story", is very much misleading. Should have read "Be Bored By the Story". It also robs you of a chance to enjoy yourThe game play is still great, but overall I think 2k15 is a better game. The Spike Lee story mode is just terrible. I don't mind the fact that it makes your sister or your parents black. What I do mind is that the story is pointless and dull. Also advertising it as "Be the Story", is very much misleading. Should have read "Be Bored By the Story". It also robs you of a chance to enjoy your rookie season. Otherwise it is still a top game. Expand
  80. Oct 14, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's always a solid game absolutely a must have if you like basketball or simply having fun with sport games. 2k has been able to improve a one already great product. Gameplay a little bit difficult for new gamer but once you became more confortable with the controller you can really appreciate the amazing possibility that the game give to you. Expand
  81. Oct 13, 2015
    5
    No happy. The overpowered CPU D (on ball) is a big one for me. The bumping and not being able to get by a defender when you clearly have them beat is nuts. I've been watching pre-season ball over the last few weeks and the spacing and driving to the hoop simply does not simulate 2k16 out of the box.

    I'm coming from playing SS and I've gone down to AS just to have fun. May even go down
    No happy. The overpowered CPU D (on ball) is a big one for me. The bumping and not being able to get by a defender when you clearly have them beat is nuts. I've been watching pre-season ball over the last few weeks and the spacing and driving to the hoop simply does not simulate 2k16 out of the box.

    I'm coming from playing SS and I've gone down to AS just to have fun. May even go down to pro until we get some good sliders or a patch.

    Gonna trade it in and skip out this year.
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  82. Oct 13, 2015
    1
    They ruined my player mode by adding a mediocre movie to the experience. If you wanted to add a movie, that´s fine, as a separate game mode. To add insult to injury you have to replay the same(by this time awful movie) if you want to start a new carrer, even if you finished the luckluster mediocre un-intercative story already. Since my player was almost the only mode i played besides aThey ruined my player mode by adding a mediocre movie to the experience. If you wanted to add a movie, that´s fine, as a separate game mode. To add insult to injury you have to replay the same(by this time awful movie) if you want to start a new carrer, even if you finished the luckluster mediocre un-intercative story already. Since my player was almost the only mode i played besides a little mygm and online this is the last NBA 2k i'll buy unless they fix this. Going back to 2K15... Expand
  83. Oct 13, 2015
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The game itself is about the same as last year with some minor tweak and obviously updated rosters. I generally only play the career and franchise modes so i don't care about the multiplayer. The reason I give the game a 5 is the blatantly racist career mode where your only option is to play someone from the brooklyn projects. Its totally linear and no options at all like last year to mold the player they way you see fit. You wont be getting any more money from me 2k until you go back to the old career mode and get rid of Spike Lee's version of it. Expand
  84. Oct 12, 2015
    0
    This game is a downgrade from last years game. it is nearly impossible to make a 5 foot jumper. but in all actuality nobody shoots 5 foot jumpers in real life. is should be a layup or dunk. once the ball get to the paint is a automatic foul or point with no chance at missing. and if you get bumped you don't even get the opportunity to shoot the ball. passing is completely broke. you can'tThis game is a downgrade from last years game. it is nearly impossible to make a 5 foot jumper. but in all actuality nobody shoots 5 foot jumpers in real life. is should be a layup or dunk. once the ball get to the paint is a automatic foul or point with no chance at missing. and if you get bumped you don't even get the opportunity to shoot the ball. passing is completely broke. you can't pump fake. You also can't intercept passes. Only can dribble in lanes. alley opps are broke. player at excel at finishing can't finish against big men.your teammates are constantly in your way. there is nothing good i can say about online. the lag makes online unplayable Expand
  85. Oct 7, 2015
    7
    O jogo é ótimo, como sempre! O modo MY CAREER é horroroso como nunca tinha sido antes. Spike Lee acabou com um dos modos de jogo mais interessantes nos games!

