User Score
2.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 462 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 86 out of 462
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. Sep 14, 2018
    0
    The game is pay2win. All the content is locked behind VC and MT, you must pay to enjoy the game. The grind is insane and it's not possible to unlock anything by playing unless you play 10h/day every day for 5 months. And they even lowered rewards this year and locked the auction.
  2. Sep 14, 2018
    0
    You should not buy this game at all, which is sad if you are a fan of basketball. The use of micro-transactions is egregious; at every corner VC is required to progress your character. This is a "AAA Game" that costs $60 yet it is based on a pay to win platform....this is unacceptable. One cannot play the game without being inundated with commercials either. The announcers literallyYou should not buy this game at all, which is sad if you are a fan of basketball. The use of micro-transactions is egregious; at every corner VC is required to progress your character. This is a "AAA Game" that costs $60 yet it is based on a pay to win platform....this is unacceptable. One cannot play the game without being inundated with commercials either. The announcers literally plug Gatorade for 30 seconds at a time. 2K is trash and predatory. Parents...do not buy your kids VC as this is an unethical scheme Expand
  3. Sep 14, 2018
    0
    This is going out of the control.
    Greed takes over like nobody cares.
    It is very frustrating that the money is more important than to satisfy the consumers so they actually can enjoy the game and recommend for others like back in the day when there was no pay to win rubbish in the games like this. Everyone who gives a high score here please tell me this: Why is it fun to play approx.
    This is going out of the control.
    Greed takes over like nobody cares.
    It is very frustrating that the money is more important than to satisfy the consumers so they actually can enjoy the game and recommend for others like back in the day when there was no pay to win rubbish in the games like this.

    Everyone who gives a high score here please tell me this: Why is it fun to play approx. 20 hrs and have an 80 overall player heading to Mypark and hoping to have a balanced/not one sided game with others who has 90+ overall and with only playing 5 hours because they levelled up with real money?

    It has been for years now.

    I am talking from experience, I have 100+ hour in mypark in 2k15, 2k16, 2k17 struggling to win because of I could not afford extra money to pay to unlock extra attribute points to increase my overall stats.

    Shame on the publisher who just want money instead to create the best ever basketball sport simulation in history.

    I recommend NBA LIVE 19. It is not bad at all. A different experience for sure but it has no pay to win. If you see a 90+ overall player online, well you can tell that player has worked all the way up to earn the skills and ratings which is fair and inspirational.

    Here is how 2k shall sell coffee for their employees at their headquarters:

    Basic espresso straight from the machine right into the mouth – 100 VC
    Basic espresso served in a paper cup – 140 VC
    Double espresso in a paper cup and a lid – 250 VC
    Coffee latte + paper cup + lid – 300 VC
    Plus sugar – 60 VC each sachet
    Plus sweetener – 80 VC
    Plus/minus temperate of the beverages – 20 VC/10 degrees
    Extra milk (cold) – 80 VC / 10ml
    Extra milk (hot) – 90 VC / 10ml
    Chocolate powder on top – FREE if you buy NBA2K 19 Anniversary Edition
    Expand
  4. Sep 13, 2018
    1
    there is something wrong with game's face models and lighting as they look very plastic-like and lighting on the skin looks awful. There is also NO Brightness and HDR settings in the menus...ONCE AGAIN. The colours look awful on my 4K HDR TV and it is only game where they seem to overbright and I cannot do anything about it, because 2K was too lazy to implement the settings..

    Online is
    there is something wrong with game's face models and lighting as they look very plastic-like and lighting on the skin looks awful. There is also NO Brightness and HDR settings in the menus...ONCE AGAIN. The colours look awful on my 4K HDR TV and it is only game where they seem to overbright and I cannot do anything about it, because 2K was too lazy to implement the settings..

    Online is still laggy and there's still input latency, although surprisingly it is much less of it this year than previous years (2K17 etc, was unplayable because of the input lag when playing online games).

    I don't really like the way they adjusted the difficulty settings this year as it seems that CPU nails all the shots, but it is very hard to hit a bucket for yourself..

