User Score
1.8

Overwhelming dislike- based on 742 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 742
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  1. 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.
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  2. 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.
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  3. 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
  4. Sep 25, 2018
    0
    Microtransactions are a farce and for a fully priced game it doesn't belong. Stop buying these games with microtransactions.
  5. Oct 14, 2018
    0
    Cancer on gaming pay money or you cant play or progress or do anything should be illegal
  6. Jan 11, 2018
    0
    I made this account just to fu*king rant on this piece of sh*t. The VC alone is fu*kin ridiculous, but the game mechanics and the stupid fu*king a*s AI is so frustrating it makes you want to delete the god damn game. You can go 0/5 on a WIDE FU*KING OPEN 3's with GOOD release (fu*kin BS) and your brain-dead teammates would run behind the other team when you pass just to create a freakin TOI made this account just to fu*king rant on this piece of sh*t. The VC alone is fu*kin ridiculous, but the game mechanics and the stupid fu*king a*s AI is so frustrating it makes you want to delete the god damn game. You can go 0/5 on a WIDE FU*KING OPEN 3's with GOOD release (fu*kin BS) and your brain-dead teammates would run behind the other team when you pass just to create a freakin TO on you. What the Sh*t?! Do not buy this game, it's an absolute fu*king trash. Expand
  7. Nov 11, 2018
    0
    Obviously the game companies are losing touch with the consumers. But the so called game journalists are also losing touch. Look at their ratings vs the consumers ratings. Game journalists are losing touch with reality. This game is terrible.
  8. Jan 6, 2018
    0
    Another game rushed out to the consumer just for the money. Its very evident as soon as you play that 2k skipped so many corners in fine tuning this game. This is obvious by the fact that you dont actually have to be good at playing the game, you just have to know how to exploit the disastrous animations. (zig-zag cheese and getting players stuck in animations to run right by them)Another game rushed out to the consumer just for the money. Its very evident as soon as you play that 2k skipped so many corners in fine tuning this game. This is obvious by the fact that you dont actually have to be good at playing the game, you just have to know how to exploit the disastrous animations. (zig-zag cheese and getting players stuck in animations to run right by them)

    Looking pass the flawed game play mechanics, you can file this one in the pay to play category. MyTeam is heavily influenced by the overly priced packs coupled with the throttled currency you earn from playing. For God sake! you cant even use the auction house without completing certain goals including buying a pack using MT or VC. I would have more to say about my team, but i was very discourage to continue playing the mode due to the requirement to rely on packs (with noticeably low odds at pulling anything worth anything).

    MyCareer was fun for the first season. the progression seemed fair and kept me entertained until i reached about 77 overall. It goes from enjoyable cruising speed to awful bumper to bumper traffic speed. By the time you complete the first 82 games you will be around 75-78 overall and the next seasons can be summed up to intense grind. upgrades become unreasonably expensive which is just another excuse to get the player to pay real money to jump ahead.

