NBA 2K18

 PlayStation 4
User Score
1.8

Overwhelming dislike- based on 742 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 742
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 742
  3. Negative: 611 out of 742
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  1. HenryLardwick
    Oct 30, 2017
    5
    The progress in MyCareer is normally a grind, but if you were curious as to how much VC is needed to improve your rookie, it took about 100,000 VC to upgrade to a 75 rating. The gameplay is still quite good on the court, but the cut scenes and VC-cash grab makes the game nearly unplayable. I've owned every game 2k game for the past ten years, but this is certainly my last.
  2. Ramsey16
    Sep 22, 2017
    5
    When you begin mycareer your player is frustratingly useless, to the point that you're compelled to spend money to improve your player; therefore grinding it out during this phase without spending money makes the game not very enjoyable. I've found that this game does get better the more you play, but there's just a huge hurdle to get over when you first create your player which does seemWhen you begin mycareer your player is frustratingly useless, to the point that you're compelled to spend money to improve your player; therefore grinding it out during this phase without spending money makes the game not very enjoyable. I've found that this game does get better the more you play, but there's just a huge hurdle to get over when you first create your player which does seem like a money grab by 2k. The new system for obtaining badges and the open world that 2k has produced is a step in the right direction, but it all comes crashing down with numerous glitches/ game crashes making the game unplayable at times. The gameplay is still second to none, but the cut-scenes and story is a real bore and you find yourself wanting to skip most of them, only to find that you can't! The player interviews are also extremely repetitive.
    Ultimately this game has a lot of pros and cons, therefore i feel like a 5/10 rating is a fair one.    … Expand
  3. Arunian
    Nov 16, 2017
    7
    It seems that everyone doesn't like the fact that micro-transactions practically rule this game, neither do I. However looking past this, fundamentally this is a very solid game. The animations are good, player accuracy is brilliant, for the most part, and 2K seem committed to updating the game through roster updates and general updates. MyCareer can be a drag, however I respect the factIt seems that everyone doesn't like the fact that micro-transactions practically rule this game, neither do I. However looking past this, fundamentally this is a very solid game. The animations are good, player accuracy is brilliant, for the most part, and 2K seem committed to updating the game through roster updates and general updates. MyCareer can be a drag, however I respect the fact that it's a grind and so far I haven't bought any VC, nor do I intend to, and I've managed to bring my player up to a 74 OVR which is alright. Personally I think this is a brilliant game yet I understand the issues that everyone else is having and why they don't like it.… Expand
  4. rusbykras
    Nov 16, 2017
    7
    Good graph, phyx, but legendary teams in tier 1 this is bad idea. I think next chapter would be great again. I love basketball and 2k company. I reccomend buy by sale.
  5. dpaudiophile
    Oct 9, 2017
    5
    This game is buggy. Numerous people couldn't (and still can't) even play the game because of server errors which require people to open certain ports within your routers settings.

    MyCareer is filled with bugs/glitches, some of which have been patched, but just for an example, your agent Bryan's text messages can be inaccessible for some, and when you try to open them, the game will    This game is buggy. Numerous people couldn't (and still can't) even play the game because of server errors which require people to open certain ports within your routers settings.

    MyCareer is filled with bugs/glitches, some of which have been patched, but just for an example, your agent Bryan's text messages can be inaccessible for some, and when you try to open them, the game will freeze. This means that endorsements cannot be applied to your MyPlayer.

    The Neighborhood is a dumb novelty that I feel subtracts to the park experience. You have to travel if you want to buy or equip something instead of going into a menu to access it quickly. The court view, which in the last 2 years was able to be accessed by holding a trigger button; and then you would see your actual player on the same court just top down and zoomed much father out, now has to be pressed with the right shoulder button, but you can't see your player anymore! now you get a green dot, and moving to the next available court by just watching this screen is way too hard to maneuver around because the directions are different! completely retarded choice there 2k.

    Alley-oops to teammates are absolutely broken in online/offline modes, but mostly for online. They changed the setup so that you have to start throwing an alley a lot sooner than you did last year. Good luck if you want to thrown an alley to a teammate who's in the middle of the key, or directly under the basket.

    The actual "story" (I use that term very loosely) in MyCareer is amazingly weak. It's filled with annoying characters who contribute to the most self-indulgent and pointless story I've ever seen in MyCareer; and guess what? you can't skip any cutscenes, even if you're playing with a 2nd MyPlayer and you've already seen all of the same cutscenes with your first MyPlayer.