    The game is great, as always! The MY CAREER mode is awful as had never been before. Spike Lee ended up with one of the most interesting game modes in games!
  86. Oct 5, 2015
    10
    Best sports game on the market, even better than the last one which is hard to believe for me. Hands down for this ultimate basketball experience. Get it ASAP!
  87. Oct 4, 2015
    5
    After playing this game since release, I must say I'm hugely disappointed. After playing 2k15 and being left with high expectations for 2k16 which only meant that this game has hugely taken a step back. While the gameplay is alright and decently-smooth, I must say that firstly, the storyline aspect is too much. The game in the first season to second season is so storyline orientated thatAfter playing this game since release, I must say I'm hugely disappointed. After playing 2k15 and being left with high expectations for 2k16 which only meant that this game has hugely taken a step back. While the gameplay is alright and decently-smooth, I must say that firstly, the storyline aspect is too much. The game in the first season to second season is so storyline orientated that it's annoying. I bought the game to play basketball and to have a career not to have people dying, arguing and fighting, it's just too much and sways from the actual aspect of the game. Also, on offense on your MyCareer, the amount of blocking fouls and poor shots is astonishing. The bad thing is, half the blocking fouls committed on you are not even called.

    Honestly, this game had a lot to live up for since 2k15 and I have to say that I am beyond disappointed and unimpressed and I definitely will be considering sending the game back for a refund as well as my next purchase of a 2k game.
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  88. Oct 4, 2015
    10
    Perfect game, as usual in NBA2k series. Improvement in graphics, game-play and My career mode, which is easier now to get hooked on. Brilliant animations and atmosphere. 2K still know what they are doing. Even online servers still are not as good as they should be, this is a 10.
  89. Oct 1, 2015
    5
    The review I first posted here was for the Xbox version mistakenly, I gave this version the same score even though PS4 players seem to on average enjoy it more. :-)
  90. Oct 1, 2015
    10
    Best sports game period... Level of customization is crazy.... Story is insane....geame modes and new features are amazing...graphics are some of the best in gaming and on top if that its gameplay is beautiful
  91. Oct 1, 2015
    10
    Despite Spike Lee cliche elements, NBA 2K16 still proves to be an amazing basketball game. The gameplay feels so real from being built upon from last year's game. MyCareer is very realistic and so lively in almost every way. This is a must get for all basketball fans.
  92. Oct 1, 2015
    9
    Overall, NBA 2k16 is a great game. The gameplay is way more realistic and star players cannot be spammed like they were in previous years. Three point shooting is also more realistic and I love the the bounce passing and flashy passes. Ball handling is great too. My career is awesome with its storyline and the way you can play in High School and College. I do wish that the nationalOverall, NBA 2k16 is a great game. The gameplay is way more realistic and star players cannot be spammed like they were in previous years. Three point shooting is also more realistic and I love the the bounce passing and flashy passes. Ball handling is great too. My career is awesome with its storyline and the way you can play in High School and College. I do wish that the national championship game would be played in a football stadium though. Online is pretty good in this game. They sort of made the set up like Fifa, going up to a new division as you win more games. This gives gamers more of a challenge and drive to play. My only complaint I have about this game is that you can find yourself playing online games against teams with the same color jersey. Expand
  93. Sep 30, 2015
    3
    How do I even start off with 2k16.

    CPU is more overpowered. the CPU is not dumbed down. The players make a lot more unrealistic shots in the game no matter much defense you put on them, they will break it. And it will be harder for you to keep up with them. Centers will make so many and ones now and they will hit every free throw. The CPU defense has more over powered defense, making
    How do I even start off with 2k16.

    CPU is more overpowered. the CPU is not dumbed down. The players make a lot more unrealistic shots in the game no matter much defense you put on them, they will break it. And it will be harder for you to keep up with them. Centers will make so many and ones now and they will hit every free throw. The CPU defense has more over powered defense, making your defense look stupid. The reaction time of your players will lag . Soon as the CPU runs down the court in a heartbeat and the players throw a full court pass to them, they will catch it and will hit the shot.

    The cheese was never cut out this game and it's sad that 2K pays no attention to what happens in this game. It looks like the people who work for 2K took a huge blow to the head when making it. User A.I. works sometimes but it's still unstable. Your players will get stuck out of nowhere,and will be hard to move them. CPU makes a lot more threes than ever, unable to stop em.

    MyCareer and MyPark are the worst game modes ever this year. NBA 2K14 MyCareer was a thousand times better than 2K15 and 2K16. I didn't mind the story mode the 2K16. It was actually good. But playing the games were disgusting. It wasn't worth the time or day for that. MyPark is still as trash as ever. No matter how high your ratings are, it won't matter.