    MyGm was the same. OK

    Ill sum it up in one sentence. Shameless "basketball" casino

    Fix This Ish Ronnie
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  9. Dec 24, 2017
    1
    One of the biggest disappointments for video games in 2017. This game largely leans on microtransactions for the majority of it's modes. MyCareer is only enjoyable if you have a good player, which costs a lot of VC. MyTeam mode, which was my personal favorite, is ruined by frustrating online modes, unfair pack odds, and the only way to get good players is through buying VC to get boxes, soOne of the biggest disappointments for video games in 2017. This game largely leans on microtransactions for the majority of it's modes. MyCareer is only enjoyable if you have a good player, which costs a lot of VC. MyTeam mode, which was my personal favorite, is ruined by frustrating online modes, unfair pack odds, and the only way to get good players is through buying VC to get boxes, so again, it is extremely pay-to-win. The new "story" for MyGM mode that was very hyped up only lasts one season. The gameplay itself is decent, when you aren't dribbling off of the opponent's feet every other possession. In addition to microtransactions, The amount of server issues this game has is unbelievable, so you can't even play the modes half of the time. And with the amount of issues and glitches that this game has, their support is completely incompetent. Just embarrassing. Definitely will have to think twice about buying another NBA 2K game. Expand
  10. Jan 8, 2018
    0
    Without a doubt the worst game I have ever played. Aside from the microtransactions, which warrant the game a 0 rating in and of itself, the game and the company are overall pathetically atrocious. 2k does not listen to the community (which is nothing new), but there is a threshold to the fanbase's tolerance. This game is it. The gameplay is pure garbage — constant missed layups with noWithout a doubt the worst game I have ever played. Aside from the microtransactions, which warrant the game a 0 rating in and of itself, the game and the company are overall pathetically atrocious. 2k does not listen to the community (which is nothing new), but there is a threshold to the fanbase's tolerance. This game is it. The gameplay is pure garbage — constant missed layups with no one in the vicinity, the inordinate amount of fouls, the scripting of the cpu, the number of missed open shots, etc. 2k obviously does not care about these complaints that the community has aired out, thereby disrespecting their fanbase. The product is not even close to finished. This is at best a beta product. Some of us have continued supporting 2k products each and every year in hopes that they would begin listening to the community's pleas. They have not. This is the last 2k product I am ever buying. Open your damn eyes you greedy, filthy, sorry excuse of a company. Expand
  11. Jan 15, 2018
    0
    This is by far the worst 2k ever. The game isn’t just straight pay to win. You can’t really have fun without paying money. Not only that, but I have a big problem with the gameplay. I hate how you can’t catch the ball with a center in myteam, and plus the Bump Steals drive me MENTAL! This is TRASH!!!
  12. Jan 30, 2018
    1
    What can I say about this game that hasn't already been said? This game is the worst 2k game I’ve ever bought and the sad part is it might be the best basketball video game I've played as far as gameplay is concerned. I bought the game on launch and quickly quit playing it after a week or two. I am a mycareer player only and after seeing all the glitches and microtransactions I decided theWhat can I say about this game that hasn't already been said? This game is the worst 2k game I’ve ever bought and the sad part is it might be the best basketball video game I've played as far as gameplay is concerned. I bought the game on launch and quickly quit playing it after a week or two. I am a mycareer player only and after seeing all the glitches and microtransactions I decided the game wasn’t worth playing or at least not in its current state. I finally decided to pick it up and start playing again Sunday night (January 28th) I had heard that 2k had fixed some of the microtransaction concerns and I know that at this point the game has been patched a few times so I figured I’d give it a shot. Using the 25 dollar PSN 25 gift card that I had since Christmas I bought some VC (stupid I know) because I honestly wanted to see how far 25 bucks (90,000 VC) would get me if I used it all on a fresh 60 overall player. In the end I got to 75 overall and since then I've played 5 games on all-star difficulty and so far I have only made about 2500 VC which was enough to upgrade my player 1 attribute point in a major skill (layup) and enough to get 4 non-generic dribble animations that actually allow me to get open for shots. Even at 75 overall, I am still missing wide open shots going 2/10 and 3/10 in back to back games. I’m not taking bad shots and I’ve been practicing my shot on my court and in the team workouts where I am being guarded so I can adjust for that. I can get green shots at least half the time in those situations which tells me that my shot timing changes in the game and that isn’t fair and it seems like another way that the game is pushing you to pay to make your shot better. I miss 2k14 so much not because it was the best 2k ever, but because in that game I could make my player better, get on court accessories, and get a bunch of different badges all without spending a dime after the original purchase. The gameplay and graphics weren't as nice as 2k18 but the game was much more fun because there wasn’t a paywall and tons of microtransactions holding you back from enjoying the core game. I wish these publishers would stop being so dang greedy. I just wanted to pay my 60 dollars and play mycareer mode I want to upgrade my player without spending any more cash and maybe get a cool story to go along with it, but that will probably never happen again. I don’t play park, or pro-am, or myleague, or myGM but still I am forced to pay money for VC just so I can have a decent player to play the games AI. I'm so sick of buying a game for 60 dollars just to be forced to pay more just so I can enjoy the core game right from the start. People will say you don’t have to pay if you don’t want to well it cost almost 190,000 VC to get to 85 compared to the 180,000 VC it took to fully upgrade a player to 95 last year and you can start to see the problem. This game basically forces you to pay to have a decent player if you have any kind of life away from your console and me for one will not be buying another 2k game until this paywall is removed. I am a diehard 2k fan I’ve been playing since 2k9 and I just won’t allow myself to be ripped off by these people anymore. I just wanted to play standard mycareer mode and upgrade my player at a decent pace based on how well I play against the AI is that too much to ask for? I give this game a 1 because the basketball simulation is good but there are just too many self-inflicted problems and pay to play systems for this game to be a good game. Expand
  13. 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
  14. Feb 10, 2018
    0
    This game is Garbage, basic 75 OVERALLS constantly shoot up contested 3 pointers and makes them while good players get cheated . DO NOT BUY THIS GAME IT IS A WASTE OF MONEY. people complain and 2k does nothing about this
  15. Sep 13, 2018
    0
    Microtransaction simulator garbage. Stay away.