    Also the amount of blocks you get and weird looking animations for loosing a ball are enormous...Not to mention the shot meter for layups which is really ridiculous to see 90 overall players miss layups undefended, the shot selection in the post also raises lots of question marks!

    In general, it is not much different from NBA 2K18. New menus, new neighbourhood layout, new game mode in myTeam (also like 3 modes removed from it, I guess they will bring it back in the future as a "new mode")... Yeah, I am pretty disappointed.

    I am not even going to speak for microtransactions and CV bs... let's just say I was playing 6 hrs of myTEAM straight and only managed to earn 8k in game currency (myTEAM coins) (from about 30 games played and about half of them I have won).

    Negative rating because I feel like 2K need to review their pay2win walls and free2play mechanics game has (selling for 60 bucks!)
    Expand
  5. Sep 13, 2018
    0
    Another microtransaction simulator, don't buy it, don't help this scumbags get away this time.
  6. Sep 13, 2018
    0
    - VC everywhere
    - An actual gambling system where you can lose it ALL
    - “Buy VC” right under the quit button - Need VC to do those dances in the trailer - Need VC to use a skateboard or bike from the trailer - $200 of VC gets your player to level 80 only - Stuttering in 4K on Xbox One X - Horrible stadium lighting - Players warp and ice skate on the court - The biggest name in the
    - VC everywhere
    - An actual gambling system where you can lose it ALL
    - “Buy VC” right under the quit button
    - Need VC to do those dances in the trailer
    - Need VC to use a skateboard or bike from the trailer
    - $200 of VC gets your player to level 80 only
    - Stuttering in 4K on Xbox One X
    - Horrible stadium lighting
    - Players warp and ice skate on the court
    - The biggest name in the world - Lebron - and they get his skin tone wrong (way too dark)
    - The biggest rookie name - Doncic - and they have his height wrong
    - After release they made a patch to reduce and nerf XP
    - 2K are evil scum
    Expand
  7. Sep 13, 2018
    10
    NBA 2K is the cream of the crop when it comes to sports games. Game play is better than ever, MyLeauge and CAP is head and shoulders above all other sports games. This is a must own for any basketball fan.
  8. Sep 13, 2018
    8
    Unlike everyone reviewing this game based on MyPlayer, I'll speak on the things that actually matter in a sports game. The game plays better this year than previous years. Just by making the ball harder to drive and the opponents ankles harder to break, the game has taken a step forward. On offense, though I'm only a few games in, I cannot seem to spam the pick & roll like previous years.Unlike everyone reviewing this game based on MyPlayer, I'll speak on the things that actually matter in a sports game. The game plays better this year than previous years. Just by making the ball harder to drive and the opponents ankles harder to break, the game has taken a step forward. On offense, though I'm only a few games in, I cannot seem to spam the pick & roll like previous years. I feel like the computer defense tries to adjust to stop your offensive schemes. Also, I personally like the timed layups because it adds a level of I-cannot-drive-in-and-chuck-up-some-garbage-and-make-it-every-time. Now, the game has things it needs to improve: presentation, overall realism/look, and some gameplay flukes. I cannot stand when someone like Marvin Williams has the best game of his career against me...every time we play. Frank Kaminsky shouldn't be taking more shots than Kemba Walker. And that has been a huge complaint of mine for years now. They're too focused on the MyPlayer stuff to work on any actual gameplay. I'd still give the game a solid 8 so far. I'm excited to see how the game adjusts with different teams (will the Warriors play like the Warriors, will the Celtics play like the Celtics, etc...). If you're not in to the MyPlayer aspect, the game takes enough steps forward to warrant picking it up this year. If you're just looking to create a player a cheese-fest, apparently the game isn't for you. Expand
  9. Sep 13, 2018
    4
    EDIT: Changing score to 6 after 3 full days of playing. Tried to play a Rec game and pro am game with my friends for the past 5 hours. Only had 2 games in those moments. Same thing like last year, game modes fail to work properly and the game hasn't even been released yet. Crashes happen way too often.

