NBA 2K22

There is a lot to love about NBA 2K22 which makes it one of the best basketball games out there. Besides just looking and feeling amazing, a lot of time and effort was put into ensuring this game wasn’t just a rehashing of last year’s version. From its smart tweaks on the court to its heightened level of realism in nearly every aspect of its gameplay, NBA 2K22 is the ultimate fan experience and delivers a season worth of thrills where it matters most.

Microtransactions are a trouble one more time, but, despite them, NBA 2K22 is one of the best sport videogames in history, because of its playable class on the court, its graphic muscles and its bench full of options. Visual Concepts wants to win the ring one more season.

NBA 2K22 requires a more tactical approach, making on-court play the best it has been, but VC still stalls enjoyment.

When we talk about gameplay and content, there's no rival to NBA 2K22, with a better defense on the court and so much improvements in every mode. The City is almost as big as every map in a sandbox... Unfortunately, the microtransactions are always there, in every move or step you take, and is a real pity in a great game like this.

NBA 2K22 is the franchise’s best entry in years, offering well-balanced changes on the court and a bold, yet welcome, revamp of MyCareer and The City hub. Microtransactions still frustrate at times, but they’re not as aggressive or tasteless as they’ve been in the past. For the first time in a while, it feels like the NBA 2K dev team is hungry, and they’ve cooked up a real championship contender this year.

NBA 2K22 does what it takes to make fans fall in love with the franchise again.

Immense in substance and respectable in form. 2K22 is worthy of the new generation of consoles, with gameplay and a career mode that erase the many faults of the past year.

NBA 2K22 shines on the court, while it struggles in the city. Visual Concepts did a great job getting back on the right steps its basket simulation, and the new shooting system feels good, the new defensive AI is tough and, overall, everything is in the right spot. The new MMORPG-like MyCareer is an ambitious and enormous attempt to maximize the retention of the players. Well, it tries hard, but it doesn't succeed.

2K22 is a step in the right direction, fixing and improving some of the concerns from the previous entry. There are still a few things that need work, but it is, overall, a fantastic basketball simulator.

2K Games and Visual Concepts can finally breathe : NBA 2K22 is the episode of reconciliation. With a Career mode which has been enriched and is gradually transformed into a Second Life game with sport (be careful with off-topic anyway), the MyTeam mode which includes the Seasons system and gameplay which tends even more towards simulation, NBA 2K22 is clearly a really good game.

NBA 2K22 is a great game in pretty much every facet, over than the overbearing VC issues that have been present for years now. Combining MyCareer with The City was a genius decision and the introduction of Seasons across multiple game modes will keep NBA 2K22 fresh moving forward throughout the next year while waiting on the next annual entry.

Even though some long running problems plaguing this franchise are still present in NBA 2K22 (microtransactions, poor defense, ads etc.) this year's edition is without a doubt the best we've seen in a long time.

Still the best Basketball simulation game on the market, NBA 2K22 does good but not enough to break into the 9th generation of gaming hardware as the PS5 version of the game is only superior to its PS4 counterpart in terms of visuals, and the RPG-like My Career mode and heavy reliance on microtransactions keep dragging it down.

2K is about as bad as it gets when it comes to quality of life for players in its online modes that are clearly designed to syphon extra money beyond the price of admission. However, they do make one hell of a basketball game that will allow you to tolerate these scheme-based game modes if you can actually get on to play them.

Once again 2K proves they are the best when it comes to making a fun and entertaining basketball simulation game.

The shining spot for this year’s game is the defensive gameplay and the ability to truly challenge shots and defenders, especially in the paint. It’s extremely satisfying. While a bit of the game remains, NBA 2K22 still offers the closest television experience in a sports video game to date. However, that shot meter is still frustrating as the game remains geared toward its hardcore community who prefer grinding.

