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. augustwo
    Feb 7, 2018
    10
    So many haters. I can only assume it is because they are not very good at this game. No doubt they have devised a plan that almost forces you to pay more than the $60 price tag to compete with everyone else. That sucks but it is not absolutely necessary. If you don't like it then go the "grind" route. Regarding gameplay, i have focused on MyCareer games, Park and Pro Am this year andSo many haters. I can only assume it is because they are not very good at this game. No doubt they have devised a plan that almost forces you to pay more than the $60 price tag to compete with everyone else. That sucks but it is not absolutely necessary. If you don't like it then go the "grind" route. Regarding gameplay, i have focused on MyCareer games, Park and Pro Am this year and I LOVE it. The career games are realistic (the cut scenes you can not skip are a bit much), the neighborhood, your phone, your Mycourt, etc. are all great in this game. ProAm is great too. There are idiots in the walk on pro am like usual. I would love to see them figure out a better way to weed out those morons who quit or intentionally make you lose or never pass. Anyway, if you love basketball video games like i have for many many years then you will not be disappointed. This is the best sports game in history. Haters gonna hate but there are thousands and thousands of players on every single night so i'd say the 2K franchise is doing just fine.… Expand
  2. Redstripe420
    Oct 10, 2017
    10
    Gotta write a review since it's not getting a fair shake, all the people giving it a zero are plain and simple bums that suck at it. These people are complaining about playing vs the CPU.... if these guys can't beat the CPU on the 2nd to easiest difficulty can you imagine how they feel when they play against good players online. These are the bums you see with 5 - 100+ records in the park.Gotta write a review since it's not getting a fair shake, all the people giving it a zero are plain and simple bums that suck at it. These people are complaining about playing vs the CPU.... if these guys can't beat the CPU on the 2nd to easiest difficulty can you imagine how they feel when they play against good players online. These are the bums you see with 5 - 100+ records in the park. I'm dead serious. The games great, my friends and I have been dominating bums like this all day on it.… Expand
  3. Kasra25
    Sep 19, 2017
    10
    Just i can say, it was amazing, animations that was like the real one , very good my player part and it was better than the last version, it is the best NBA GAME EVER
  4. SupremeHonour
    Sep 17, 2017
    10
    great as always. Love the career mode. Packed sh aq on my first pack. bought VC. already maxed. Going for road to 99 level. Ignore the haters. They are just haters that are going to hate.
  5. LRBEternal
    Sep 20, 2017
    10
    Love this game because it offers me what I want, and that's pure basketball. Best NBA video game ever made, and I love the multiple modes that are offered giving me a variety of ways to enjoy the game.
  6. juniortiger
    Apr 7, 2023
    10
    I love feeling you in game haptic feedback control and graphic amazing and I recommend pick one up in store
  7. JoePortes
    Sep 16, 2017
    9
    It's really quite simple: this is the best 2k ever made, just like every other year. It keeps getting better and I don't think that's arguable. HOWEVER, there is an argument to be made whether it's worth getting the new one every year when not too much changes. If you're a true sim basketball fan and really love the sport then I think it's worth it for the little things like ball physicsIt's really quite simple: this is the best 2k ever made, just like every other year. It keeps getting better and I don't think that's arguable. HOWEVER, there is an argument to be made whether it's worth getting the new one every year when not too much changes. If you're a true sim basketball fan and really love the sport then I think it's worth it for the little things like ball physics and AI tweaking.

    The people giving it a 0 are ridiculous and just want to complain. It's COD all over again. Sure, COD got pretty uninspired and isn't even the best FPS, but is it a 0/10? No. The best difference is this is the best basketball game ever made. Period. And 2k19 will be the best basketball game ever made when that comes out. Is it worth the upgrade? That's up to you. I can only help by saying I think the leap from 2k17 to 2k18 is bigger than the year before.

    With all that said, the greed put on display by 2k is a little out of control. VC runs everything in the game. This isn't certainly a huge money grab full of micro-transaction. But just be an adult and ignore them (or spend $ on it if that makes you happy), because the core basketball gameplay is unbelievable. Also, if you're a MyTeam player then you gotta pick this up. They've made that mode WAY better (no more unfair God squads).

    Lastly, if you want a less realistic experience play Live or NBA Jam. If you want to call plays, us freelance sets, adjust defensive settings, and put together a (fair, balanced) dream team the. This game is for you.    … Expand
  8. gvark
    Sep 17, 2017
    9
    I tried to read all the negative comments around here and they all seem to be focusing on one thing: MyPlayer - MyCarreer. Even there they have one gripe - It is a cash grab because it is not that easy to get VCs... Well boo-hoo... So you have to spend more time to build up your player.

    Somehow these people overlook the massive improvements made to the basketball game. Imagine that, for    I tried to read all the negative comments around here and they all seem to be focusing on one thing: MyPlayer - MyCarreer. Even there they have one gripe - It is a cash grab because it is not that easy to get VCs... Well boo-hoo... So you have to spend more time to build up your player.

    Somehow these people overlook the massive improvements made to the basketball game. Imagine that, for some the basketball element of an NBA game is secondary now...

    Anyhoo, the game has vastly improved as a sim, which also means that for arcade ball fans the 2k product may be off putting, but for them you now have live, so no need to dust off old copies of NBA Jam. The shooting is more realistic, the game speed no longer makes it possible to have 200 points in a 12 minute game, and player movements have improved greatly. The AI has also improved although it still has its flaws.

    To be frank there still are enough flaws that will need patching that I cannot give it a 10, but if what you are looking for is a basketball sim that has improved in every way then go get the game. If you want an arcade experience then you should probably consider getting Live instead...    … Expand
  9. BBQTuck
    Sep 20, 2017
    9
    A really great basketball game that is leaning too hard into the micro transaction movement. The core game play is utterly fantastic and the presentation is better and more realistic than it ever has been before.

    The only reason this is getting trashed by the user reviews is due to micro transactions, and in a way they are right, but DEAR LORD not to the extent that they think they are.    A really great basketball game that is leaning too hard into the micro transaction movement. The core game play is utterly fantastic and the presentation is better and more realistic than it ever has been before.

    The only reason this is getting trashed by the user reviews is due to micro transactions, and in a way they are right, but DEAR LORD not to the extent that they think they are. It's a grind to build your player up, more than it's ever been before, and pretty much everything in the game costs VC. Clothes, Shoes, Haircuts, Tattoos, Emotes, Animations, Attributes, etc. are all bought with VC. Which isn't that much different than last year, VC has just become harder to obtain.

    That being said it's not some unattainable feat to build your player up. It just takes more time which, to be honest, I actually like. I enjoy building my player up from scratch, grinding throughout the season and watching my numbers rise over the course of the season. I enjoy that I can't drain a contested 25 footer right from the get go. It makes for a more realistic progression for your player, plus it makes you a better 2K player in the long run.    … Expand
  10. BigKurtis
    Dec 2, 2017
    9
    First off, I'm more a NBA fan than a gamer and I love this game. I've played NBA games for 20 years and this is the best yet. I just felt compelled to write something to counter the negative feedback.

    The gameplay is great and is by far the best NBA gameplay of any NBA game. A lot of people complain about missing open shots etc but that is what makes the game more realistic. I like that    First off, I'm more a NBA fan than a gamer and I love this game. I've played NBA games for 20 years and this is the best yet. I just felt compelled to write something to counter the negative feedback.

    The gameplay is great and is by far the best NBA gameplay of any NBA game. A lot of people complain about missing open shots etc but that is what makes the game more realistic. I like that there are not as many people just playing stupid and making BS shots.

    I like the new in game substitution method and gameplay strategies, its easier to do on the fly while playing. The defensive system seems a lot better if you play engaged. Having a star player matters when it comes to making difficult shots/ plays.

    I like the GM/ manager mode as always. There are more realistic trade options etc. The MyTeam mode has a lot more different types of games to play and I like trying to find a combination of players that fit well in a coaches system.

    For those saying the game is trash - There are more modes than just Myplayer - it seems that eveyones gripe with the game is the VC required to make their Myplayer good, and while this is valid and the only reason i gave the game a 9 instead of 10 i still like that it is difficult to make your player better. I think there is a happy medium that hasnt been struck. I disliked in previous years that everyone was playing with insanely great myplayers. Though I feel they have gone to far and made it too difficult to build up your player up this year.

    Overall this is by far the best gameplay with the best variety of options and ways to play in an NBA game.    … Expand
  11. workingpixels
    Nov 17, 2017
    8
    beware! every single 0 score revier is pure **** like an amen in a prayer.
    ask me why. why? because there is no other more complex and stunning basketball simulation on the market thats why! and if you ask more why, **** you, thats why!
    i'm sick o this teenager ****
    put yourself together and sell the damn thing and go buy this EA crap if you can not appreciate at least 8/10 game.
  12. VagrantPeters
    Sep 17, 2017
    8
    I've spent some significant time in My Career mode and I will tell you my experience. I have played several previous iterations of the game and 2k18 is better than most but there are some issues.

    The new twist this time is the Neighborhood part of the game which is basically a hub to play online with a few buildings that sell stuff or can change your appearance. If you are going to be    I've spent some significant time in My Career mode and I will tell you my experience. I have played several previous iterations of the game and 2k18 is better than most but there are some issues.

    The new twist this time is the Neighborhood part of the game which is basically a hub to play online with a few buildings that sell stuff or can change your appearance. If you are going to be playing My Career exclusively then you probably won't spend much time in the Neighborhood.

    The game plays heavier this year, there is a little more mass to your player and it's hard to describe but it feels like an improvement to me. The shot mechanics have been changed and I think for the better. The meter now runs vertical and is placed by your shooters head instead of below him. However, you can still time shots by looking at your characters jump.

    Graphics are improved and take advantage of HDR effects, this is particularly noticeable during the arena shots. Frame rate is smooth in 4k and generally there are no issues. Music and sound are pretty much what you would expect with the timeout whistles and horns playing through the controller as well. It actually works better than you might think at first.

    Now for the bad. The loading times are downright nasty when going from the neighborhood to a game. If you are playing MyCareer, I recommend using triangle to go to the nav and pick the next game instead of hitting X to continue. When you continue it will take you back the neighborhood after an incredibly long load time only to have you do nothing there and go back to where you came from with another long load. You won't miss any story elements, if anything requires you to go to the Neighborhood you will know about it from your phone.

    Also the VC thing is back and stingier than ever. I say that because increased difficulty doesn't net you more VC and you can not extend the length of the quarters in MyCareer (at least not yet and I am in the December games). You can earn VC at a decent rate but your player is going to suck for a long, long time unless you shell out real cash for some VC. That will anger some players that don't have the time or patience to slog through an entire season to get their player halfway decent. We already spent $60 don't make haircuts cost VC.