    EDIT2: Okay, so 2K just stealth patched the game to dramatically reduce the amount of
    EDIT: Changing score to 6 after 3 full days of playing. Tried to play a Rec game and pro am game with my friends for the past 5 hours. Only had 2 games in those moments. Same thing like last year, game modes fail to work properly and the game hasn't even been released yet. Crashes happen way too often.

    EDIT2: Okay, so 2K just stealth patched the game to dramatically reduce the amount of exp points you get a game. For any company doing this, most would release a statement of some sort. This is extremely shady and makes me wonder what else they stealth "fix" without any of the player base finding out. They have changed it more after the backlash and reaching front page on reddit. I am sure the changes would have stayed if that didn't happen. I've seen so much greed, predatory nature, and shadiness from 2K so I shouldn't be surprised right? Sadly, I am. How a triple A company can succumb to such leeching tactics from players of all ages and how nobody has the power to stop them. Guys this is a rated E game and they essentially have a game mode where you can gamble the "Virtual Currency." The only notable difference from this and a casino is that the house ALWAYS wins. Very optimistic about the game when I played it 4 days early. It seems like they used that as research method on how to maximize profits and "quietly" modify everything on release date. I'm reducing score to 4, this is disgusting. 2K, please take notes from Blizzard and how they handle patch notes and responding to fanbase.

    I only gave one review in my life, which was last years NBA 2K18, and I gave it a 0 from how many things were wrong with it. The obsessive bugs and predatory was rampant more than ever last year and it was to the point of being distracting and anger-inducing. It was an extreme grind to get your character where you wanted it and the cutscenes were awful. I am glad to say that this year has made great improvements.

    Many have agreed that this year's 2K has the best story, and best of all, it's skippable. Thank the **** lord. The gameplay is smoother than ever and low-skill players are punished for bad dribbling and ball protection, instead of having the ball on a string like last year. Everything feels more fluid.

    While the predatory VC tactics are back again this year, it has turned the dial from 11 to a 7. I can't say they've changed much because they release a special edition that allows for the game to be played 4 days earlier with some bonuses - I think they are just trying to minimize outrage. That being said, it's much easier to earn VC this year and more items are not as expensive or free.

    You can't have 2K without it's glitches. Some modes won't work (rec center) and game crashes pretty often. Still, loading times are quicker than ever and it seems to be the most polished one so far. You can tell that 2K cheaped out a bit by bringing the exact same assets from past 2Ks straight into this one.

    One big complaint I had last year was about the neighborhood and how spread out everything was. This year it's all centralized and closer, which is nice, but I still much rather prefer menus for everything.

    Overall, I am very impressed with the changes. But improving from 2K18 may just be an act of actually trying a little to make a game. I hope they can keep doing this moving forward and minimize the pay-to-win tactics.
    Expand
  10. Sep 13, 2018
    0
    every year theres bugs, every year they are hungrier for microtransactions and pay to win players.i only bought it because it was suppose to change all the BS problems that have piled up over the years, a big one being the ridiculous grind that attempts to coerce players into microtransactions to save weeks of your life. The reddit community believed this was addressed so i bought theevery year theres bugs, every year they are hungrier for microtransactions and pay to win players.i only bought it because it was suppose to change all the BS problems that have piled up over the years, a big one being the ridiculous grind that attempts to coerce players into microtransactions to save weeks of your life. The reddit community believed this was addressed so i bought the game, then within 48 hours of buying it they patched the game to make it more of a grind like it was before. now i want my money back. Expand
  11. Sep 13, 2018
    1
    Pay to play. The biggest joke of a game this year for sure, don't buy this game
  12. Sep 13, 2018
    0
    Yet another money grab.Im going live this year.This game should be free to play with the amount of microtransactions.NO THX.NEVER AGAIN.
  13. Sep 12, 2018
    0
    Been a huge fan of NBA 2K since 2k11 , with quick play mode is getting better every year . However , the increasing amount of microtransactions has made the MC mode which is the mode i play most an unenjoyable grind progress , i really hate the gym system while u waste a lot of your time playing stupid mini-games , what is more worse is that u need the time to play more boring games ifBeen a huge fan of NBA 2K since 2k11 , with quick play mode is getting better every year . However , the increasing amount of microtransactions has made the MC mode which is the mode i play most an unenjoyable grind progress , i really hate the gym system while u waste a lot of your time playing stupid mini-games , what is more worse is that u need the time to play more boring games if you dont want spend extra money, u have to tolerate the fact u may need to finish 3 games to get one skill point up . Actually , money can not solve your problems too. Using money will cut your feeling of your character is growing and if u stop investing , then u will feel so hard to grow . I‘d like to make 2K
    pay for it's greed this time.
    Expand
  14. Sep 12, 2018
    6
    NBA 2k19 is one of the most engaging and fun sports games I've ever played. However, it is bogged down by an ever increasing reliance on micotransactions that, while improved from NBA 2k18, still act in an aggressive attack against their customers.

