NBA 2K20

NBA 2K20 delivers the best on-court experience in years, and that carries more weight than any other aspect of the game.

Thankfully for fans, the up-and-down series has largely been a slam dunk this year as its consistently great gameplay is aided by a fantastic story mode and less invasive microtransactions.

The best NBA 2K game so far when on the court, with a strong career mode. Microtransactions are still an issue in some game modes.

You won’t find a better basketball game. NBA 2K20, even without many significant additions, continues to polish its fantastic formula.

NBA 2K20 is pure magic on the playground. The new physical model, the impact of the new defensive system and the fine tuning of the gameplay is something valuable which give to basketball lovers endless possibilities. On the other side, the new GM mode is very disappointing and 2K business model for MyTeam is still questionable. The good news is that microtransations are quite useless in MyCareer mode, which thanks to King James work shines again to its original beauty.

NBA 2K20 isn't the most groundbreaking opus in the IP, but it's still a must-have for all the basketball fans out there.

An NBA 2K game is once again being plagued by microtransactions that enrage gamers. But on the other hand, the production values, the gameplay and the overall presentation of NBA 2K20 are over the roof, having no match in sports games. At the end of the day, you must be the one to judge if this high quality balances out the cons of the "loot boxes blight".

NBA 2K20 remains an indispensable title for basketball fans, but could have followed, as far as mitrotransactions are concerned, the same virtuous approach carried out with the gameplay.

2K has made changes that improved the franchise in general. NBA 2K20 is, without a doubt, the best game in the series to date. Although no new mode has been added, those that are present in this edition have small changes that improve, and much, the playable experience within them. Microtransactions aside, which are quite annoying, is a game that can be enjoyed perfectly without spending more money than has already been spent to buy the game.

Facial animations are still odd, and monetization rears its head in practically every mode. But the core ball play, plethora of gameplay modes, and a great presentation all combine to make NBA 2K20 the basketball game to beat this year.

Microtransactions and casino like minigames aside, NBA 2K20 is one of the best sports sim out there for any format. Tons of game modes, options and minigames to enjoy for months to come.

NBA2K20 is an incredible addition to the series. The depth and attention to detail make it a masterclass in replicating the beauty of the game. MyCAREER particularly stands out with 2K being serious with the star cast of Idris Elba and LeBron James, with the latter also being the executive producer. This is a game that does so much right, you're quick to forget the incessant brand plugging and intimidating grind.

NBA 2K20 is the series’ best showing in several seasons. The action is more refined than ever, MyCareer serves up a fun story with less grind, and MyGM mode is back on track. Microtransactions continue to be a concern, but the most egregious stuff is restricted to MyTeam mode, with MyCareer actually feeling less exploitative this year. Hopefully we’ll see a more substantial refresh in the next year or two, but, for now, the NBA 2K dynasty remains strong.

Visual Concepts’ tireless scouting for new stuff hasn’t affected its immaculate eye for detail. [Issue#168, p.78]

The formula stays much the same as it’s always been. Not that you’ll ever mind with this game, because that tried-and-true NBA 2K formula is just as good as ever. Yes, MyTeam is awful, and yes, further WNBA integration would be great. But you can’t argue with a hoops game this deep and this fun.

From presentation to gameplay, NBA 2K20 does an amazing job at faithfully recreating an authentic basketball experience. If you can look past the microtransactions, you’ll find a really great basketball simulation.

Whether or not NBA 2K20 is the game for you really depends on a few things. If you can get past the obnoxious microtransactions, a story mode that’s a bit too bloated, and some frustrating grind in other modes, there’s a lot to like here. More importantly, where it matters most (gameplay), 2K20 really shines, with the potential to thrill in ways few other sports games can. When you’re lost in the heat of the action, yelling at your TV in the final seconds of a nail-biting finish, it’s hard to really care about all the speed bumps on the way to that moment.

Splendid recreation of basketball with game-changing, innovative evolution cards – but it can’t escape the bad taste the microtransactions leave.

NBA 2K20 continues to deliver excellent on-court action with unmatched presentation and mode variety. However, the series' continued reliance on microtransactions is still a glaring issue.

NBA 2K20 has revitalized my love for the series. While the launch has certainly been shaky, I’m having more fun grinding out my favorite modes than I have in any previous year. The entire game feels much more rewarding than years past, and not because you have to spend all of your money on it. If you put the time in, you’ll get what you want out of the game. I have to score the game lower than I probably would simply because of the issues and bugs that are prevalent throughout the game, but once those are addressed I can’t wait to grind away.

NBA 2K20 offers again what we saw last year and the year before that, which is a solid Basketball experience. Some minor technical issues are still here and there, which suggests that the developers are using the same core mechanics as they did previously. Maybe we need to wait for next generation of gaming devices for a completely new and fresh NBA experience.

NBA 2K20 is another fine entry into the franchise, with this year's story mode being its best yet. There are issues, but the good far outweighs the bad.

NBA 2K20 doesn’t go over the edge, it doesn’t bring much novelty to the series. On the other hand, it has better defense and goes a little further as a simulation. But the micro-transactions are too strong with this one.

A great game, as always, with a bad in-game purchases system and few aging problems.

There is a decent game here… but certain aspects are broken. If you don’t mind the merciless push to microtransactions, or you can just look past it… then perhaps you will enjoy the gaming experience. Personally I can’t recommend the game on moral grounds, it feels like 2K took the criticism of previous years microtransactions and decided to just stick their finger up to the players and (pun intended) doubled down on their money making.

NBA 2K20 remains a beautiful and satisfying title, but this time the loot box case heavily influences the final vote.

If you like NBA 2K games you like NBA 2K20. If you look something new, no sir! This year features no big change in the game.

NBA 2K20 would have been better off by focusing on its complex modes like MyLeague and cleaning up MyTeam to be less dependent on microtransactions. In spite of that, NBA 2K20 remains the best at what it does. It just might be time to ask for better.