    8/10 - Pros - Still the best basketball game out there -4k HDR looks great.
    Cons - Load times and a stingy VC system.    … Expand
  13. notbutt
    Sep 15, 2017
    8
    Alright, I'm not sure if I should be reviewing this, as it is my first time ever playing a 2K game, but I'll try. First off, I'd like to tell the rest of the imbeciles here, that you review a game for its gameplay first and foremost. It seems like theyre only putting their scores down for things that piss them off. Im a level 13 trophies-wise; I've played my fair shair of games, and I mustAlright, I'm not sure if I should be reviewing this, as it is my first time ever playing a 2K game, but I'll try. First off, I'd like to tell the rest of the imbeciles here, that you review a game for its gameplay first and foremost. It seems like theyre only putting their scores down for things that piss them off. Im a level 13 trophies-wise; I've played my fair shair of games, and I must say the story mode here seems pretty good. I like the whole live your own life aspect of it. Gameplay is smooth, with a few players running into one another occasionally, but what sports game doesnt have that. Overall this is an entertaining and enjoyable game. If you enjoy good gameplay and story, but this game, because no amount of micro-transactions will ruin your gameplay experience.… Expand
  14. kickinbck199317
    Oct 27, 2017
    8
    NBA 2K18 is the best simulation basketball game of all time, HOWEVER, it is loaded with technical issues (bugs, glitches), mircrotransactions, and a ridiculous amount of grinding that holds it back from reaching a 9 or 10.

    Pros: -graphics: amazing player models, upgraded lighting/shadows -core gameplay: little tweaks to core gameplay, much smoother controls -new teams Cons:    NBA 2K18 is the best simulation basketball game of all time, HOWEVER, it is loaded with technical issues (bugs, glitches), mircrotransactions, and a ridiculous amount of grinding that holds it back from reaching a 9 or 10.

    Pros:
    -graphics: amazing player models, upgraded lighting/shadows
    -core gameplay: little tweaks to core gameplay, much smoother controls
    -new teams

    Cons:
    -grind to 99
    -$$$
    -neighborhood forces online play
    -story is cheesy and at times cringe-worthy    … Expand
  15. loganreid
    Nov 3, 2017
    8
    This is the first NBA game I've played since I was like 10 or really small in general (I'm 24 now for perspective) and wow have I liked it a lot. I think the stories need to be played out for longer than the first year of your careers (Player or GM) but I just found it cool that there was a story at all compared to other sports games I've played where it's like "Here's your menu. HitThis is the first NBA game I've played since I was like 10 or really small in general (I'm 24 now for perspective) and wow have I liked it a lot. I think the stories need to be played out for longer than the first year of your careers (Player or GM) but I just found it cool that there was a story at all compared to other sports games I've played where it's like "Here's your menu. Hit 'play' " I love the open world concept and the fact you have to "train up" your player. Feels like Destiny mixed with basketball.

    I have a feeling I might not have gotten far into it as I have zero idea what people are talking about with the extra $60. If it gets to a point where I can't upgrade my overall without paying money I will stop playing for sure though.    … Expand
  16. erguemoleite
    Nov 26, 2017
    8
    I will be honest nba2k18 is not a great sequel but it is not as terrible as people are saying. I know that people are saying that the vc system is **** and I agree but this game has a lot to offer I really liked the addition of all time teams and the neighborhood. I still think that 2K could develop it more and make it more relevant. I disliked the cut scenes from my career especiallyI will be honest nba2k18 is not a great sequel but it is not as terrible as people are saying. I know that people are saying that the vc system is **** and I agree but this game has a lot to offer I really liked the addition of all time teams and the neighborhood. I still think that 2K could develop it more and make it more relevant. I disliked the cut scenes from my career especially those with B-fresh but i really like the inclusion of a cinematic GM mode. I would also suggest that you could use two different players. Your MY CAREER player and my park player. in my career upgrades would work without the use of VC and you could create a true 99 overall in all stats as you see in other sports games. You should be able to create a 7'7 demi-god that can shoot threes in my career because my career is supposed to be fun and not competitive since your opponent is the CPU… Expand
  17. ElSeano89
    May 27, 2018
    8
    To objectively review this game rather than stamp my feet and whine about micro transactions like seemingly everybody else here I would say that NBA 2K18 at its heart is a brilliant game. The level of depth, customization and detail in this game is astounding. 2K has basically cornered the market for NBA games as Madden has for the NFL and FIFA has for soccer and it's to be commended thatTo objectively review this game rather than stamp my feet and whine about micro transactions like seemingly everybody else here I would say that NBA 2K18 at its heart is a brilliant game. The level of depth, customization and detail in this game is astounding. 2K has basically cornered the market for NBA games as Madden has for the NFL and FIFA has for soccer and it's to be commended that they seemingly don't rest on their laurels and do improve the product year to year.

    Firstly the MyPlayer mode has now been expanded to become it's own little open world game. Now the worst thing about the entire game is the story line to it which is juvenile, poorly scripted and at times down right annoying. Lil Tasty is probably the most annoying and unfunny character I've even seen in a video game and the fact you cannot skip the overlong, unfunny cutscenes with her is by far my biggest gripe. Apart from the story they do a pretty decent job of investing you in your character however the biggest issue isn't the microtransactions and the grinding for me it is that the CPU will make absurd trades that you cannot undo. For example as the Lakers they traded Randle for Serge Ibaka and not even Ibaka and some pieces, just straight up so they lost one of their best players and in turn ruined their cap space for free agency. Not only is it unrealistic it also crippled my playing experience in a game mode I'd poured hours and some extra cash into playing. I don't mind the micro transactions. Frankly I find the whole rallying against them a little silly, if you've got the money then pay for them and if you don't then grind. Don't whine because you can't get immediately good for free in what is basically a competitive online mode, of course they're going to try and make their money coming and going. However the lack of control over roster moves is unforgivable. There should at least be an option to reject/accept a trade before it is undertaken because as such now I've lost all desire to play that mode

    To step away from MyPlayer however the single player depth in this game is astonishing. The game provides a near endless roster of teams and players both current and historic. On top of the NBA teams that are fastidiously updated to the point G-League player for the Lakers who played 3 games was added there are an endless array of historic teams. This means that, paired with an active and brilliant roster creation community you can basically do anything with franchise mode. People have created rosters to turn this into a NCAA game, you can do almost anything. The amount they let you tinker around with the mode is astounding. Once in the mode the depth is incredible too, the scouting, negotiating trades and contracts is brilliant and very realistic. I will say that with original sliders in place that free agents rarely hit the open market but just like nearly everything else you can adjust that so it happens more to your liking. Trades tend to be realistic and interesting also and with the ability to download draft classes you can realistically play a franchise for quite a while. The replay ability in this mode is staggering.

    The on court product is next to none. Controls are tight, responsive, easily to learn and hard to master. The satisfaction of learning and executing moves is brilliant and the AI is smart enough to provide a challenge. What is more impressive is the difference in "feel" between players. LeBron plays differently to Paul George who plays differently to Kawhi Leonard and so on. They've done a brilliant job of making each player a different experience.

    Presentation is absolutely wonderful. Arenas are alive with activity and noise and look amazing. The players are rapidly approaching photo realistic levels of accuracy all the way down to their tattoos and the constant roster updates even mean that when a player changed their hairstyle mid-season the game is updated to reflect that. The audio presentation is amazing. The pool of comments for the announcers is deep enough that over the course of a season they don't repeat themselves too much and the touch of bringing in Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett as special guest announcers is a great touch that along with the TNT crew of Ernie, Shaq and Kenny doing the pre-show makes games a very close approximation of real life games. Throw in old recordings of players actually doing interviews and vignettes during timeouts and it's now getting to a point of hyper realism.

    On the whole there are some faults with 2k18 but it is brilliant at what it is trying to do which is provide a realistic, enjoyable and customizable NBA experience. Objectively, without whining about micro transactions, this is a brilliant game and one of the best NBA games ever. It has room to improve without doubt but what is here is truly brilliant and engaging and kept me coming back time and again.    … Expand
  18. omair786
    Jun 12, 2018
    8
    A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ALL ASPECTS OF NBA 2K18

    Most would classify NBA 2K18 in the sports genre. This is a fair and the most logical classification as the titles primary genre. After some thought I would say 2K18 also has subgenres of strategy, action, and role play. I assert that while NBA 2K18 does not share all the qualities of a title that would primarily be considered as    A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF ALL ASPECTS OF NBA 2K18

    Most would classify NBA 2K18 in the sports genre. This is a fair and the most logical classification as the titles primary genre. After some thought I would say 2K18 also has subgenres of strategy, action, and role play. I assert that while NBA 2K18 does not share all the qualities of a title that would primarily be considered as strategy, action, or RPG genre it shares enough of resemblance to make a case. For the sports genre this is directly related to the sport of basketball, as it is a video game adaptation of the National Basketball Association. 2K18 adheres to the same formal conventions and rules of basketball. Role play genre comes into play in the MyCareer mode where players create their own rookie, who is drafted to an NBA team. The player can control the rookie on and off the court aiding them in making relationships while maxing out their player rating. Strategy genre can be seen in the coaching capabilities of the game both offensive and defensive, essentially the same way as a coach would in the real game of basketball. The player can draw plays, make substitutions, call pick and rolls, timeouts and more. Although the conventional idea of shooting and fighting come to mind in the action genre, I would argue that it’s not a stretch to say that NBA 2K18 is also an action game. A great abundance of the game is physical one on one play, even in team competitions, that results in crossover moves, spins, jabs, post ups and of course dunks!

    Some may find it surprising that sports genres also have narratives. NBA 2K18 is no exception and actually has multiple kinds of narratives centered around the world of basketball. The modes are MyCareer, MyGM, MyCourt and MyLeague. MyCareer enables most basketball enthusiasts to play out their dreams of making it to the NBA. The narrative follows the gamer’s created rookie from a college basketball career to being drafted to play professionally until retirement. While this rookie journey has been consistent in previous titles, NBA 2K18 adds the story of a DJ who comes back to pursue his dreams of going pro. MyGM introduces NBA 2K’s first narrative based franchise experience, where you handle the team’s logistics and see the consequences of your decisions. MyCourt allows one to exert a great amount of agency with a more aesthetically customizable experience. The gamer can create their unique court and invite friends to play on it. MyLeague is a grander scale of MyGM mode. Here the player controls not just a team but a whole league, defining how many teams are in the league, their schedule, playoffs, among other factors. A down side across all these modes is that there is no real character development for the player character. While prominent players, coaches, and other personnel are recognizable and relatable, the player character is left feeling hollow.

    This particular titles delivers the most realistic gameplay graphics I have ever experienced. It truly blurs the line between watching a basketball game and playing it because of 2K Sports’ undying commitment to detail. The attention to detail in this rendition of the series is mind boggling. What makes this title’s graphical aesthetics so great that Forbes has called it the “the best-looking 2K ever?” The beads of sweat, the facial hair, body stature, player accessories, on and off the court movements, dribbling style, uniform fit and more have all been given careful thought.