    The game is visually stunning. The core gameplay mechanics are near perfect and the changes they made to steals (most especially) were duly
    NBA 2k19 is one of the most engaging and fun sports games I've ever played. However, it is bogged down by an ever increasing reliance on micotransactions that, while improved from NBA 2k18, still act in an aggressive attack against their customers.

    The game is visually stunning. The core gameplay mechanics are near perfect and the changes they made to steals (most especially) were duly noted and much appreciated. While 2K is pretending to bring new additions to the game, they are only half advanced as they pretend to be. Many features are simply a return from NBA 2k17 or earlier, and had been deleted, removed, or dramatically changed for the worse. For example, skipping cut scenes, the traditional MyGM mode, and free haircuts for your MyPLayer, all returned this year, but it begs us asking the question, why did 2K remove these features in the first place.

    While 2k touts that they are making VC easier to earn this year, they can only claim this due to a deceptive change to the game. Yes, you earn more VC by having difficulty multipliers and the overall per-game VC cap has been raised, but the amount of VC you need in order to level up your character has been permanently increased. For example, last year I spent $10 buying 35k worth of VC which was enough to get my MyPlayer to a healthy 71 before beginning the game mode. That same 35k worth of VC can only get a MyPlayer up to a 67 or 68 now. You'll need 200k VC, or $50 worth, in order to go from a 60 to 85 -- a truly daunting task for an adult like myself who works 40 hours a week and has a family. The MyCareer path could have easily been called 'Return to the Grind.'

    Once you get passed the VC issues, the game is amazing. The new MyCareer story mode is amazing. It was the first time since they introduced the storytelling with 2K14, that I actually wanted to watch every cut scene. They hired a great writing staff and a number of A list actors to partake in the experience, and it was amazing. I felt myself attached to my character because 2K delivered a powerful story about BASKETBALL life, rather than creating some phony and pathetic storyline and then wrapping basketball around it.

    My only other critique is that the teammate grading system is terrible. They tweaked it so that you are punished incredibly hard for minor infractions while not rewarding positive play. An assist gets you plus 20% while leaving your coverage of a player on defense, mixed with him scoring, can net you a full letter grade penalty. They also are reckless with how often they cite you for someone scoring on your character, even if you were playing solid Defense (this is basketball, your opponent will inevitably score some of the time). My last game I had 27points, 11 Assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals, with 2 turn overs, only to have a teammate grade of C+. This definitely needs an update.

    Overall, NBA 2K is a phenomenal game that's incredibly fun to play but is hindered by it's desire to take the money of its most devoted fans.
    Expand
  15. Sep 12, 2018
    0
    En el videojuego de 2K19 se observa lo mismo que en el del año pasado. Todo se logra con microtransacciones a pesar de que se paga como un triple A. En vez de vender el producto con todo incluido te obligan a pagar para no tener que jugar por horas, que a la larga se hacen semanas. Aun con la edición de aniversario lo que te venden no es la experiencia de juego, sino la emoción de comprarEn el videojuego de 2K19 se observa lo mismo que en el del año pasado. Todo se logra con microtransacciones a pesar de que se paga como un triple A. En vez de vender el producto con todo incluido te obligan a pagar para no tener que jugar por horas, que a la larga se hacen semanas. Aun con la edición de aniversario lo que te venden no es la experiencia de juego, sino la emoción de comprar por partes todo el contenido. Incluso, uno de los productores del equipo de desarrollo dice que la gran mayoría de jugadores de videojuegos no tienen paciencia para jugar y por eso ponen las microtransacciones. Sin embargo, en Steam para PC el NBA 2k18 tiene una clasificación de mayormente negativos.