Aside from the unfortunate microtransactions and bloated hubs, the only fundamental low points are lackluster developments for MyLeague, MyGM, and The W. Each of these modes still plays well, but it's clear they aren't a prime focus. 2K22 doesn't offer much over last year's game for players who enjoy these modes aside from improved gameplay should they hit the court. Despite its flaws, NBA 2K22 still lands as a success for its on-court display, if nothing else. The game feels smoother, more intuitive, and really shines with the haptic feedback on PS5, which makes every move feel engaging. There may still be wrinkles to iron out, but the NBA 2K ship is heading full-steam ahead in the right direction with the release of NBA 2K22.

NBA 2K22 spreads itself a little too thin off the court, but it genuinely takes strides on it. The game’s rewritten defensive system makes for a much more enjoyable experience across all modes, where you feel rewarded for using the ball effectively and engineering open looks. MyCareer’s first foray into non-NBA activities could do with fleshing out, and there’s still an overreliance on advertising and microtransactions. But with one of the most complete Franchise modes on the market, and with exceptional presentation across the board, this is a series at the top of its game again.

NBA 2K22 does many things well, most of which has already been done well in the past. Exceptional, challenging gameplay keeps the strength of the game close to its chest, and NBA 2K22 offers an impressive spread of modes to complement that gameplay. Apart from a few misguided choices, the biggest crippling factor this year comes from how The City takes a good idea and stretches it way too thin. NBA 2K22 is great for hardcore fans of the franchise, but it doesn't leave the door open for many others.

Much improved over 2K21 and the best 2K in ages, NBA 2K22 is a strongest game still bogged down by legacy virtual currency and gameplay challenges.

Instead of walking into the arena and making a grand statement, NBA 2K22 just plays decent basketball. You'll see a few highlight clips, but none that make you want to keep watching in awe. Still, NBA 2K22 is an improvement over last year, even if it's disappointing that it's not making more significant moves. Hopefully, next year we see more shakeups to the lineup to make the game a little more exciting and feel like Visual Concepts is gunning for that championship title.

NBA 2K22 is a game that has as many virtues as faults. For instance, while shooting mechanics and visual presentation are a key enhancement to the experience, micro-transactions turn the online competition mode unbearable. It is these kinds of details that prevent this basketball title from being the best.

NBA 2K22 is seemingly a step in the right direction for the franchise. While I felt the same with last year’s NBA 2K21, I feel NBA 2K22 is more evolutionary than revolutionary. Its gameplay systems feel solid enough and fun enough to play for hours on end, however, the game’s heavy reliance on a player’s time to progress through any chunk of content is still prevalent. I would have liked to have seen more openness and choice to MyTeam’s new Draft mode, as it’s the best mode the game has added in years. Of course, I fully expect refinements to continue throughout 2K22s lifespan, so we’ll see where the game ends up in several months. But upon the first two weeks of release, there’s enough here to be excited for what’s to come.

NBA 2K22 is a sound step forward for the series. While it doesn’t always hit the mark thanks to the grindy MyCAREER mode and microtransaction-heavy MyTEAM, the gameplay and presentation is still second to none.

It’s time for Visual Concepts and 2K Games to go back to the drawing board with their microtransaction philosophy. At this point, it’s hard not to feel like they’re gouging the player. Especially given the exorbitant prices their premium edition versions cost. And it’s so damned frustrating to dislike as much of 2K22 as I did because behind every extra dollar asked of me was an excessively smooth compressed spin or step-back jumper to put a smile on my face. I like NBA 2K22. I wouldn’t say I like it enough to remortgage my home to play it.

NBA 2K22 is 2K Games and Visual Concepts’ best entry into the franchise in quite some time, with bountiful changes to certain gameplay mechanics that make this the most fluid basketball sim in years. Combining this with the new MyCareer story and how immersive The City has become, here’s hoping it’s a new era for the NBA 2K franchise, and it offers a much-needed bounceback for a series that many fans had started to give up on. We’re excited to see the evolution of NBA 2K throughout the year because what’s here is off to a more positive start than we’ve seen in a while.