    In my opinion the feel of the game was overcorrected in NBA 2K18. In the pursuit of fluidity the game became too loose when it comes to player control. Preceding titles had a level of firmness when moving the player and an intuitive basket shot. In this title the shot itself has become very gamified, causing the gamer to miss simple undefended buckets that the elite player could easily make. Ratings took a hit for various reasons as users complained about: connectivity issues when playing online, a different feel in gameplay especially when shooting, and the constant need to purchase to virtual currency to rate up their players and unlock legendary moves.

    Major cultural influences in the game come from the demographics that play it, slang, music and ofcourse shoes. Understanding the game’s demographic, the rookie creation feature of the game has enabled gamers to make the rookies look just like them with the face scan app, or choose from extremely diverse options to customize their rookie.

    Ultimately the NBA brand’s popularity and relevance is closely tied to the success and fame of its athletes. The audience comes for the sport of basketball but stays for their favorite players. The players in a way are the NBA’s product that sell out games and merchandise. NBA 2K18 is another avenue in which the popularity of the star players and love of basketball is used to sell and profit off of.    … Expand
  19. 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
  20. 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.
  21. 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
  22. 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.
  23. 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.
  24. 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
  25. 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.
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. zachym11
    Oct 6, 2020
    6
    Slightly overhated, not bad gameplay wise, and that's all I really look for in a 2k game
  29. 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
  30. 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
  31. 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
  32. 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.
  33. 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 ...
  34. 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
  35. 2ksux
    Nov 1, 2019
    5
    Good game I enjoyed by playing this . For me is the best 2k ever no
  36. kartana
    Sep 16, 2017
    4
    The last few years NBA 2K's were one thing but this year crossed the line with the barber shop. Cosmetic stuff was was free before costs a ridiculous amount of VC now. They should be ashamed. Not to mention the MyNBA app giving almost no VC this year. It's blatantly obvious that this is just to force people to buy VC. You get less for free, earn less and everything costs more. How moreThe last few years NBA 2K's were one thing but this year crossed the line with the barber shop. Cosmetic stuff was was free before costs a ridiculous amount of VC now. They should be ashamed. Not to mention the MyNBA app giving almost no VC this year. It's blatantly obvious that this is just to force people to buy VC. You get less for free, earn less and everything costs more. How more obvious could it be?… Expand
  37. FrankyBones
    Sep 15, 2017
    4
    I cancelled my preorder luckily before release after playing the prelude. I was shocked at how bad the game mechanics were. I could see they were going the micro transaction route. I agree with those that call this game poor. What was most telling was the release trailer just showed a kid walking through a neighborhood for 10 mins. With maybe 10-20 secs of actual game footage.I cancelled my preorder luckily before release after playing the prelude. I was shocked at how bad the game mechanics were. I could see they were going the micro transaction route. I agree with those that call this game poor. What was most telling was the release trailer just showed a kid walking through a neighborhood for 10 mins. With maybe 10-20 secs of actual game footage. Mostly of a kid running thru a neighborhood GTA style. When a game hides their gameplay in a trailer, that should be a red flag for everyone. I'll pass this year and so should you. When the "pro" reviews come out you will all see. And any game under a 6 is trash. I predict this game will come in at mid 6 maybe.… Expand
  38. Nick419
    Sep 19, 2017
    4
    They completely ruined MyCareer. It takes forever to play. Between all the unskipable, meaningless, stupid cut-scenes and the whole "neighborhood" theme, it's absurd. I can't believe 2k got this bad. I was hoping for more from 2K than this piece of garbage. Unfortunately I got the digital copy so I can't sell it or return it.
  39. lukustra
    Sep 18, 2017
    4
    Let me start off by saying that I own every 2k title since the first 2k with A.I. on the cover for Dreamcast. I'm a huge fanboy of the franchise and it's literally one of the only games I play aside from whenever a new GTA comes out. Overall, the gameplay of this game is good. Very comparable to 2k17 with a few more animations and slightly better and more frequent contact detection. ItLet me start off by saying that I own every 2k title since the first 2k with A.I. on the cover for Dreamcast. I'm a huge fanboy of the franchise and it's literally one of the only games I play aside from whenever a new GTA comes out. Overall, the gameplay of this game is good. Very comparable to 2k17 with a few more animations and slightly better and more frequent contact detection. It does seem like running with the ball on a fast break is slower and overall the players move a bit slower. I don't particularly like this however this can be adjusted with the gameplay slider if you are playing offline. Overall, slight improvement in graphics / face scans, very similar gameplay, and updated rosters.

    Now to the bad part, and if you have looked at any of the other reviews, you will have probably already heard. Myplayer is a disaster. They've basically removed create a player. You can change about 5 things on how your player looks and this is very apparent when you walk around the world and EVERYONE looks almost identical. I believe there were like 5 different hairstyles you can choose from when starting the game. Bad start. Then the first cut scenes come along. Your player can be a 7'1 center but will be the same height as a teenage girl with the voice of a 15 year old. Aside from that, the cutscenes are RIDICULOUSLY cheesy. I mean, like almost shockingly bad. Your best friend is a little ghetto Asian girl and somehow you live in a beautiful loft with a basketball court built into your house and doorman before you play your first game. Okay, whatever just skip the cutscenes.. oh, you can't do that.

    One of the new features is the open world. This seems like it would be pretty cool if everything didn't cost an outrageous amount of VC that the game makes very hard to earn. I am very good at this game, I scored 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in my first game with about 4 minutes of playing time as a 60 overall. I can play this game with a completely trash player, but for them to make everything and anything you want to do cost VC plus have caps on everything (really, I need to be a 70 to get a tattoo? wtf?) is crazy. Basically, this whole game is designed as a money grab. You'd really need to spend a couple hundred dollars to enjoy this game to it's full potential on day 1 which is completely ludicrous. This is not to mention that the whole walking around to do anything in the game basically just makes everything you want to do (like play the game) take significantly longer to do and adds additional load screens to everything. I play this game on a VERY high end computer and the load screens still drive me insane, if I was playing this on an Xbox I would have literally turned the game off an hour in and returned it.

    I cannot express how disappointed I am in this game. Each year I spend a few months playing this game any chance I possibly get when it first comes out. This year I've played for about 5 hours and don't really look forward to playing more. I will most likely stick to just regular offline gameplay which is pretty disappointing. Ultimately, this was $60 for updated rosters, jerseys, and a few new animations. It's not unthinkable to expect more but I guess 2k is getting into Madden territory with their annual releases.    … Expand
  40. kingofgames
    Sep 15, 2017
    4
    I expecting a better sequel installment to NBA 2k16 and 17. Sure the shooting system is good, the overall graphic is bit better, the face scan feature is a huge imporvement and myGM mode is pretty good. However, the developer did not learn their mistake and not to improve the gameplay experience, yet somehow they make it even worse than previous games. The weighty character movement isI expecting a better sequel installment to NBA 2k16 and 17. Sure the shooting system is good, the overall graphic is bit better, the face scan feature is a huge imporvement and myGM mode is pretty good. However, the developer did not learn their mistake and not to improve the gameplay experience, yet somehow they make it even worse than previous games. The weighty character movement is completely slow the pace of the game down too much, the character customization are bad and the progression are just an another exhausting grinding task becasue 2K think it is good idea to ditch out the difficulty bonus. There are also many issues never addressed. For example,the screens is still broken, the AI is laughably bad, and the players animation are far worse than NBA 2k16/17 in comparision (how is this even possible!?) In the end, I cannot recommand this game for any long time fan of the series and I'll stay away from the is franchise for a while . But then again, If you are an newcomer or just a causal NBA fan. I recommend you to try it up. You probably might end up liking it… Expand
  41. AeRoTR
    Sep 17, 2017
    4
    Great F2P and P2W with micro-transactions game, AFTER ONLY YOU PAY 60 bucks :) A good F2P game, you can be the best by buying lots of VC. I recommend this game for any real basketball fan who likes computer games, and who likes to give money to 2K regular basis.
  42. Jacobray92
    Sep 15, 2017
    4
    Beware of fake reviews. The two 10 rated reviews seem like paid advertisement. This game is far from a 10/10 especially if you are a mycareer player. The greed this year by 2k is the most I've seen by a company in a while.

    - Players May Not Preview A Haircut, And Must Repurchase Previously Purchased Haircuts - NBA 2k18 Removes The Bonus VC For Higher Difficulty Modifier - NBA 2k18    Beware of fake reviews. The two 10 rated reviews seem like paid advertisement. This game is far from a 10/10 especially if you are a mycareer player. The greed this year by 2k is the most I've seen by a company in a while.

    - Players May Not Preview A Haircut, And Must Repurchase Previously Purchased Haircuts

    - NBA 2k18 Removes The Bonus VC For Higher Difficulty Modifier

    - NBA 2k18 App Gives Less VC Than It Used To

    - Can no longer preview attribute boosts before purchasing upgrades in MyCareer.

    This is only what's been discovered within the first 14 hours. They've turned this into a **** mobile game with microtransactions at every time, except you paid $60 for the privilege.

    Campaign story is awful and all cutscenes are unskippable. Look up lil tasty your new sidekick if you want to preview the cringe.

    Still facing shot clock cheese, unstoppable animations, as well as broken ones like the failed dunk. Game needs major work, especially in terms of microtransactions.    … Expand
  43. jay_caspian
    Nov 3, 2017
    4
    The game is flawed inside and out. The game hinders itself by making every little choice a micro transaction. They reduced how much virtual currency you earn in games significantly, and raised the cost of every attribute. Trying to play the game without spending $20 on virtual currency is impossible since they built it into the fundamentals of the game.

    Apart from this, they took away    The game is flawed inside and out. The game hinders itself by making every little choice a micro transaction. They reduced how much virtual currency you earn in games significantly, and raised the cost of every attribute. Trying to play the game without spending $20 on virtual currency is impossible since they built it into the fundamentals of the game.

    Apart from this, they took away features from las year. You can't play MyCareer without having Xbox Live Gold, MyGM does not have the league expansion feature we had last year, And MyCareer's story is not only embarrassingly pathetic, but you cannot exit out of cut scenes, most of which are 3-10 minutes long (note: there are cut scenes before/after almost every game your rookie year). I couldn't possibly be more disappointed.

    Also, beware of the other reviews on here marking it a 10/10. Some are obviously paid reviews from people who don't speak English and don't actually play the game.    … Expand
  44. Dare_Relaqz
    Sep 18, 2017
    4
    Very disappointing release this year. There are a lot of things to be worried about for the future of this franchise, but that doesn't mean the game deserves 2's and 0's from angry fanboys. The gameplay is solid this year, improved over previous. You see that there was time put into aspects of the game that people are forgetting to touch on. We finally got a draft mode for MyTeam, andVery disappointing release this year. There are a lot of things to be worried about for the future of this franchise, but that doesn't mean the game deserves 2's and 0's from angry fanboys. The gameplay is solid this year, improved over previous. You see that there was time put into aspects of the game that people are forgetting to touch on. We finally got a draft mode for MyTeam, and while not the same exact carbon copy of Draft Champs from the Madden and FIFA series, it's still good. We also get Super Max, which adds a more competitive and strategic aspect to the online play in the mode, forcing you to pick your lineups carefully rather than just having a superteam every game. The MyLeague has had features added to it while not having anything stripped away, further improving a mode I enjoyed last year.