    Its a full price game... that requires you to pay the same or more again if you want to progress at all. Its basically a money scam.
  16. 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 ...
  17. 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
  18. Jul 15, 2018
    0
    absolutely terrible game... the producers of 2k care very little about pleasing their buyers, but more so about gaining profit, and they do so every single opportunity they get. if it wasnt for the micro transactions, the gameplay as well is simply unrealistic and can be extremely frustrating for someone who plays competitively. Its unfortunate for me to say that this game is absolutelyabsolutely terrible game... the producers of 2k care very little about pleasing their buyers, but more so about gaining profit, and they do so every single opportunity they get. if it wasnt for the micro transactions, the gameplay as well is simply unrealistic and can be extremely frustrating for someone who plays competitively. Its unfortunate for me to say that this game is absolutely PATHETIC and the user reviews do not lie! Expand
  19. Jul 28, 2018
    1
    Don't get me wrong this game is horrendously bad and full of micro-transactions , but I saw potential in the neighborhood though the cut-scenes were awful and everything was overpriced, the hood was huge and it has some good modes like king of the court or dunk off, now the gameplay, yikes it was even worse than last year, you see why are centers at the 3-point line and everyone on my teamDon't get me wrong this game is horrendously bad and full of micro-transactions , but I saw potential in the neighborhood though the cut-scenes were awful and everything was overpriced, the hood was huge and it has some good modes like king of the court or dunk off, now the gameplay, yikes it was even worse than last year, you see why are centers at the 3-point line and everyone on my team isn't reacting to the offense or even moving? it still has time to improve to a 5.7/10 generously like I'm trying to be positive but this was a waterfall of quality compared to even last year in 2K17, and honestly I expect 2K19 to be awful. Verdict: 1.4/10 or 0.7/5.0 or if your a fan of Nintendo you-tuber Arlo 1.1/7. +Smooth Graphics +The Hood has potential - horrendous game play -overpriced - disgusting soundtrack - terrible cut scenes. To make a long story short DO NOT PLAY NO MATTER HOW CRAZY YOU ARE!!! Expand
  20. Jun 12, 2018
    0
    Micro transaction greed, terrible servers (almost completely unplayable) and bad Mycareer storyline. Other modes like MyLeague hasn't changed at all.
  21. Jun 17, 2018
    0
    The neighborhood is awful, the grind sucks and the VC/micro-transactions make it all even worse. I've been playing 2K for years, but I switched to NBA Live 18 for this cycle and had so much fun with it. A better, more fun career and a game that's just better to pick up and play.
  22. Jun 11, 2019
    0
    Nba Live had the loin's share of the market got complacent so hoops fans went to to 2k now 2k has got complacent and greedy asf fans are starting to come back to live......nearly unplayable till you buy vc don't for one second think you can grind your way through without vc you will have a mental breakdown before achieving anything i would leave this product where it belongs on the shelf.
  23. Jul 29, 2018
    0
    I have just created this account so I can rate this game as one of the worst in sports history. I've been playing it for the whole year, simply because I love basketball and I wanted to give them one more shot after 2k17... Right now I don't think they deserve a single penny for their games:
    - MyPlayer is horrbile... from writing, unskippable cutscenes, obnoxious caps on your stats (wanna
    I have just created this account so I can rate this game as one of the worst in sports history. I've been playing it for the whole year, simply because I love basketball and I wanted to give them one more shot after 2k17... Right now I don't think they deserve a single penny for their games:
    - MyPlayer is horrbile... from writing, unskippable cutscenes, obnoxious caps on your stats (wanna make your favourite player?? Too bad, cause if you want to be 6'8" you will be slow as Shaq. Cause we never had players like Grant Hill, T-mac, Durant - no, if you are 6'8" you are slow.). This mode is failure on every aspect I can find, games are too easy even on Hall of Fame level - after you score a couple of times, they will simply double team you leaving one guy open 95% of the time - check out smooves videos. It's hard to level your player up, you are advised to purchuase VC for money... in a game that costs 60$... Joke
    - MyTeam is another horrbile, just horrbile mode. I've played it for the whole year, trying to have fun in it. And i had! When I played challanges vs the game itself. Too bad they are cheap, easy copy paste stuff and there's not enough of them (They have created Schedule Challanges, that became boring after 2 matches - how can you make this boring i ask? It was sooo easy to make it fun, but yet again they managed to screw this up. Then if you go play online - there's where fun part begins... Players are cheap as hell, because nobody cares about this game anymore. You can bust your ass all year, to earn players and money, just so somebody can buy 10 Pink Diamond (99 overall) players from market for almost nothing. But hey, maybe you will be skilled enough to win with them. You could if it wasn't for the obnoxious 2 second delay on input, that makes blocking, defending and passing the ball almost impossible (just for the record I don;t have that problem in any other game). Even then, why should you try to block and jump to any ball if players like Harden, Magic Johnson and Baron Davis can dunk on your prime Shaquille O'Neal - just pure realistic stuff...
    - MyGM... Good lord, who did you put in charge of this mode?! Can you imagine designing mode in which you take control over one team and try to make them contender by trading players, setting trainings, taking care of morale of the players - just imagine you do so. You take piece of paper and you think what fun feature you could add so it will be the best experience... What did you write? Did you write "I will make horrbile trades without player's permission and I will relocate Los Angeles Lakers to Seattle also without player's permission".... WHAT THE ACTUAL....
    -MyLeague - when I noticed that MyGM is borderline stupid I've decided to play some MyLeague, where I won't have issues with this type of stuff. But I just feels empty. For some reason they decided to cut 60% of the content when you swap from MyGM to MyLeague but hey, maybe that will be fun anyway, let's give it a try. So I wanted to bring Kawhi Leonard to LAL - Kuzma, Ingram, Randle (all above 80 overall) and 3 first round picks aren't enough... Just because some designers decided that if you want to play League then there will be players that you CANNOT trade for... Literally you just cannot trade for them. Just like in real life isn't it Kawhi??... After a couple of minutes I decided to trade Luol Deng and got 2 picks for him... I'm done
    And I didn't even talk about gameplay itself. It's repetitive, since AI will always do the same things over and over again and players online will only cheese, running zig zags and abusing dumb AI.
    What bothers me the most is the fact that this game had really huge potential. I am simply disapointed. I think the whole team of this game should be ashemed of themselves.
    - AI is dumb as hell (double teams comming of Korver or Ray Allen, so they can help Shaq defend Karl Anthony Towns... With option "NO DOUBLE TEAMS" set as my defensive settings)
    - Settings don't save themselves - because it's sooo hard to do
    - Design of almost every aspect of the game is borderline stupid and boring
    I think programmers, desingers and quality assurance team for this game should be ASHEMED of themselves... I would never want to make any game with you, nor buy any game that was writen by your hand...