    MyLeague/GM adds different coaching system, and with that, players proficiency within whatever system; but you can't change a players system proficiency, or even see which player fits with your system unless you are signing someone from the free agency pool. This is extremely frustrating when scouting/drafting or trading for players because you can't see if they would fit the system that you like to run.

    Gameplay is good. It's not great in any one area, but overall it's pretty good. The passing is improved, and I love the hold pass button to throw passes to teammates who are farther away. CPU AI defense is more difficult than last year, but it doesn't bother me as some have said. Contact dunks are much better and feel painful when you get someone or get got yourself. I like the changes to the shot meter, which is now to the left of the players head, and has customisable colors.

    Content creation is the same as last year, the only addition is that you can make custom shirts that can be voted on in MyCareer to be added to the store to buy with VC... VC... oh yeah... VC...

    They added dual archetypes to MyPlayer's and it definitely adds for a more customisable experience, but good luck leveling up. This year the grind is absurd.

    Do you like to spend a bunch of money to upgrade your MyPlayer, MyTeam, MyLeague/GM? if you do, this game was made for you. The cost of everything in this game is ludicrous. Myteam packs go for anywhere between 4,000 VC to 12,500 VC (higher than last year) attribute points in MyCareer are about 5x more expensive than last year, and the accessories?!!? boy you better be rich, much more expensive than last year. A pair of plain shorts can cost you upwards of 5,000 VC. On top of all of that, the game is amazingly stingy with the amount of VC you can earn from park games and career games, so it really makes you want to go into that store and dish out $100 for some extra VC.

    To summerize, basically it's the same game as last year with a few cosmetic changes; the new passing (which is good), a dumb MyCareer story that can't be skipped, and a MyPark that is all flash but actually very annoying for a variety of reasons. VC is astoundingly front and center, hard to come by without spending actual money, and overall is vastly overpriced. Dual archetypes is nice for MyPlayer, but the grind is a bit too much for someone who doesn't buy VC.

    Overall a pretty weak entry into the NBA2k lineup, and considering everything that I mentioned up above, I'm going to grade it a [light to decent 5/10] [C-]    … Expand
  6. TheGamer5543
    Sep 23, 2017
    6
    If you buy this game, buy it for offline play or buy it for modes that DO NOT require you to purchase virtual currency.

    I play mostly MyLeague and MyGM (although MyGM less and less because there are aspects that use VC), among other offline game modes. No, not MyCareer. The way 2K has implemented VC into this iteration of the game is very shady, the MyCareer storyline is awful (again),    If you buy this game, buy it for offline play or buy it for modes that DO NOT require you to purchase virtual currency.

    I play mostly MyLeague and MyGM (although MyGM less and less because there are aspects that use VC), among other offline game modes. No, not MyCareer. The way 2K has implemented VC into this iteration of the game is very shady, the MyCareer storyline is awful (again), among other issues.

    HOWEVER, the gameplay itself when you have full control over every player on the court is fantastic. In my personal opinion, don't listen to the naysayers saying "it's too hard to score". No, it's just hard to score if you're bad at the game. Although, keep in mind 80% of my experience has been in offline play, although when I have played online (with the simple play online feature), I still do not have these issues.

    To sum it up, I'll say what I said to open. This game is a sound investment if you are purchasing it for offline play or game modes that DO NOT require virtual currency to get better whatsoever. In that aspect, it is a clear money grab and 2k should be **** ashamed of themselves. The game itself is not awful. The gameplay is still second to none in the basketball market, although it is a bit harder to score.

    I must re-iterate, if you want to play this game for MyCareer, MyTeam or any other game mode that requires you to spend VC to improve in the game, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. IT IS A WASTE OF MONEY. If you are buying this game to play it offline like in MyLeague or in MyGM (which is still shaky because it does use some VC), this isn't the worst investment in the world.    … Expand
  7. Csuh94
    Oct 3, 2017
    5
    The game is fun. I love the neighborhood concept and am enjoying MyCareer.

    That being said, this is the last time I pre order 2k. I'm only having fun because I caved in and bought $60 worth of VC to get ahead in MyCareer. Everyone's criticism on the VC situation is true, the game is a total grind fest. I could do the math if I wanted to, but let's just say it would take a REALLY LONG    The game is fun. I love the neighborhood concept and am enjoying MyCareer.