    But everything else seems to fall apart. People talk about the VC cash grab enough already so I won't touch on it, because to be honest, that's not what makes this game a disappointment.

    I've already had several crashes trying to load simple menus, like the edit player menu. The fact that Xbox users are basically unable to even play MyCareer up until now because save files are getting corrupted and all of the work you do is gone has to be mentioned. The player creation is incredibly barebones this year, with the facial sculpting completely taken out for no apparent reason. It could be somewhat 'compensated' for if the app was working and we were able to actually scan our faces properly, but they don't bother to ever fix their terrible mobile app and just release the same thing every year with a few different pictures. It's still the same buggy, terribly designed app as it always was. The loading times are incredibly long during games, meaning it takes even more time to get into our career games. And the biggest issue I have this year is how everything, and I mean everything, is done through the open world hub. Recently did an endorsement? Want to get paid? Well you have to run all the way to your agent's office for a cutscene to get paid. Why can't I just accept it through text? Doing this would probably help cut some of the load times for the game, because they are horrendous.

    The biggest problem with this game is how they try and make everything story driven, even MyGM mode. The characters in the MyCareer portion of the game are so hollow and poorly written. It hurts to play through because the story can't keep you engaged. I don't even like my own player's personality. I find myself wanting to skip all of the cutscenes but we aren't given an option to. I spend more time loading, watching cutscenes, and running around in the terribly designed neighborhood overworld then I do actually playing the game. And that's a shame because the gameplay this year is at least enjoyable. The teammate grade system however, is so brutally punishing. Missing two free throws takes away a whole bar, which is nonsense, while doing good things are barely as rewarding.

    Back to MyGM mode, because I referenced it earlier, it's a shame. Because ever since NBA 2K15 they've had this useless mode in the game. One of the biggest problems with it is the fact that there were way too many stoppages and that you couldn't delegate certain things to your assistants and coaches, and just focused on more GM like things, like trade offers and signing players. This year, everything takes even longer. It doesn't help the fact that the story isn't good either, and with the lack of voice acting, and in some scenes music and sound effects, everything is so quiet that it isn't enjoyable and every cutscene feels awkward, and there are so many of them. Not to mention that this mode has nowhere near the same customizable options that MyLeague does, so what's the point of this mode? Make one good manager mode without the useless story and cutscenes. Just take MyGM out of the game next year.

    Gameplay wise, it feels fundamentally like a continuation of last year. The only problems are how the developers try and sell us stuff in all of their blog posts but half of them are actually happening in the game. For example, penalties for passing out of shots and layups has no effect. One blog post claimed that there are no more 'canned animations' even though I've managed to run into a bunch of infuriating ones already, and players are missing wide open layups for no reason. Another design problem is the shot meter. When you go to the free throw line there's no indication that there's supposed to be a shot meter there, so you end up missing half of your free throws. A simple change like making the meter slightly visible and getting brighter when you shoot will fix that, giving us a sense that it's there.

    Just in review, this game isn't a total disaster. Again, it's a fundamental continuation of last year's release. The launch is terrible so far, and that can't be ignored with a half broken game being released as a beta test.    … Expand
  45. WhyNot2018
    Sep 21, 2017
    4
    This is the first 2K i'm skipping since 2K9. It's just not worth 60$ anymore, I'm sorry. If you got extra bucks to throw on VC, this is the game for you.
  46. mike21
    Sep 20, 2017
    3
    when you are on the court the game is great, with solid gameplay and good presentation, but the cons are too many:

    VC - they have made the game almost unplayable in order to force people to pay for VC. It's not even done in a subtle way. Just a straight robbery. Loading Screens - prepare to spend a lot of time looking at one. Cut scenes that can not be skipped. Can't play MyCareer    when you are on the court the game is great, with solid gameplay and good presentation, but the cons are too many:

    VC - they have made the game almost unplayable in order to force people to pay for VC. It's not even done in a subtle way. Just a straight robbery.
    Loading Screens - prepare to spend a lot of time looking at one.
    Cut scenes that can not be skipped.
    Can't play MyCareer offline - yesterday I wanted to play, but I had to wait for an update to download before I could. Not cool.
    Story - possibly written by children, in which case, it's only somewhat terrible.
    Paying ridiculous amounts of VC for customization of player (said customization can not be previewed either).    … Expand
  47. DrLuigi
    Sep 15, 2017
    3
    Clear money grab this year, it had been slowly getting worse but this year is outrageous. It feels like the product has gotten worse at the same time. The story is sooo bad it's laughable, it honestly feels like the devs are trying to troll you. Servers are of course not improved either. Many of the old school players now look nothing like themselves. Those 10 ratings from guys whoClear money grab this year, it had been slowly getting worse but this year is outrageous. It feels like the product has gotten worse at the same time. The story is sooo bad it's laughable, it honestly feels like the devs are trying to troll you. Servers are of course not improved either. Many of the old school players now look nothing like themselves. Those 10 ratings from guys who can barely speak english are obvious shills.

    I loved 2k15, 2k16 was solid as well, started disliking 2k last year and now I'm wondering how/why people continue to play this franchise    … Expand
  48. SaintJames012
    Oct 16, 2017
    3
    This is the moment a company who has for the longest time been the pinnacle of their market become too comfortable at the top and immediately topple of the weight of their own arrogance. 2k18, while having a pretty good foundation to build upon, dilutes its own legitimacy with the stomach wrenching, head shaking, bombardment of greed we have seen in a sports game.

    Gameplay: In 2k's    This is the moment a company who has for the longest time been the pinnacle of their market become too comfortable at the top and immediately topple of the weight of their own arrogance. 2k18, while having a pretty good foundation to build upon, dilutes its own legitimacy with the stomach wrenching, head shaking, bombardment of greed we have seen in a sports game.

    Gameplay:
    In 2k's fairness, the gameplay for the most part is intact. The game is playable, and much to its reputation, still is the most immersive sports game on the market. The time and detail added to the environments and atmosphere has always been a strong point for the series, and it is no different this year either. Controls are for the most part the same as the last installment, a healthy break from 2K's annoying habit of rebinding controls every year for the player to figure out. there are still problems to be had. AI is still pretty easy to exploit, and there is a head scratching inconsistency in the difficulty of the game. On one possession, the CPU will be pinned to you to the point where any movement will result in the fumbling of the ball (annoying because of its numerous occurrences), and other times, it will not react to a single move you do, allowing an easy bucket. Scratch that, you will probably miss the layup because of a confusion that occurred with the game. The "Layup problem" is probably already known to those who have delved into this game, but for those who still havent bought the game, you may have heard of this "layup problem." It actually isnt really a problem, but rather a miscommunication that occurred. Many players believed that the layup/floater system was returned to the automatic setting that we have seen in 2K16, this was not the case however, as the layup/floater system retained the model used in last year's iteration. Basically one must play the layup like a jump shot, successfully filling the shot meter in order to get that perfect release. The stupid part of all this is the game has no shot meter for the layup, so unless you know you are supposed to try and time it like last year on an invisible shot meter, the game pretty much bricked every attempt you did.

    MyCareer:
    A dumpster fire from start to finish. While many people often complain that 2K's storylines and cutscenes are bad, they did have a certain level of charm to them. A story that revolves around your journey to become the GOAT. This year, the narrative has been replaced with advertisements. There are still cutscenes, but the story pretty much ends once you get signed to a team. The rest of the cutscenes, and there are alot of them, are simply excuses to advertise some product to you (and not a subtle way). Whether it be a cutscene about how much your roommate love Reese's Puffs, which there are 3 separate cutscenes for, a cutscene completely dedicated to JBL headphones or the Iphone, A cutscene that ends with the infamous line "come on, let's go get a pepsi," or the constant reference to trash music such as Yatchy, Uzi Vert, Wayne, etc. This isn't even the end either, the game will also harass you with constant non-choices such as asking whether you want to bring your gatorade with you to an interview (which will continue to ask regardless of yes or no), whether or not you like Reese's Puffs (both answers are yes), or if you enjoy Mtn Dew (in which the answer is either yes or it's my favorite). To make matters worse, the cutscenes are not skippable, so you must sit through every single one of these glorified advertisements before being allowed to play the actual game, which will also have ads for "authenticity." To continue to make matters worse, everyone in the game is unlikable. Your player is a conceited airhead, your roommate is an annoying leech, the staff are all just different levels of annoying, mean, or just plain stupid, and other than 1 or 2 people, everyone is trash.

    MyGM:
    MyGM has taken the road of MyCareer with a new story mode that is included with the mode. The story itself suffers from similar issues the MC story does in that everyone is unlikable. In addition to all this, the characters themselves are all passive-aggressive, so these "cutscenes" are cringy as all hell. Other than that, MyGM i would say is an actual improvement to its predecessor last year, so this would be something to definitely check out.

    Online:
    The truly disappointing part of the game. The servers are still slow and utterly garbage as we have come to expect. There are no more cities to rep, rather being replaced with the single neighborhood which I actually quite enjoy, but all the events are sponsored (another advertisement for you to watch), and they don't even work. There plenty of videos on YouTube about how disastrous these events. VC earnings have been cut down so it takes even longer to win what you need to upgrade your abilities, and increasing difficulty no longer gives you a multiplier so playing on Hall of Fame holds no reward.    … Expand
  49. Trax6267
    Sep 18, 2017
    3
    Unbelievable how this game was allowed to launch. A bug filled mess that is a tragedy of a game considering that the on court GP this year feels much more organic then years past ( though still has its legacy and new issues popping up pretty frequently ). How can you release an ambitious mode like the Hood when you couldn't get your servers right for the park this entire generation? I lostUnbelievable how this game was allowed to launch. A bug filled mess that is a tragedy of a game considering that the on court GP this year feels much more organic then years past ( though still has its legacy and new issues popping up pretty frequently ). How can you release an ambitious mode like the Hood when you couldn't get your servers right for the park this entire generation? I lost my got damn My Career player on both my PS4 and my Nintendo Switch! I bought this game twice and got dicked over double time! I decided to give it another try yesterday, and got back to the NBA. About 3 games in, I was training and lost connection to the server, and upon reboot, I had to enter my damn name again because i was back on my CAP creation. Lost again. How do the people let this continue by buying this game year after year on day 1?? This was my only day 1 purchase and that will never happen again. I will only buy this game on the switch moving forward ( going NBA Live for PS4 ) and that will only happen if it launches a cleaner game. Take Two and 2K outta be ashamed of themselves man. Its so hard to see a once great company drop down like this to be a greedy VC hungry machine. GTA and Red Dead are my only 2 Take 2 Games now, and they better not start to go down the tubes like the NBA 2K series is doing. So much hype, commercialism, not enough attention to the quality of your damn game. Dropped my score from a 6 to a 3 because these issues have just gotten worst.… Expand
  50. jackpotsoftware
    Sep 18, 2017
    3
    Bug filled, money grabbing game. So many errors that I'm not sure how it was launched successfully with bug testing. Can't have real fun without buying at least 200k in VC, that would take you 300+ games to earn without buying it.

