NBA 2K20

Overall, NBA 2K20 is still one of the best basketball games out there, but future iterations should either ease up greatly on the VC spend or drop the price significantly, so players won't have to spend extra money.

NBA 2K20 is the equivalent to the 15-16 season of the Warriors. The game was able to reach the highest level, but failed in the end.

NBA 2K20 feels like the smallest leap that the series has made in years, even if the core gameplay still remains enjoyable.

This new NBA 2K iteration isn't a new step forward for the the franchise. Gameplay is still good and demanding, MyCareer well-written, but there's not much that's feeling new and memorable.

NBA 2K20’s absurd production values put it alongside MLB The Show 19 as the most convincing sports game on the market, and its under-the-hood gameplay improvements mean it’s the best-playing basketball simulation ever made. With a dizzying array of modes and options, including a reasonably well-written single player campaign featuring a Hollywood cast, this is a bulky package that will keep you on-court for potentially hundreds of hours. The title’s tone-deaf approach to microtransactions is the only real downside, then, and while they have been dialled back a touch, it’s still difficult to ignore their ugly presence in practically every facet of the package.

There’s no doubt that the game is fun as the grind and work throughout it gives such a feeling of satisfaction at the end because you battled for that win. Having that broadcast presentation helps with that since after the game there are so many options to do off-the-court management that it keeps the player engaged for some time. The quirks and issues become aggravating over time as you try to get better, but the core feel of the game has felt this way for a while.

Overall, NBA 2K20 is a good game. The core gameplay and presentation excels, My Career is a simple but enjoyable experience, the WNBA’s included, and the additional modes function but fall short because of the progression stranglehold.

Despite all the fun I was having though, it is evidently clear that NBA 2K20 really doesn’t do anything groundbreaking in any of its modes.

NBA 2K20's presentation is unparalleled, but beneath its shiny exterior are continued problems with its online infrastructure and some pretty odious microtransactions. The latter are a bit less punishing than last year, but the former is worse than ever, and it affects almost every aspect of the game. These elements, which seemingly come up every year, unfortunately overshadow what should be an amazing sports sim.

NBA 2K20 takes a step forward with its story, but is hindered by its uninspired gameplay.