NBA 2K22 is not more of the same. It has improved defense, playably is the best in many years, and has added what is effectively an MMO to its MyPlayer. However, the game still feels like early access in certain modes, with bugs that ruin the immersion in MyNBA, and monetization remains a problem for a player unwilling to invest or who doesn't have an edition with some Virtual Currency to use in their MyPlayer.

Although NBA 2K22 is the best and only new generation basketball game on the market, it is far from being a perfect game and continues to annoy with its microtransaction-oriented structure.

NBA 2K22 maintains the consistent quality of the series, but some of the old problems of the previous game and the unchanging game mode also makes the game experience lack of surprise.

At the end of the day, NBA 2K22 feels like it comes with two separate modes: offline for those who just want to have fun and aren’t necessarily NBA superstars and multiplayer for people willing to spend real money and get their high-rated players overnight.

Low on innovation, big on fun… and slimy microtransactions. Despite the shameless 7 money grab of certain modes, there’s lots for basketball fans to love. [Issue#7, p.91]

NBA 2K22 is the best-looking sports game of this generation, but flashy looks and incredibly deep game modes can't mask the on-court issues that plague this year's offering.

NBA 2K22's basketball feels more refined than last season. The revamped stamina meter leads to a more tactical team game and shooting is consistent and reliable. It looks as sharp and well-presented as ever and those wanting some quality time on the court will be well served. Unfortunately, the familiar encroachment of microtransactions dominate the MyCareer and MyTeam modes. The old problems with judging your performance also still persist.

NBA 2K22 continues to set the standard for gameplay, with changes this year that ensure a much more realistic and satisfying pace of play. But it's the same old story: it's one of the most aggressive games in the industry when it comes to micropayments, and its star modes can't be enjoyed unless you're willing to pay.

NBA 2K22 remains a very good basketball game but it rely too much on its assets and doesn't evolve anymore. It's difficult to see the differences between the 2021 and 2022 versions in terms of technology, graphics and content available to players. However, we notice the efforts made on the gameplay, which is much closer to the reality of the courts and less frustrating, as well as the care given to the My NBA mode. As far as the career mode is concerned, we're clearly left wanting more, it's just a lot of filler, to the detriment of the narrative quality of the career. To conclude, NBA 2K22 remains solid on its feet, still offering the best for a fan of the orange ball, but it's cruelly lacking in creativity and struggling to renew itself.

NBA 2K22 has the best offensive flow in years, matched by improvements to defense. Still, technical problems persist and microtransactions are hard to ignore in some modes.

NBA 2K22 offers the best on-court experience in the history of the series. That’s no small thing for a series long known for rock-solid gameplay. The problem is that so much around that experience feels incomplete or messy. NBA 2K22 provides such a wide range of experiences that many players will get what they need from it. The overall package, however, is a lot more uneven.

NBA 2K22 is generally a beautiful representation of next-generation console hoops, but it's a little disturbing that many of the newest things I noticed didn't have a whole lot to do with basketball. The on-court product is good, but it's not perfect. Basketball is still my favorite sport to watch, and I love the game, so I'll keep playing, but I can probably put the music and fashion career on hold — and I don't need to spend any more money.

NBA 2K22 offers very good gameplay mechanics, but the series’ focus on simply playing basketball is fading. In the story mode, the developers experiment with open world and put too much emphasis on side activities related to sponsors. As a result, the city in NBA 2K22 is a one big advertising billboard. Willingness to try new things is generally commendable, but this is not the way to do it. [12/2021, p.63]

NBA 2K22 is an almost impossible game to rate, because it’s a damn good basketball game at its core. The biggest problem is how it tries to be anything but a basketball game, and while that doesn’t damage the overall quality on the court, it makes it hard to root for it. It’s the ‘03 Lakers, and I hate the ‘03 Lakers.