    People will say EA paid me. People will say I'm an NBA Live fanboy. I don't own Live, but I do know when I am being told that I need to spend an additional    Bug filled, money grabbing game. So many errors that I'm not sure how it was launched successfully with bug testing. Can't have real fun without buying at least 200k in VC, that would take you 300+ games to earn without buying it.

    People will say EA paid me. People will say I'm an NBA Live fanboy. I don't own Live, but I do know when I am being told that I need to spend an additional $80 to have fun in a video game.    … Expand
  51. ChildishGavino
    Sep 19, 2017
    3
    For anyone who loves giving 2K your money this is the game for you. They made some small improvements and changes like the dribbling and the "Run The Neighborhood". The walking around is cool at first but get boring really quick, but the thing that makes it worse is 2K and their greed. Basically forcing you to by VC just to have a decent player. 50 dollars to get to 85 like wtf. Its likeFor anyone who loves giving 2K your money this is the game for you. They made some small improvements and changes like the dribbling and the "Run The Neighborhood". The walking around is cool at first but get boring really quick, but the thing that makes it worse is 2K and their greed. Basically forcing you to by VC just to have a decent player. 50 dollars to get to 85 like wtf. Its like 2K is making it pay to win and that's just not good and I definitely can't support that… Expand
  52. Matilda_BBD
    Sep 22, 2017
    3
    I don't really care about annual releases in sports games even with only the tiniest tweaks here and there with new roster, but 2k has gone too far with the MICROTRANSACTIONS. I'm a long time NBA 2k fan and even I had to create an account just to review-bomb this crap. If you're gonna get this game as a casual NBA fan this game will not disappoint. The presentation and gameplay is topI don't really care about annual releases in sports games even with only the tiniest tweaks here and there with new roster, but 2k has gone too far with the MICROTRANSACTIONS. I'm a long time NBA 2k fan and even I had to create an account just to review-bomb this crap. If you're gonna get this game as a casual NBA fan this game will not disappoint. The presentation and gameplay is top notch and always has been. But if you're looking forward to mycareer I suggest sticking to 2k17 and not waste your money because spending real money is the only way you'll enjoy it for a long time. They basically made 2k18's mycareer a freaking next gen mobile game that you paid $60 for. If this is the direction this franchise is going, count me out from now on. It's a sad day in gaming when EA is holding 2k's beer while they demonstrate how to milk a full-priced game like a champ.… Expand
  53. 3dupunk
    Sep 23, 2017
    3
    Don't listen to the critic reviews, they are paid advertisements for the most part. If you want an honest review read the sixth axis review. Listen to the actual users, those who play the game for more than a week and have been playing this game for years. This years it is absolutely a disgrace, its been moving in this direction for quite some time but this year takes the cake. Not beingDon't listen to the critic reviews, they are paid advertisements for the most part. If you want an honest review read the sixth axis review. Listen to the actual users, those who play the game for more than a week and have been playing this game for years. This years it is absolutely a disgrace, its been moving in this direction for quite some time but this year takes the cake. Not being able to know what kind of player you are building because the ratings aren't shown. 2K did this so that we would make mistakes with our build and start a new build all over again. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be such a bad thing, but this year 2K has gone so hard with micro transactions and the VC grind that it makes it hard to walk away from a character you've wasted so much time as well as VC on and start all over. You'll have to buy everything all over again, clothes, sneakers, haircuts, accessories...I mean everything. They took a step further in making VC harder to get, you know, I wouldn't mind it being like this if this game were free to play, but for $60 its disgusting.

    To compound the grind for VC, the devs make myCareer hard to play because they blatantly placed code in the gameplay to cheat us gamers even further. This is beyond unethical because they are strong arming players to pay for attributes and even when we do pay they cheat us using these tactics. For instance when practicing, and in the prelude, it is far easier to hit a shot. You can get excellent (greens) at will if you've practice the timing of your shot. Well it doesn't work like that when you are actually playing a NBA game. In game you rarely get a green even if your wide open and or hit open shots, missing layups is the norm, turnovers that have been happening for years are still happening. What bothers me the most is that 2K dedicates so much time to these stupid storylines, but they cant take out time to fix these things which tells me that this is an intentional act.

    All 2K cares about is the VC system, everything they do is for us to waste more of real world currency and to protect their VC system. Its a shame because this could be a great game if the company wasn't so greedy.    … Expand
  54. SanctifiedN7
    Sep 26, 2017
    3
    Money money money. The creedo of the 2k business model. The problem? Their disgusting GREED went to an entire new level with NBA 2k18. The only thing that does not go STRAIGHT in your wallet, looking for cash is the LOGIN. For now. The game is trash. 2k is straight up garbage. Full of bugs, DELETED players, STOLEN VC(virtual currency) and you are bombarded at every step to PURCHASE VC,Money money money. The creedo of the 2k business model. The problem? Their disgusting GREED went to an entire new level with NBA 2k18. The only thing that does not go STRAIGHT in your wallet, looking for cash is the LOGIN. For now. The game is trash. 2k is straight up garbage. Full of bugs, DELETED players, STOLEN VC(virtual currency) and you are bombarded at every step to PURCHASE VC, instead of earning it. Horrible and intentional grind to squeeze as much money out of you, for a subpar game with LAST GEN GRAPHICS. F 2k. F NBA 2$18.… Expand
  55. r3xv_02
    Sep 27, 2017
    3
    Complete waste of my hard earned money. A premium pricetag for a half-assed done game, so many effin' bugs and glitches. And don't even let me start on on the Player progression on MyCareer mode, there is no fun on this mode, grinding on and on just to even buy an overpriced in game shoes wtf? And where the hell is the fix for the disappearing VC bug? you gonna sleep on that too 2k? yourComplete waste of my hard earned money. A premium pricetag for a half-assed done game, so many effin' bugs and glitches. And don't even let me start on on the Player progression on MyCareer mode, there is no fun on this mode, grinding on and on just to even buy an overpriced in game shoes wtf? And where the hell is the fix for the disappearing VC bug? you gonna sleep on that too 2k? your player remains trash if you dont spend real money - but why? you already paid premium price for the whole game which is not even polished oh my god.… Expand
  56. Kasai
    Oct 21, 2018
    3
    I bought this game a few months ago and was excited to play it. I always enjoyed 2k games on the previous gen consoles.

    The gameplay itself isn't bad, and the graphics are great. That being said, there were major flaws: - The games take forever to play and you're forced to sit through stupid cut scenes during the game - The shot mechanic is bad. Go ahead and call me a trash player,    I bought this game a few months ago and was excited to play it. I always enjoyed 2k games on the previous gen consoles.

    The gameplay itself isn't bad, and the graphics are great. That being said, there were major flaws:
    - The games take forever to play and you're forced to sit through stupid cut scenes during the game
    - The shot mechanic is bad. Go ahead and call me a trash player, I don't care. You shouldn't shoot 30% in a game with wide open players.
    - The AI in the game is super cheap and seemingly always nails a contested 3 every time you miss a wide open one.

    Now, onto the elephant in the room: microtransactions. No matter what mode you play, you need to either grind forever (which sucks, because the games take forever to play), or you need to pony up $30-50 on top of the $50 you paid for the game just to advance in the game. I had enough of this game, and I returned it for a game that doesn't nickle and dime you. At this point, 2k17 will be the last 2k game I buy for a while.    … Expand
  57. robertonunez
    Sep 27, 2017
    2
    money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money . thats the only important in this game...GIVE YOU MONEY money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money moneymoney money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money money
  58. Critical_Fun
    Oct 23, 2017
    2
    Reviewing only MY Career. I give the game a 3 instead of a 2 because I'm still playing it, and I might actually get some playing time when I reach level 90 when I can control the roster. Putting a LOT of money in the game already. I'm an 87 and at the rate the idiotic AI coaching is going, I'll be 90 around when 2K99 comes out. Advancement is painfully slow. The next best player on myReviewing only MY Career. I give the game a 3 instead of a 2 because I'm still playing it, and I might actually get some playing time when I reach level 90 when I can control the roster. Putting a LOT of money in the game already. I'm an 87 and at the rate the idiotic AI coaching is going, I'll be 90 around when 2K99 comes out. Advancement is painfully slow. The next best player on my team is an 81 and I get 4 minutes per game despite my 2nd year contract guaranteeing me at least 6. The unrealistic minutes I'm playing eliminates any realism immersion.

    PROS - Good graphics, game play can be good when you've spent many many hours building up badges.

    CONS - Unrealistic coaching decisions. A year ago in-game, all the coaches pleaded with the head coach to let me start. I'm still not starting despite being the best player on the team. My game experience goes like this. Spend 5 minutes waiting on unnecessary cutscenes you can't skip. Play for about four minutes. Go through another 10 minutes of load screens and unskippable cutscenes until I get to the practice facility. Practice. Repeat. It's infuriating! I paid for the game and VC and I can't even play as a starter??? There is no other explanation other than the programmers simply want to troll us and laugh because they took our money.

    Layups - Any 7th grader that can't make open layups will not make their school team. Should be rare in the NBA but not in 2k. Be prepared for some of the most outrageous BS to ever occur in modern gaming. You've been warned.

    Unnecessary waiting - Download some phone games or something because you're going to need something to do for several minutes while you have to spend 20 or so unnecessary seconds watching your player sit in a chair only for you to hit X to get on with it already. This is not a loading screen. Just something you have to wait for Every. SIngle. Game. Just a small example of all the waiting you have to do.

    ONLINE - My Career is a single player function that requires internet connection. Enough said. FU 2k!

    MONEY - I've enjoyed 2k in the past so decided to spend extra money on it. It really doesn't matter how much money you spend here. The game will keep an elite player on the bench most of the game and progress will take FOREVER! No minutes mean no advancement. It's a cycle that I'm trapped in. Once I can manipulate the roster (which I shouldn't have to) at level 90, I can actually get going. With money and 3 weeks play, I'm level 87. At the current rate, I will be level 90 in about 2 or 3 months real time, all the while getting weak stats due to minutes played.

    If you don't mind spending a lot of money and putting up with idiotic coaching roster moves and playing the game for months before you see more than a few minutes game time while waiting 10 minutes in various loading and cutscenes, then this game is for you.