    PS: Please note, that I have mentioned In game purchases only ONCE!
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  24. Sep 16, 2018
    0
    I feel like the animations get better every year, with new exclusive added features. I tried playing NBA live, and it just couldn't compare that well. NBA 2k has mastered the game all the way down to NBA exact jumpshots. This one also allows you to block more dunks, than before. Also, performing signature moves has gotten way easier than before.
  25. 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.
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  26. Nov 9, 2018
    0
    What's that? You just bought a fully priced game? WHO CARES?! We're going to exploit the hell out of you anyways! Less rewards for more work, and more expensive cosmetics than ever before! This is seriously a cesspool of greed. This game is representative of everything that is wrong with the gaming industry today. I played it for an hour, calculated out how long it would take beforeWhat's that? You just bought a fully priced game? WHO CARES?! We're going to exploit the hell out of you anyways! Less rewards for more work, and more expensive cosmetics than ever before! This is seriously a cesspool of greed. This game is representative of everything that is wrong with the gaming industry today. I played it for an hour, calculated out how long it would take before it became it reasonably enjoyable, and returned that crap. Reason? "The game doesn't work!". I didn't even have to lie to return it!

    Nice graphics and smooth game play, but all of that is trounced by the fact that they've created an unenjoyable, exploitative mess. Any review site should be ashamed to give this game a high score when the racket that is VC is taken into account.

    Invasive microtransactions have no place in games that are already fully priced. FULL STOP.
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  27. Mar 24, 2019
    0
    MICROTRANSACTIONS. all i need to say. plus prooly executed impelmet of the neighborhood. plus no fix of gamebreaking animations like snatch backs and blowbuys. plus never adding any new content. plus horrible lag and delayers
  28. 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
  29. Jun 19, 2019
    0
    It is sad to see that Microtransactions have killed off my favorite franchise, but here we are.
  30. Jun 25, 2019
    1
    First off I wanna say is I would rate this game a 0 but when I try it tells me to "select a rating" This game deserves a 0 nothing more!!!!! I'm basically forced to rate you a 1 when this game doesn't even deserve that. This gameplay is absolutely HORRIBLE!!!!!!!! I've played other 2ks before and I'm really good at them! but this one is plain stupid!!!! I play Mycareer a lot! And my playerFirst off I wanna say is I would rate this game a 0 but when I try it tells me to "select a rating" This game deserves a 0 nothing more!!!!! I'm basically forced to rate you a 1 when this game doesn't even deserve that. This gameplay is absolutely HORRIBLE!!!!!!!! I've played other 2ks before and I'm really good at them! but this one is plain stupid!!!! I play Mycareer a lot! And my player has an overall 84 open/contested 3pt shot! But I literally miss EVERY single shot!! 1/10 I'll make and that's if I'm lucky! Not to mention the layups! My player can't even make a layup!! This is ridiculous!!!! To whoever is thinking of getting it DONT!!!! Waste of time and money!! And on top of that all the transactions to!!!! You have to pay $60+ for the game and then even more just to make it SEMI ENJOYABLE!!!!! Worst game ever purchased. So I wanna give a BIG **** YOU to the creators of this game! You really ****ed over your fan base!!! Congrats douchebags!! Expand
  31. 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.
  32. Nov 1, 2019
    5
    Good game I enjoyed by playing this . For me is the best 2k ever no
  33. Nov 29, 2019
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. ****
    Apsolute **** worst game ever