    If 2K finds their respect for the long-time NBA 2K fans out there, they have to patch everything that is a complete train wreck.
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  94. Sep 30, 2015
    10
    Just WOW! I love the spike lee mycareer, the commentators, the graphics, the animations, the atmosphere everything in this game is just maybe thousand times better than fifa! I love football so im still dreaming of ea making the same game with the same standard! i also love basket and especially through this game! Greatest sports game ever!
  95. Sep 30, 2015
    8
    So NBA 2K16 has made many improvements on their game which is mainly their defense and balancing out players. I like the improvements on defense because in 2K15 playing defense was horrendous. Especially when you went online and people were just running side to side to get open shots. But this year they have made it so you can defend very well.

    My main problem with the game this year
    So NBA 2K16 has made many improvements on their game which is mainly their defense and balancing out players. I like the improvements on defense because in 2K15 playing defense was horrendous. Especially when you went online and people were just running side to side to get open shots. But this year they have made it so you can defend very well.

    My main problem with the game this year which has been a problem with 2K games for a while is the AI in Mycareer. I play on all star because this year superstar and HOF are unbearable if you plan on winning games. But even in all star the game is coded for you to lose. I have lost so many games due to my teammates and it is highly annoying. I am a PF and i have high rebounding and athleticism so i grab a lot of rebounds but whenever i am in the paint my teammates make the dumbest shots but when i am outside the paint they start missing wide open shots. It's like they don't want me to get many rebounds or something. Your teammates also make careless mistakes when the game is on the line. I just lost a game where the game was tied with a min seconds left and we had the ball. Rondo threw a pass right out of bounds. I got a block on defense but next time down the court Demarcus Cousins was in post up position and he turned around to shoot jumper right in Pau Gasol's face and got blocked. Next time down the court Derrick rose held the ball and scored a wide open layup with 2 seconds left to go up by 2. We called a timeout and advanced the ball. The AI then inbounded the ball to ben mcklemore to shoot a fading 3 pointer in 2 people's faces to lose the game. I was wide open for a mid range shot. It's stuff like this that pisses me off about mycareer.

    I gave this game an 8 because while i have many gripes about Mycareer most people play this game for the online modes and the online this year is really fun and works well.
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  96. Sep 30, 2015
    7
    Excellent game, excellent gameplay. Would have been a 9 or 10 if 2K hadn't included Livin' Da Dream. Horrible addition. Sports video game "create-a-player" modes are successful because they allow regular couch potatoes that cannot make it to the bug time in real life to live out their aspirations in the game. Spike Lee's overly scripted mode leaves NO room for freedom and very littleExcellent game, excellent gameplay. Would have been a 9 or 10 if 2K hadn't included Livin' Da Dream. Horrible addition. Sports video game "create-a-player" modes are successful because they allow regular couch potatoes that cannot make it to the bug time in real life to live out their aspirations in the game. Spike Lee's overly scripted mode leaves NO room for freedom and very little room for personalization. Should be called Livin' Spike Lee's Dream. Expand
  97. Sep 29, 2015
    9
    This year's edition of NBA 2K continues the trend of sports simulation excellence. NBA 2K16 is deeper, prettier, and more finely tuned than its predecessor. The broken mode of NBA Pro-Am, the first year of the Career Mode, and the dysfunctional NBA Store are the major cons in this year's game. Overall, the pros completely outshine the negatives making NBA 2K16 arguably the greatestThis year's edition of NBA 2K continues the trend of sports simulation excellence. NBA 2K16 is deeper, prettier, and more finely tuned than its predecessor. The broken mode of NBA Pro-Am, the first year of the Career Mode, and the dysfunctional NBA Store are the major cons in this year's game. Overall, the pros completely outshine the negatives making NBA 2K16 arguably the greatest basketball game to date.

    The CONTROLS have been revamped once again this year adding dedicated buttons to bounce and lob passes. As usual, adapting the new controls can have you reverting to old habits, but once the controls are acclimated the gameplay is outstanding.