    2k, you got my money this year and I promise you, based on this experience, it will never happen again. Another company will take your place in a similar way The Show took baseball away from you. You've been doing this a long time and it's unbelievable that you can actually become WORSE at something the more you do it.    … Expand
  59. Alpenmilch
    Sep 22, 2017
    2
    Nothing new to the game is actually more a step back from 2017 than I thought. Without talking about the aggressive microtransaction. It's a sport game so please 2K don't milk your customers.
  60. Rankor
    Sep 15, 2017
    2
    One of the biggest cash grabs in video game history. Have to pay for haircuts that you cant preview, can no longer preview attribute upgrades leading to broken builds, and everything cots more VC then ever before. VC earning has been neutered across the board. Making 1/2 per game and even less through the app than last year. They are forcing consumers into micro transactions at every turn.One of the biggest cash grabs in video game history. Have to pay for haircuts that you cant preview, can no longer preview attribute upgrades leading to broken builds, and everything cots more VC then ever before. VC earning has been neutered across the board. Making 1/2 per game and even less through the app than last year. They are forcing consumers into micro transactions at every turn. Game play feels very familiar and the same cheese will be back.… Expand
  61. Raptorsking
    Sep 16, 2017
    2
    This series keep on going down hill... this game is way over hyped by the community. I bought it and seems way to similar to 2K17. Run the neighbourhood is way overrated
  62. QWDL
    Sep 26, 2017
    2
    No opening CG? Seriously? The visual concept team must have been working on the switch version so hard that they do not even have time to make one.

    I purchased the steam version as well as the switch version, and I generally like the switch version since I have been looking forward to an NBA game on the go for a long time. The PC high-end version, nah. It is a clear money grab, no    No opening CG? Seriously? The visual concept team must have been working on the switch version so hard that they do not even have time to make one.

    I purchased the steam version as well as the switch version, and I generally like the switch version since I have been looking forward to an NBA game on the go for a long time. The PC high-end version, nah. It is a clear money grab, no opening CG, no changes for the player profiles, and the MC story is the worst for the last couple of years, reminds me of the pre-2k 14 days of this game.

    Besides the limited effort the develop team put in this game, I have the feeling that if you are a person who has a normal life, you wouldn't even have enough time to play this thing. It requires so much grinding otherwise you need to buy and spend VC on literally everything. Even if you upgrade your character via tons of VCs you would still miss easy layups, like you are controlling a kindergarten player but not an NBA player. In the end, you still need to grind and grind to get those badges to ensure your layups...

    I mean, I totally understand 2K wants the players to hook up more with this game, but man, I have my own life, and I just want to play a video game, to do what I could not do in the real life. I surely can miss layups a lot, no need to recreate that feeling in a video game.    … Expand
  63. TheManilaMile
    Sep 22, 2017
    2
    As a guy who has a guilty pleasure with Sport Sims, this game is an alright basketball sport sim with an obvious money pig objective which drags the game A LOT. For a guy who LOVES Career Modes in Sport sims, the fact that VC dictates mostly everything and practically revolves around it, I'm very disappointed.
  64. Maarifa
    Sep 23, 2017
    2
    U can swap ur game name with VC Simulator 18. Pure grab for cash. Rly. The career plot is so bad its insane. Characters are cringey, dialogs are boring, and on top of that u cannot skip it. VC is floding almost every part of gameplay. I'm sick of it. This year im going with live 18. Withous spending a dime for in-game currency i have 81 overall in my player mode. I enjoy it so much. And toU can swap ur game name with VC Simulator 18. Pure grab for cash. Rly. The career plot is so bad its insane. Characters are cringey, dialogs are boring, and on top of that u cannot skip it. VC is floding almost every part of gameplay. I'm sick of it. This year im going with live 18. Withous spending a dime for in-game currency i have 81 overall in my player mode. I enjoy it so much. And to be honest i think that next year 2k won't change...… Expand
  65. Musonu
    Sep 25, 2017
    2
    I bought this game thinking that I would enjoy the full 2k18 experience.. unfortunately I was in for a big surprise. It appears that 2k thinks that their customers enjoy spending hundreds of dollars extra on their 60$ game, otherwise I cannot explain why they chose this 'free-to-play' like business model for a AAA game. The grind is just ridiculous and it reached a point when it is obviousI bought this game thinking that I would enjoy the full 2k18 experience.. unfortunately I was in for a big surprise. It appears that 2k thinks that their customers enjoy spending hundreds of dollars extra on their 60$ game, otherwise I cannot explain why they chose this 'free-to-play' like business model for a AAA game. The grind is just ridiculous and it reached a point when it is obvious that they are not thinking on how to make their games more enjoyable.. they just want you to spend huge amounts in order to unlock the full experience.
    I am a huge 2k fan and it is a shame to see that they have reached such a low point with their games. There seems to be very little improvement from last years game and the my Career mode is truly broken. There is no replayability at all, player progress has become the most insane grind in the series ( no difficulty multiplier this time around) and the customization items in the game are impossible for me to get without investing a small fortune in VC currency (this includes the moves of your myPlayer mind you).

    I wouldn't recommend this game to anyone , not at 60$ at least... this is just a cash grab and the developer actually managed to remove the 'fun' from game.

    Not worth the full price! 2/10    … Expand
  66. TheCornflex
    Jan 31, 2018
    2
    I am an Idiot for buying this game. I expected to get the same game as the last 2 years just a new roster but i got fooled. It is not the same, they did not even recycled it, they made it worse. Character Creation is a joke, Blacktop is gone, New MyTeam-Modes are trash. Only played a bit MyTeam to be honest. For people who never played an NBA 2K and who have no comparison this game mightI am an Idiot for buying this game. I expected to get the same game as the last 2 years just a new roster but i got fooled. It is not the same, they did not even recycled it, they made it worse. Character Creation is a joke, Blacktop is gone, New MyTeam-Modes are trash. Only played a bit MyTeam to be honest. For people who never played an NBA 2K and who have no comparison this game might seem good but I am pretty pissed.… Expand
  67. roballen46
    Feb 21, 2018
    2
    This is the worse game I ever played. I have played better 2k but this 2018 seems like it is made by a bunch of 5th grade idiots. The game appears to play more than I do. The game has its on AI which I have no control of the players. They do what they want to do and I have the joy stick. Its like 2k want us to get mad at the online head to head side and hope we upgrade to the My playerThis is the worse game I ever played. I have played better 2k but this 2018 seems like it is made by a bunch of 5th grade idiots. The game appears to play more than I do. The game has its on AI which I have no control of the players. They do what they want to do and I have the joy stick. Its like 2k want us to get mad at the online head to head side and hope we upgrade to the My player side were the money is. They say that my player is a better experience. Here is what we are getting: Half finished programing. People we need to let 2 k know that we are not mad at the graphics and the realistic players in the game. We are recognizing rigged programing that you guys did half ass to move us from one platform to another which is micro-transactions. Good try....I hate your game. If you had programed the online play correctly I would have payed micro-transactions for even better play. But...you played us for a fool… Expand
  68. GabFire
    Aug 10, 2020
    2
    Esse é o pior jogo de basquete que já joguei em minha vida, espero que nunca mais repitam os mesmo erros.
  69. Makaveli
    Sep 23, 2017
    1
    Those review sites that gave this game a good score have been paid off and have lost all credibility..

    How can you give a game a good score when it's clearly downgraded just to force people in spending more money... BTW the game should be rated M for mature because no kids have credit cards to buy VC.. This crap should be illegal, same with loot crates (gambling) and all micro    Those review sites that gave this game a good score have been paid off and have lost all credibility..

    How can you give a game a good score when it's clearly downgraded just to force people in spending more money...

    BTW the game should be rated M for mature because no kids have credit cards to buy VC..

    This crap should be illegal, same with loot crates (gambling) and all micro transactions in paid games. Dont give us that crap where games cost much more to make because the budgets for these games remain pretty much the same since 1997 not to mention games sell a lot more than they did back then too..

    I will never buy another 2k,activision,EA or any other game with loot crates,microtransactions etc... It's time to stop this garbage, gaming sucks now because it is no longer about passion and creativity but full of corporate a-holes .

    I remember when I was a kid and was excited for a new generation to come out, now I get worried because it seems like every new gen means a new way to screw us over... How about we all just link our bank accounts to 2ks, then that way they can just take money as they please, not enough money for 2k. Seems like every-time we buy a game these days we are getting raped, I dont like being touched that way 2k. You may foolin everyone else, but you aint foolin me, you may look like a sexy woman but we all know you're a fat hairy slob in disguise, so take your halloween costume off, you look ridiculous.. Just say " give us your money"
    People shouldn't have to take out a 2nd morgage to play games...

    Not really a review, more of a rant... but w.e.

    screw this game, screw 2k and screw any publisher/dev who accepts these practices...    … Expand
  70. RoccosRant
    Sep 22, 2017
    1
    Pay to play - The Game. They don't even try to hide it in a creative way. It's blatant, insulting, and unfortunately will work. 2K17 was good, this is a slight upgrade in graphics and mechanics and 10 steps backwards in just about every other aspect. What a joke.
  71. Maglen
    Sep 25, 2017
    1
    You need a lot of VC to upgrade your attributes
    You can't earn VC because you can't play well without decent attributes

    This game is the definition of Pay to Win.
  72. GamerJosh0137
    Sep 23, 2017
    1
    This is a classic case of no competition equals worse product scenario. Due to NBA 2k being the only "decent" Basketball video game on the market currently has lead to a developer/publisher knowing they can get away with shady business practices. Micro transactions around cosmetics is one thing (and not a big deal in my opinion) but micro transactions that are designed around allowingThis is a classic case of no competition equals worse product scenario. Due to NBA 2k being the only "decent" Basketball video game on the market currently has lead to a developer/publisher knowing they can get away with shady business practices. Micro transactions around cosmetics is one thing (and not a big deal in my opinion) but micro transactions that are designed around allowing you to skip large chunks of a game tell me that your game isn't worth playing to begin with. Maybe some gamers have hundreds of hours free to grind away at NBA 2K18 but I don't, and I am certainly not going to spend 20 dollars per hour skipped. My advice would be to vote with your wallets and send a message to developers that this kind of nonsense isn't ok. 40 years from now I don't want to watch my grand children play a game with these kinds of micro transactions and then tell them "I watched these kinds of micro transactions flood the market and I supported them 100%" lol :-) Look, if you are fine with this crap then by all means pay away. Or buy the game but not micro transactions. Either way you will come across someone who DID pay for stats and you may be left in the dust. I beg my fellow gamers to not make the same mistake I did and pay for this game.… Expand
  73. Chronos1
    Oct 10, 2017
    1
    This game got turned into a job farming VC.. not really a game if you ask me. This is just scheme for 2k to make easy money and they are counting on suckers to keep paying for VC.. yikes.
  74. thereal0G
    Nov 1, 2017
    1
    The same game as last year, only worse and and more expensive! The 1.7 average fan score and the flurry of negative comments on every 2K FaceBook post say it best.... the 2K community has had enough of this lack of effort. A few small examples of the overall lack of effort: my 7'1" center is a dwarf compared to Karl Anthony-Towns in all the cutscenes, he's barely larger than the PR Lady.The same game as last year, only worse and and more expensive! The 1.7 average fan score and the flurry of negative comments on every 2K FaceBook post say it best.... the 2K community has had enough of this lack of effort. A few small examples of the overall lack of effort: my 7'1" center is a dwarf compared to Karl Anthony-Towns in all the cutscenes, he's barely larger than the PR Lady. The same 3 refs seem to be in every game, they must be quite busy huh? The crowds at the games are pure robots, acting as a hivemind, and the laptops on the scoring table are made out of cardboard. The unskippable cutscenes are unbearable. I have had the sound muted on my TV for two weeks now because of how pathetic they are. Your MyPlayer starts significantly worse than even the worst NBA free agent. I've bought the past 5 NBA 2K games, but you better believe this is the last time I'm falling for the trick. I'm only going to continue playing this for a couple more weeks to avoid buyer's remorse... GG… Expand
  75. jimmorrison82
    Oct 10, 2017
    1
    harder than dark souls series,where is rookie dificulty?how many vc points we have to spent just to made a single shoot?is that the realism you are looking for?this game isnt for basketball fans who want just to relax and play a game.
  76. shiftyman
    Sep 16, 2017
    1
    Just a grind to get anywhere, the whole purpose is to sell vc, my player is so rigged to fail unless you buy coins to boost your player, it's pathetic, plus with the repeative cut scenes and sub par facial animations, 2nd rate graphics, makes this a fail.
  77. Ornuzd
    Sep 24, 2017
    1
    Solo una palabra.