    Worst 2k I regret the day i got it
    Expand
  34. Dec 2, 2019
    0
    Microtransactions!!
    stay away from this infinite money hole, complete with gambling mechanics
  35. Feb 19, 2020
    0
    Damn. Critics are really getting paid to swallow their dignity. I guess they desperately need money..
  36. Jan 6, 2020
    0
    Terrible game, no improvements and terrible animations. 2k hasn’t fixed any of its prior problems. The only improvements are the graphics.
  37. 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.
  38. Apr 6, 2020
    0
    User ratings are always better than critic ratings. Usually they are payed or just flat out do wtf they are talking about. 2K18 is literally one of if not the worst 2K title to come out. Players shooting automatically drops to garbage in crunch time for no reason, AIs are stupid asf (like they literally just **** stand there even when your calling plays, blow wide open layups and openUser ratings are always better than critic ratings. Usually they are payed or just flat out do wtf they are talking about. 2K18 is literally one of if not the worst 2K title to come out. Players shooting automatically drops to garbage in crunch time for no reason, AIs are stupid asf (like they literally just **** stand there even when your calling plays, blow wide open layups and open shots with no one around them), your signature don’t help you at all and let’s not even get into trash ass career mode. The shooting mechanics are ass asf and after awhile perfectly timed shots brick anyway even with a high percentage chance of going in. Get any other 2K but this one Expand
  39. Sep 24, 2020
    0
    The worst nba2k. I dont know how they follow up great 2ks like 16 and 17 with this.
  40. Oct 6, 2020
    6
    Slightly overhated, not bad gameplay wise, and that's all I really look for in a 2k game
  41. Apr 19, 2021
    1
    very bad like i mean very bad NOT worth it at all the game sucks i hate it it has nothing new that's good or actually fun.
  42. 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.
  43. Jul 21, 2022
    1
    worst mycareer of any game, **** gameplay, everything is either duplicated from 2k17 or worse. **** this game
  44. Nov 27, 2021
    0
    Like most sports games these days, you have an illusion of control but most of it is rng simulation based on “likely outcomes” from your skills. This game won’t even let you have fun though. Try playing a career. It’s hell. I’m a casual basketball fan, I don’t care about getting gold. I want to play like it was before the e sports and streaming scene ruined things. I want to be the best onLike most sports games these days, you have an illusion of control but most of it is rng simulation based on “likely outcomes” from your skills. This game won’t even let you have fun though. Try playing a career. It’s hell. I’m a casual basketball fan, I don’t care about getting gold. I want to play like it was before the e sports and streaming scene ruined things. I want to be the best on the court without spending 10 hours a day practicing at a video game. I’ve played this franchise for about 10 years now and this is a low point. Having played 2k21 I can say it’s continued to go downhill. Not everyone wants to compete online. Some people want to chill in their free time. I guess that’s not allowed anymore. Save yourself the bs and skip anything 2k games. Seriously. Expand
  45. Jul 3, 2021
    1
    The worst NBA 2k game Ive played and will ever play. The neighborhood is a horrible change that they shouldn't have made. Then everything costs WAY too much. And it takes way too long to actually "grind" out your player. This game is so bad to the point where I haven't bought a NBA 2k game since. Its the last NBA 2k that I will EVER play. All of the critics that are saying its a good gameThe worst NBA 2k game Ive played and will ever play. The neighborhood is a horrible change that they shouldn't have made. Then everything costs WAY too much. And it takes way too long to actually "grind" out your player. This game is so bad to the point where I haven't bought a NBA 2k game since. Its the last NBA 2k that I will EVER play. All of the critics that are saying its a good game have either been payed to say that or they just like to lie for fun. Because this game is absolutely garbage. Expand
  46. Sep 11, 2021
    1
    This game ruined MyCareer, did nothing interesting with MyTeam, and ruined the gameplay with constant blowbyes. The worst 2K ever.
  47. Jul 12, 2022
    0
    Game Is so **** garbage and so does it microtransactions And Defense! This Is The Worstest 2K Ever And I MEAN IT!
  48. Apr 7, 2023
    10
    I love feeling you in game haptic feedback control and graphic amazing and I recommend pick one up in store
  49. Jun 22, 2023
    1
    Terrible gameplay. terrible MY CAREER, terrible micro-transactions....basically, everything is terrible.
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 54
  2. Negative: 4 out of 54
  1. Jan 28, 2018
    83
    Basketball fans, NBA 2K18 is your new best friend… until the next fall.
  2. 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.
  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]