    In English
    In the video game of 2K19 the same thing is observed as in the one of last year. Everything is achieved with microtransactions despite being paid as a triple A. Instead of selling the product with all-inclusive you are forced to pay for not having to play for hours, which eventually become weeks. Even with the anniversary edition, what they sell to you is not the gaming experience, but the excitement of buying all the content in parts. Even one of the producers of the development team says that the vast majority of video game players have no patience to play and that is why they put microtransactions. However, in Steam for PC the NBA 2k18 has a rating of mostly negative.
    Expand
  16. Sep 12, 2018
    1
    Although the game is better than last year, let's not act like 2k is doing us a favor. The game still revolves around micro-transactions like a **** F2P mobile game. I'm Canadian so I already pay $80 + tax for the game to still be basically forced to pay an additional $60 to actually make the game playable. They still deserve the hate until they fix it.

    One of their executives in an
    Although the game is better than last year, let's not act like 2k is doing us a favor. The game still revolves around micro-transactions like a **** F2P mobile game. I'm Canadian so I already pay $80 + tax for the game to still be basically forced to pay an additional $60 to actually make the game playable. They still deserve the hate until they fix it.

    One of their executives in an interview said, "Users expect everything for Free and that's not reasonable". Well you dumbass, users expect that because they already paid full price for your stupid game, did you forget that part?
    Expand
  17. Sep 12, 2018
    0
    Microtransactions and VC have ruined this game. Executives should take note that in chasing the whales - that 2% of the community who pay thousands in ruinous micro transactions in order to get an unfair advantage over others - they alienate the other 90% of the people who play the game. Dont buy or support this garbage.
  18. Sep 12, 2018
    10
    Excelente jogo! Nota 10, só faltou liberar dia 07/09 para a pré-venda da versao stardard.
    Melhor jogo de Esporte do Mercado!
  19. Sep 12, 2018
    0
    MTX infested dross. Don't buy this horrific scam of a game. Reasonable gameplay crippled once more with unnecessary and overly long tedious grind (Unless you want to take 2k's benevolently offered opportunity to 'choose' to pay your way through the game faster...so kind of them)

    Avoid like the plague. It's worse than you could ever possibly imagine.
  20. Sep 12, 2018
    2
    The gameplay is on point but I have to give it a negative review. The microtransactions system is as bad as it was last year if not worse because you no longer get sponsor money for playing playground, the most poular mode. Beware 2K it might not be next year or even the year after but at some point EA is going to release a good product and boy when that happens do not expect any loyaltyThe gameplay is on point but I have to give it a negative review. The microtransactions system is as bad as it was last year if not worse because you no longer get sponsor money for playing playground, the most poular mode. Beware 2K it might not be next year or even the year after but at some point EA is going to release a good product and boy when that happens do not expect any loyalty from the players you've been ripping off for years. You'll be begging us to buy your game $30 before Christmas. Expand
  21. Sep 12, 2018
    0
    Shame on these 'professional' reviewers for not condemning this game for it's terribly implemented micro-transactions. NBA 2k19 is completely designed around holding back your progression to entice you to spend real money on it's virtual currency. This is a free-to-play phone game choking out what used to be a wonderful basketball series.
    Have principles. Don't be the sucker 2K thinks you
    Shame on these 'professional' reviewers for not condemning this game for it's terribly implemented micro-transactions. NBA 2k19 is completely designed around holding back your progression to entice you to spend real money on it's virtual currency. This is a free-to-play phone game choking out what used to be a wonderful basketball series.
    Have principles. Don't be the sucker 2K thinks you are. Don't buy this game.
    Expand
  22. Sep 12, 2018
    0
    Microtransactions everywhere, stay away from this money grabbing mobile game.
  23. Sep 12, 2018
    2
    Ever been charged €50 just to be able to walk in to a casino, then get screamed at to fork over more money? This game is what that's like.
  24. Sep 12, 2018
    10
    The best NBA 2K to date. Visual Concept really focused on the gameplay this time, and it shows. This game has all that you need in a basketball game. I don't really care about the micro-transactions because with all the game has to offer, i don't have to buy any to enjoy my experience.
  25. Sep 12, 2018
    0
    pay to win and cheats, don't buy this game, EA and 2K don't deserve your money
  26. Sep 12, 2018
    0
    Buggy with multiple crashes in just a few hours, reprehensible micro-transaction policy and online matchmaking issues make this game complete crap. Not recommended.
  27. Sep 12, 2018
    3
    Gameplay is good but is its only saving grace. Death by microtransactions as usual. Should not be blatantly pay-to-win when we've paid the full price for the game + it comes out every year. Been hoping for an offline mycareer so that we would not be subjected to the limits because of scaling for online players. Slow grind is unrealistic because some of us are working and don't have thatGameplay is good but is its only saving grace. Death by microtransactions as usual. Should not be blatantly pay-to-win when we've paid the full price for the game + it comes out every year. Been hoping for an offline mycareer so that we would not be subjected to the limits because of scaling for online players. Slow grind is unrealistic because some of us are working and don't have that kind of time too.