    MICROPAGOS

    Como es posible que valiendo 60€ aun te metan micropagos (a un precio increible) que son "pay2win" vamos que son necesarios si o si para poder jugar.
  78. Prinny101
    Oct 20, 2017
    1
    sitting on bench simulator with unskippable cutscenes and microtransactions. Do not repeat my mistake! do not buy! do not buy! do not buy! do not buy!
  79. Liquidspider
    Sep 18, 2017
    1
    I really want to like 2k18, but the game play is so poor. The Developers preach defense wins game and on 2k17 i played great defense, but now even the slightest twitch on the thumb-stick and your man is 8 feet out of position.

    Plus why the slow play? I was playing MyTeam which i like better than MyPlayer its been done, quit kicking a dead horse (my opinion) but I was on a fast break    I really want to like 2k18, but the game play is so poor. The Developers preach defense wins game and on 2k17 i played great defense, but now even the slightest twitch on the thumb-stick and your man is 8 feet out of position.

    Plus why the slow play? I was playing MyTeam which i like better than MyPlayer its been done, quit kicking a dead horse (my opinion) but I was on a fast break with John Wall . . . . JOHN WALL and I was run down for a chase down block by Jonas Valančiūnas. . . COME ON MAN!

    I have to almost break the thumb-sticks to put my defender in position. And the AI for the other players is so bad, you'd think that the developers would watch some actual footage before creating the game. i mean what's going on? Centers that set up on the 3 point line?
    2 on 1 fast-break with Thon Maker and Dennis Schroder and Thon runs to the 3 point line and Dennis throws an alleyoop to no one.
    Pass to a wide open Kyle Korver and he takes a step inside the 3 point line for a jumpshot? REALLY? I really hope that some realistic patching comes our way soon.

    If the developers spend soooo much time making every dribble customizable then you should make every player do what they tend to do in real life. not Deandre Jordan in the corner for 3.

    I hope it gets better.    … Expand
  80. Iham3200
    Sep 18, 2017
    1
    Horrible. Ruining this great franchise of a game. I've been hardcore 2k fan since Dreamcast. All they did this year was take a step back and say "how can we add more micro transactions and sell more ads??" Game play and graphics still are legit, but they insist on creating these cheesy unbelievable stories for MyCareer and MyGM that the modes are unplayable.
  81. Syro23
    Sep 18, 2017
    1
    This game is terrible. I don't understand how the critics all think it is great. It runs poorly and forces the MyCareerr to have it at pro so that in order to progress at any reasonable rate you need to give them more money for micro transactions. The MyCareer option can't even run on the switch. Just google 'NBA 2k18 problems' There are a lot. Previous iterations are better and cheaper.This game is terrible. I don't understand how the critics all think it is great. It runs poorly and forces the MyCareerr to have it at pro so that in order to progress at any reasonable rate you need to give them more money for micro transactions. The MyCareer option can't even run on the switch. Just google 'NBA 2k18 problems' There are a lot. Previous iterations are better and cheaper. If you want to play a basketball game just stick with those. I was hoping to be able to play MyCareer on the go with my Switch but with the need for a constant connection to the internet I can't, even though MyCareer is single player.… Expand
  82. eljon
    Sep 23, 2017
    1
    I really expected that this would be a great game, but at the end I feel sick and disappointed of 2K. There are so many problems in this game and it's getting out of hand. I'll start with the pros at least if there are any

    1-The gameplay is actually smoother than 16 and 17. What I mean by this is that it feels better to control and it really feels more realistic . 2- The "Run the    I really expected that this would be a great game, but at the end I feel sick and disappointed of 2K. There are so many problems in this game and it's getting out of hand. I'll start with the pros at least if there are any

    1-The gameplay is actually smoother than 16 and 17. What I mean by this is that it feels better to control and it really feels more realistic .
    2- The "Run the Neighborhood" Concept is actually really fun. It feels like you're living the life of a NBA superstar by getting shirts,haircuts, tattoos and all of that. It's also nice where you are in the locker room and also shoot around before the game is a really nice touch
    3-The presentation is actually better than 2k17 at least. 2K17 didn't have a good presentation and interface but 2k18 is actaully good.

    And now the cons, where 2k has to suffer for what they done to us, for how they let us spend money on this garbage
    1- The difficulty is just out of control in this game. Even in the easiest difficulty which is Pro, it's still so damn difficult that sometimes it's already unplayable because you keep losing all the time. And this Pro we're talking about which is like the Hof
    2-The AI is also one of the reasons why I hate this game so bad. Your teammates suck. You can't rely on them to make a shot, they can't defend at all, they can't make a easy layup either. And also even if you defend your player he's still going to make the shot. It feels like they're unstoppable when it's a close game and you can't do anything
    3-The micro transactions is the most dumbest thing that 2k has ever done. We spent $60 for this game yet the game still wants you to buy more VC in order for you to upgrade your player. And not only that, you can't preview haircuts, you have to be a 75 to buy something from the NBA Store. It's basically telling us that if you dont' buy VC, you're screwed.
    4- The servers is still trash as well. The experience I had is you finish a game in MyCareer and it will tell you that there is a problem with the servers. It would be understandable if the game was saved but no it will let you repeat the game which you already finished which is frustating and is also the reason long load times is happening because they have a hard time trnasitionining from the game to going online.

    So that's all I have for you guys today. Thanks for reading and I hope that we learned our lesson today which is not to preorder 2k19. I hope that we will not lend our money to those greedy bastards as they don't care anymore about the quality instead all they want is the money. Don't fall for the same trick that they're going to do again.    … Expand
  83. methodroam
    Oct 10, 2017
    1
    I'm giving it a 1 just because NBA Live 18 exists, and that's a 0. As mentioned by other people here, terrible pointless grind you would expect in a freemium mobile game. Mechanically not much has changed from 17.
  84. LambYaTom
    Sep 22, 2017
    1
    The greed this year is disgusting and absolutely out of hand. If you primarily play mycareer then stay the hell away from this disgrace. I've never seen a game company this shamelessly take microtransactions this far, it's gross.
  85. arielrr
    Sep 22, 2017
    1
    The currency system needs an insane reboot. The system they have for the newer NBA 2k games is horrendous. The gameplay is just as good as it usually is but I can't support the greed shown by how expensive trivial things like haircuts are. Please either reduce the amount of VC needed to level up your MyPlayer or scrap the whole micro-transaction system seen in all modern Sports video games.
  86. Dantematthews33
    Sep 22, 2017
    1
    We all know about the blatant cash grab that this series has become but that's not my focus. I can't get past how buggy and glitchy this title is. From losing myPlayers(purchased VC) to not having VC added to your total to the actual gameplay. Ive read a few people say how great it is to finally play "sim" basketball and to anyone who chooses to disagree they call them "arcade" styleWe all know about the blatant cash grab that this series has become but that's not my focus. I can't get past how buggy and glitchy this title is. From losing myPlayers(purchased VC) to not having VC added to your total to the actual gameplay. Ive read a few people say how great it is to finally play "sim" basketball and to anyone who chooses to disagree they call them "arcade" style players. I totally disagree, the gameplay is terrible. The shot meter may be broken. I tracked 100 shots i took in practice. With no defenders my 86 overall sharpshooting shot creator SG made 9 of 44 midrange "good" release shots. Thats not "sim" basketball cause if an Nba level backup shot that way he wouldn't be in the NBA for much longer. This game needs a lot of work… Expand
  87. Bennern
    Sep 22, 2017
    1
    Gameplay is far better than last year, some issues needs to be patches though, like the layup system, imo last year had a better layup system when you learned how to time it perfectly. But this game has been overflown with VC, the currency in this game, it takes many hours if you want to unlock one simple animation on mycareer, it feels like i need to pay real money to enjoy this game, theGameplay is far better than last year, some issues needs to be patches though, like the layup system, imo last year had a better layup system when you learned how to time it perfectly. But this game has been overflown with VC, the currency in this game, it takes many hours if you want to unlock one simple animation on mycareer, it feels like i need to pay real money to enjoy this game, the grind is good but the greed is too much from 2K.… Expand
  88. Scubatheo
    Sep 22, 2017
    1
    Key fundamental parts of the game are broken (layups). My 86 ovr 6'4 slashing sg misses wide open layups consistently. I have played 2k religiously over the past 5-6 years and never did I expect to experience this. I didn't listen to all the haters and I'm regretting it now.
  89. Thanos2912
    Sep 23, 2017
    1
    Free to play game mechanics for 69.99 €. The good gameplay that exists,has no value since you cannot experience it ,unless you commit to microtransactions.The game was so heavily downgraded in order to steer us to VC purchasing that my career mode is honestly unplayable if you don't pay for VC. I wish i could refund.Seriously stay away unless you intend to spend money in VC.
  90. allkevinn
    Sep 23, 2017
    1
    jeez 2k if you really want the money charge $100 for the standard game and remove microtransactions entirely. this game screams cash grab more than recently released mobile games.

    - cant preview haircuts before purchasing, have to buy haircuts again if you change your mind - no extra vc for higher difficulty settings - grind is so bad that community is turning to glitches to get vc -    jeez 2k if you really want the money charge $100 for the standard game and remove microtransactions entirely. this game screams cash grab more than recently released mobile games.