    The most popular mode on NBA 2K16 will once again be MY CAREER MODE in which Spike Lee takes the reigns and tries to deliver an actual story mode complete with characters, plots, and twists. Overall, the actual story of the Career Mode was disappointing due to the lack of decisions the player is able to make. The majority of the cut scenes have your created player going through dilemmas. Unfortunately, the choice will be selected for you by the next cut scene. It doesn't feel like your own story, but the script of an overbearing author (Spike Lee). On the bright side, Career Mode becomes outstanding after your player's rookie year in which the Spike Lee story is finished. No more cut scenes or scripts and you can actually focus on the basketball side of your career. You can play the full 82 game season, which was limited to you in your rookie year, and work on endorsements, practice with your team, or even hang with the connects you've made during your off days. If you can get through the scripted events leading to your sophomore season you will absolutely love the rest of what Career Mode has to offer. Another aspect of Career Mode that is worth mentioning is the ethnicity of your created character. If you make a character who is not of African descent your family members will still be Black. 2K could have easily made the tone of your family members change to the same tone as your character to add realism.

    The VISUALS are outstanding once again making this arguably the best looking sports game there is. The players resemble their real selves in every aspect from their facial expressions to the way they move up and down the court. The presentation is well done adding Shaq and Kenny "The Jet" Smith to the pre and post game show. The framerate, especially offline, is always smooth and the atmosphere of the stadium is electric. It is awesome to see a home team's fans leaving the stadium early as you are blowing them away.

    This years edition is extensive: adding a NBA Pro Am, My Team mode, and refined My Park mode. My Park has added a "21" mode and has been relatively smooth as far as the servers go. I am looking forward to 2K fixing the back and forth cheese that so many players are accustomed to seeing. My Park overall has been improved; however, NBA Pro Am mode, which is similar to the Jordan Rec Center of last year, is literally broken. It is surprising to actually see a smooth running Pro Am game. Most likely the Pro AM will not even load. The My League (Association/Franchise) mode is deeper than ever, allowing you to relocate a franchise, customize the stadium, and design new jerseys. You can operate the League offline or online. My Team takes your team onto the black top with street-like three versus three matches. The head to head online matches have been improved by adding a ranking system, which gives an excellent touch to just simple head to head.

    I have never played a basketball game this enormous and I am excited to keep digging past the surface into this excellent game.

    THANKS FOR READING!!!
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  98. Sep 29, 2015
    2
    This game doesn't deliver for me. It feels exactly like 15, and they even made the controls worse. There are tons of glitches that we don't even know will be patched including Demigod glitches. MyCareer just seemed like a low-rate movie to me. You don't make a lot of decisions, it's just a bunch of stupid cut-scenes to make it look like a new experience. The story is literally set to theThis game doesn't deliver for me. It feels exactly like 15, and they even made the controls worse. There are tons of glitches that we don't even know will be patched including Demigod glitches. MyCareer just seemed like a low-rate movie to me. You don't make a lot of decisions, it's just a bunch of stupid cut-scenes to make it look like a new experience. The story is literally set to the life of a black player. You have a black biological twin sister with BOTH BLACK PARENTS, meaning if you use a white player, (you'll have a black twin sister). You grow up in the projects, which is common for certain African Americans. You can add your voice to the game, but it just sounds awkward to me. It just seems like 2K is led to believe that they don't have any white fans. The face-scans are completely horrible. It's obvious that Chris Smoove lied about his face-scan saying that it was good. You could OBVIOUSLY see that it looked nothing like him. Live has better face-scans and you do it from your phone! The High School and College stuff only lasts for 4 games, so I don't even call that an addition. The only reason why I'm giving this a 2 is because even though it is a refurbished game, it is still a solid simulation basketball game, but it just gets boring after while. The servers are still crappy, so good luck with that. I've experienced my fair share of glitches, and I think it's time that I take this back to the store. Expand
  99. Sep 29, 2015
    10
    hands down the best basketball sim out there, BUT the only downside of this game is the my career mode, like why do we have to only be able to play as a black guy? overall its a great experience
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 51 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 51
  2. Negative: 0 out of 51
  1. Mar 3, 2016
    100
    NBA 2K16 has raised the bar not just for future iterations of the series but for every sports game developed beyond this point.
  2. CD-Action
    Dec 16, 2015
    80
    Let’s forget about terrible cutscenes directed by Spike Lee – the game itself is still a joy to play. [12/2015, p.54]
  3. Dec 15, 2015
    80
    NBA 2K16 continues to be at the top of its game, even if the new career mode isn’t everything I wanted from a Spike Lee joint.