    Career games can be skewed against you - your teammates are 'powered down' so that you can be the hero of MyCareer and basically carry everyone to victory. But if you're not paying to win the grind is horrible, you can't do **** against the opponents and your teammates are kinda useless too. No proof of course but it is very possible for 2k to do something like that.
    Expand
  28. Sep 11, 2018
    10
    First of all, stop lying on your User Revuews. Most of you probably don’t even have the game. If you did, you would know just what an amazing game 2K19 truly is. Stellar gameplay, improved menus, best graphics in the series to date. There are tons of gameplay options and so many customization options. Outside of the core game, there are Premium modes, MyCareer and MyTeam that willFirst of all, stop lying on your User Revuews. Most of you probably don’t even have the game. If you did, you would know just what an amazing game 2K19 truly is. Stellar gameplay, improved menus, best graphics in the series to date. There are tons of gameplay options and so many customization options. Outside of the core game, there are Premium modes, MyCareer and MyTeam that will require “grinding” or you can optionally buy VC to progress faster. There are a few miscues in the launch software; controller vibration doesn’t work, speed is a tad bit slow and the soundtrack is laughably horrible. Despite that, this game is a blast to play and MyCareer is fantastic. Expand
  29. Sep 11, 2018
    0
    awful movement. Shot meter taking all the skill out of the game. micro transactions up the ass. yeah 0 and a refund from me.

    you literally pay 60$ for a Roster update, the game looks the same for the past few years.
  30. Sep 11, 2018
    1
    60 dollar games that promote pay to win mechanics and build their game around it don't deserve good ratings, regardless if you have a good game or not.

    NBA 2k is superior in gameplay to Live, but the money grabbing is despicable.
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 49
  2. Negative: 1 out of 49
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Oct 28, 2018
    80
    NBA 2K19 is fantastic at all the times when it isn’t asking you to part with real cash. Although sadly, in MyCareer, you’ll be tempted to open your wallet way too often. [Issue#155, p.95]
  2. Oct 12, 2018
    85
    NBA 2K19 is still the go-to basketball simulation game out there. Its polish and refinement have only improved since last year, and it's difficult to imagine any improvements for next year. The MyCareer story has definitely improved, and so have the cut scene management and character customization. MyTeam feels like a revolving mode of new updates and content, but players who don't purchase VC may be getting the short end of the stick, since 10 pack boxes are exclusive to VC only. The game is amazing in all regards, but the constant reminder and pressure to purchase VC is wearing thin.
  3. Oct 9, 2018
    90
    NBA 2K19 is everything that you expect from a basketball game. With the new edition 2K Games and Visual Concepts are closer to the real thing than ever.