    - cant preview haircuts before purchasing, have to buy haircuts again if you change your mind
    - no extra vc for higher difficulty settings
    - grind is so bad that community is turning to glitches to get vc
    - clothing purchased not transferable between myplayer characters
    - dunk packages, clothing, dribble moves etc. locked behind progression, means you can only buy the crap stuff before the good stuff, you have to save up again for the good stuff when you reach the required level

    safe to say, i will not be buying nba2k for the foreseeable future    … Expand
  91. Bable23
    Sep 25, 2017
    1
    They are abandoning users who were loyal to them, users who like basketball, who see it daily and who loved the franchise for what they had achieved in degrees of realism and immersion .. And for me, that is biting the hand that gives you food ..

    NBA 2K18? NO! NBA VC18...
  92. theplayer23
    Sep 25, 2017
    1
    this is just wrong to pay for a game which try to milk you from the first moment. it used to be bad but this year it has crossed the line. it feels like the industry went to far with robbing our money. nowadays you pay for an half game in the best case senerio and 2K took it above and beyond. Urrrr
  93. Jay008
    Sep 25, 2017
    1
    Greed kills. VC has ruined this game and in the process the developers haven't done anything but make the gameplay worse.
    Lots of broken aspects and modes, also there's a scripted rubber band effect in place that makes the losing team catch up even if it's human vs human. DO NOT BUY.
  94. theironfistisme
    Sep 26, 2017
    1
    Please if you are reading this do not waste your money on this game! I'm trying to save you money that you don't know you're being roped into spending! The use of micro transactions in the game seem hypocritical because the community knows that 2K doesn't need this money badly. The company of 2K threw this huge thing in New York City where they invited youtubers to come and stay for freePlease if you are reading this do not waste your money on this game! I'm trying to save you money that you don't know you're being roped into spending! The use of micro transactions in the game seem hypocritical because the community knows that 2K doesn't need this money badly. The company of 2K threw this huge thing in New York City where they invited youtubers to come and stay for free in a seemingly expensive hotel and were given free Nintendo Switches and shoes. So it's hard the justify the need for micro transactions at every turn here. Here are some of the places where micro transactions are placed in crucial parts of the game. Mycareer is a mode where you control a player that you can make look and potentially play like you do. But you have to spend VC in order to even make your basic player do basic things anyone in the nba can do like make layups. You may be one of those people like me who thinks that you can just grind past those micro transactions and of course it is certainly possible but I recently so something that showed someone had done the math and it'll take you 200+ games to get to a max character! Ask yourself if you personally have that much time to spend on a game. Something else you may be thinking is "So what I have to pay a few extra buck, I'm willing to do that." Well if you want to pay to upgrade your player to it's cap of 85 you'll have to pay $100+. And I can't forget to mention how they upped the price for multiple things that make your player unique like hair, tattoos, and clothing. Myteam the other most popular game mode and you'll start the game out with not very good cards. This makes sense, because obviously it wouldn't make sense for people to start the game with the best cards. But compared to last yeah and the year before they give significantly less MT (the currency for just this game mode). This is an incentive for people to buy VC and open packs, but unlike in mycareer where you are guaranteed a good player, here you only have a chance to get a good player. I've seen many youtubers who use the money they make from making 2K videos putting that money back into the game which is their choice of course but it shows their viewers how much of a rip off these packs are. The last mode I'll talk about is Play Now Online where you pick one team and play with that team against other people online based off which "league" you are in. This mode is generally fun and I do quite enjoy it and what stops this game from being a 0 is the fact that 2K added all time teams and a whole bunch more historic teams which is much appreciated. And when I was playing the mode last year I didn't notice this but it's possible the micro transactions were in there, but this year I've noticed you can buy wins. How on earth is this even a thing. Before I forget to mention, a player earns more VC the higher the league they are in. So this means a person can just pay to earn more money??? It's hard to wrap my head around this idea which basically raises it's middle finger to people who grind their way into the higher leagues. Okay that's enough complaining on just the micro transactions (If you want to know more basically just read the other user reviews). Time to get into the game play for this year. There are people who complained that 2K 17's game play was garbage. To be honest I was one of those people. There were so many different things wrong with that game. Then NBA LIVE 18 came out and people said the same thing except that this game play was worse than 2K 17's. Ironically, NBA 2K 18's game play now feels similar to NBA LIVE 18's. The dribbling feels much more stiff than last year and now when I pass I feel like the ball almost never goes to the person it was supposed to go to. I've compared the issues with this years iteration of the game and last years and it seems that with every step forward that 2K took forward by fixing a game play flaw that the community complained about last year, they went and messed something else up that made things worse. I found myself not having a life because I could play the game for 10+ hours at a time but now after a game or two I need to take a break and do something different because the game play can be that unbearable sometimes. Don't even mention the story that is unbearable and awful to watch. Plus there's the fact that you can't skip it. The audacity to not allow people to skip a story that is garbage to compared to amazing games that have a game thats story is amazing but you can skip it bewilders me. Last but not least is the lag. Plain and simple it can makes the game unplayable. I know that my game lags not because of me 1, because other online games don't lag in nearly the same way and 2, because I hear the same complaints from lots of other people. I can't add any points to the score because is it better? No. Is it worse? Yeah. Maybe the 1 is an overreaction but at the same time I find myself arguing with myself saying "How is it an overreaction?"… Expand
  95. shordje
    Sep 27, 2017
    1
    Everyone who plays this game is saying the exact same thing - "it feels like it should be a free to play game".

    If you are a "casual gamer" with 1-2 hours of playtime after your workday you will feel like you would do nearly no progress in any of the game modes. (I play MyTeam and MyPlayer) MyPlayer doesn't even allow you to earn your reputation globally for multiple chars like last    Everyone who plays this game is saying the exact same thing - "it feels like it should be a free to play game".

    If you are a "casual gamer" with 1-2 hours of playtime after your workday you will feel like you would do nearly no progress in any of the game modes. (I play MyTeam and MyPlayer)

    MyPlayer doesn't even allow you to earn your reputation globally for multiple chars like last year.
    This results into a situation where you cant help out your mates with different builds because you are forced to spent a whole lot of money without even progressing overall...

    Im from germany so please apologize my english writing skills.    … Expand
  96. Alviseb
    Sep 27, 2017
    1
    I've been supporting nba 2K game for the last 5-6 years, but with 2k18 they crossed the red line. I'm extremely disapointed. This is by far the worst nba 2k game ever. Lot of bugs and gliches on any of the game modes, online play is terrible, 2K servers sucks, their support department is a joke and of course you have to pay ridiculous amount of VC for everything in MyCareer (1,500 VC for aI've been supporting nba 2K game for the last 5-6 years, but with 2k18 they crossed the red line. I'm extremely disapointed. This is by far the worst nba 2k game ever. Lot of bugs and gliches on any of the game modes, online play is terrible, 2K servers sucks, their support department is a joke and of course you have to pay ridiculous amount of VC for everything in MyCareer (1,500 VC for a hair cut? c'mon guys). They removed everything good in the game and ruined it. Don't count on me next year 2K, this is the last time I buy your game.… Expand
  97. Private_Gump98
    Oct 2, 2017
    1
    I'm gonna start by saying this is the first 2K I have enjoyed to play since 2K13. The game play feels tight, the shot timing feels good, and 2K cheese seems somewhat minimized. I have had a lot of fun playing offline matches with friends locally. BUT, the micro-transactions have gone too far. It is too much of a cash grab, bordering on mobile game levels. They've RUINED MyPlayer withI'm gonna start by saying this is the first 2K I have enjoyed to play since 2K13. The game play feels tight, the shot timing feels good, and 2K cheese seems somewhat minimized. I have had a lot of fun playing offline matches with friends locally. BUT, the micro-transactions have gone too far. It is too much of a cash grab, bordering on mobile game levels. They've RUINED MyPlayer with micro-transactions, cut-scenes, and the worst most cringe inducing "story" I have ever seen. Not to mention there is no offline "Association" mode ( It was removed years ago but still ) and in its place instead is MyGM, just another game mode you can dump VC into. 2K has taken advantage of their relative monopoly the last couple years and instead of perfecting their game and adding stuff people actually want they spend their time getting every last dollar out of their fan-base, shame.… Expand
  98. FrenchGuy91
    Oct 5, 2017
    1
    Pros :
    - Good simulation
    - Good IA - Good gameplay overall - Good sports commentary CONS : - ABUSIVE Microtransaction system - Buggy (clipping, lags, crash, connection loss) - MyGM mode scenario useless and frustrating - MyGM IA bugged (K.Durant not prolonged at GW because salary cap full -> WTF??) - Neighborhood useless and laggy (no shortcut menu to the different shops) -    Pros :
    - Good simulation
    - Good IA
    - Good gameplay overall
    - Good sports commentary

    CONS :
    - ABUSIVE Microtransaction system
    - Buggy (clipping, lags, crash, connection loss)
    - MyGM mode scenario useless and frustrating
    - MyGM IA bugged (K.Durant not prolonged at GW because salary cap full -> WTF??)
    - Neighborhood useless and laggy (no shortcut menu to the different shops)
    - Cutscene in MyCarreer not skippable and awfully written

    At the moment, it wiil be my last NBA 2K game I purchase. Hope last year NBA LIVE step up and deliver a better game.    … Expand
  99. NichRigga
    Oct 7, 2017
    1
    Everything is wrong with this trash ass game. It's boring asf and not fun to play and everything is so **** expensive. Dribbling is stiff, shooting is ass, missing open layups, game freezes, lagouts. Server's are the **** worst. Most money hungry **** game and worst than nba2k17.
  100. elLewy
    Oct 14, 2017
    1
    This is the first NBA game I have played, particularly because I heard good things about the 2K NBA series. However, what a disappointment this game was. Not because the gameplay wasn't amazing, or the graphics highly detailed etc. The VC ruined the entire experience for me. Now I don't know how much NBA players earn in real life, but I'm pretty sure it's more than what they pay you onThis is the first NBA game I have played, particularly because I heard good things about the 2K NBA series. However, what a disappointment this game was. Not because the gameplay wasn't amazing, or the graphics highly detailed etc. The VC ruined the entire experience for me. Now I don't know how much NBA players earn in real life, but I'm pretty sure it's more than what they pay you on this game, even when you become a starter. Everything in this game involves VC. Everything. When you earn so little and everything is so expensive, it becomes a frustrating experience. For a nice pair of Jordan's to walk about is like 4,000VC. That's maybe 5 or 6 games to play to just afford them. Then you have to spend VC to improve your stats, it's like 2K is forcing players to spend real money on VC to gain any enjoyment out of this. The story is mediocre as well, not as good as what I had heard from people to be honest. The create-a-player system was awful, my guy looked about 12 and had an annoying voice/accent. Did not enjoy this game in the slightest. If you enjoy paying extra than the base-game then go for it. To anybody else, avoid.… Expand
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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

All reviews »
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]
See all critic reviews »