    That being said, this is the last time I pre order 2k. I'm only having fun because I caved in and bought $60 worth of VC to get ahead in MyCareer. Everyone's criticism on the VC situation is true, the game is a total grind fest. I could do the math if I wanted to, but let's just say it would take a REALLY LONG TIME to upgrade your player to a decent rating WITHOUT buying VC.

    The business model is ridiculous, everyone enjoys a little challenge but upgrading your player without buying VC is basically impossible.

    A friggin haircut that you can't even preview on your self costs 100 VC.

    2k I believe is a company that listens to its fans and can redeem themselves, but I don't think the VC model will change until 2k19. So for now, we are stuck with this impossible grind fest of a game. But if 2k releases another money grabbing game next year, I'm going to pass. No longer going to support a company that has succumbed to its greed.    … Expand
  8. CasualGamer23
    Sep 19, 2017
    6
    This game is not as bad as those bad reviews lmao. A lot of the people who are raging over the game are raging at the lack of features and the VC issues. And I totally agree with them. 2k has become extremely selfish with the stupid micro transactions. They better change it or they will lose fans real quick. As for the gameplay, the game is still very good. It is still better than NBA LiveThis game is not as bad as those bad reviews lmao. A lot of the people who are raging over the game are raging at the lack of features and the VC issues. And I totally agree with them. 2k has become extremely selfish with the stupid micro transactions. They better change it or they will lose fans real quick. As for the gameplay, the game is still very good. It is still better than NBA Live 18 by a good margin. I can't believe there are some people who say NBA live 18 has better gameplay SMH. Overall this gameplay is an 8/10 for me. However with all the other stuff going on, I will give it a 6/10.… Expand
  9. DanBenevenuto
    Jun 5, 2018
    6
    To me NBA 2k18 is a copy of 2k17 version, but still a great game and has some new features. It has terrific graphics and gameplay, classic and all time teams, some popular modes returned even better like MyCarrer, MyTeam and MyLeague/MyGM.
  10. ty10
    Oct 27, 2019
    5
    Considered the worst 2k ever. I have to say the game is broke and not that great. But I had fun on this game with the boys
  11. arnan34official
    Feb 21, 2018
    5
    Great game but very bad online at the beginning... The game is buggy... I left it after a while comparing it with the others ...
  12. mmarkk3
    Sep 5, 2018
    7
    Micro-transactions completely ruined the experience of this game. The MY-Career mode is a major grind if you are not willing to fork over your dollars. Never buying a 2k basketball game again
  13. Jeezy98
    May 27, 2019
    6
    Like the idea of teir matchups but shouldn’t have warriors and other top teams just as strong or stronger than teams ranked in higher tiers. Great ide for match play but need to make sure when you pick a team you are playing a team of a similar caliber
  14. I_Hate_Minions
    Aug 2, 2019
    7
    Story is bad and one unattended my team bug which ruins the mode is present but other than that it is a great fun game for all basketball fans. Thanks to 2k who are by far the best sport game developers.
  15. 2ksux
    Nov 1, 2019
    5
    Good game I enjoyed by playing this . For me is the best 2k ever no
  16. zachym11
    Oct 6, 2020
    6
    Slightly overhated, not bad gameplay wise, and that's all I really look for in a 2k game
  17. RTCWFAN
    Jun 28, 2023
    7
    The last good NBA 2k game. Graphics are beautiful, gameplay is fantastic and the controls work fine. Overall rating: 6.6.

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Best PS4 Game of 2017
25
#25 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2017
32
#32 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 54
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 54
  3. Negative: 4 out of 54
  1. Riot Pixels
    Jan 28, 2018
    83
    Basketball fans, NBA 2K18 is your new best friend… until the next fall.
    Read full review
  2. Cubed3
    Nov 26, 2017
    60
    In no way is NBA 2K18 a bad game, but it's certainly not worth its current price-tag, as the few improvements it offers are simply not enough, and, secondly, its sub-par single-player portion relies too much on micro-transactions.
    Read full review
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Nov 20, 2017
    80
    A beautiful, exciting representation of the sport. You'd be hard pushed to find a better, more accurate simulation of basketball on a modern console. [December 2017, p.82]
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