NBA 2K16

 Xbox One
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 129 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 129
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 129
  3. Negative: 37 out of 129
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
view
per page
  1. CenkAlp
    Jan 2, 2018
    7
    Hikaye = 6
    Oynanış = 8
    Grafikler = 8
    Sesler = 7
    Keyif = 8
    Atmosfer = 7
    Süre = 6
  2. joshbrady91
    Jul 18, 2016
    10
    Amazing graphics. no glitches, awesome career mode, added team location also!

    NBA 2k16 has absolutely perfect gameplay , with everything feeling much more realistic than ever before.
  3. voiders
    Jun 16, 2016
    0
    I can't play with my name Diogo? WTF? Ridicolous. The game is a lot worst than 2k15 and 2k14.........................................................................
  4. SPDsteven
    Jun 3, 2016
    1
    Bad game overall, laggy, glitchy, and my career is **** horrible no freedom to choose you are so **** limited. I just spent the last 3 hours getting to the nba i will never touch this game again. Gameplay is bad and graphics arent all that great eithier.
  5. ToxicLuma
    Apr 19, 2016
    3
    For the record, I love the NBA and I have always loved the NBA 2K series. But...

    Now, the 2K series has only gotten better. Across the years, the graphics have improved, the physics, nearly everything. Despite the downfall of having to come up with a game every year, NBA 2K16 shines with, well, the better graphics and physics. 2K always seems to add something new It also adds in the    For the record, I love the NBA and I have always loved the NBA 2K series. But...

    Now, the 2K series has only gotten better. Across the years, the graphics have improved, the physics, nearly everything. Despite the downfall of having to come up with a game every year, NBA 2K16 shines with, well, the better graphics and physics. 2K always seems to add something new

    It also adds in the ability to create logos, customize arenas and jerseys, and more (thank you). It would nearly be the whole NBA experience anyone could want… Except a man named Spike Lee ruined it.

    MyCareer now is a story you’re basically forced to make. Though it is AWESOME to play college, the rest falls flat to previous years. You have a preset family and your name is “Frequency Vibration”, shortened to “Freq”. That is literally the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of. The terrible mess that is known as MyCareer is the reason this game suffers.

    "Frequency Vibrations"? Are you kidding me?    … Expand
  6. jamessamuel
    Mar 3, 2016
    7
    NBA 2k16 has improved on many areas in this edition of the game such as graphics and character models. Gameplay has also been tweeked to reward players that like to run plays. It certainly helps to prevent cheese mechanics but the game is hindered by unbalanced players and team overall ratings. Lets talk about the Warriors. The warriors team is extremely over powered. Defence rating isNBA 2k16 has improved on many areas in this edition of the game such as graphics and character models. Gameplay has also been tweeked to reward players that like to run plays. It certainly helps to prevent cheese mechanics but the game is hindered by unbalanced players and team overall ratings. Lets talk about the Warriors. The warriors team is extremely over powered. Defence rating is extremely unballanced, in some circumstances you can play defence on Lebron and kevin durant with stephen curry....This is not realistic at all. While NBA 2k16 has improved on many things it has taken a step back on balancing teams.… Expand
  7. bearcats4
    Feb 26, 2016
    5
    mypark connection is horrible my xbox 360 connection is better. you can never go a lag free game on mypark. this is the only good part about this game but the connection is horrible. I guess all good things have some flaws.
  8. LordExarus
    Feb 18, 2016
    10
    I never really liked basketball but yet somehow this was still my best ever sports game I have played.
    There is so much to do and all of the content has a extremely high quality,this game has a better campaign then games like call of duty,trust me.
    Here is what you can do in the latest madden game,I didn't get NBA Live so I can't compare it to that Draft Champions,Ultimate    I never really liked basketball but yet somehow this was still my best ever sports game I have played.
    There is so much to do and all of the content has a extremely high quality,this game has a better campaign then games like call of duty,trust me.
    Here is what you can do in the latest madden game,I didn't get NBA Live so I can't compare it to that
    Draft Champions,Ultimate Team,Franchise,Online Head-To-Head,career and gauntlet/challenges

    NBA 2K 16
    Game manager,MyPark [Online streetball style gameplay],Career,Franchise,Myteam [Essentially Ultimate Team],Head to Head [MyCourt],Online head-to-head [with you own player[[PRO-AM]]

    And all of this is FAR FAR more fleshed out then anything madden or i'm sure NBA Live can offer.
    The "Campaign" is actually pretty cool,as you work your way up from playing in high school,to college,getting a agent,dealing with family,getting drafted,and plentiful story cutscenes,afterwards is the main career mode,where you go to a [FINALLY DONE RIGHT] Practice,as well as getting endorsements and connections with other star players.

    This game is the best sports game out there,and I sincerely hope 2K sports returns to football and continues to make these kinds of games for their other sports.    … Expand
  9. alanhanks
    Jan 31, 2016
    4
    2K looks amazing. I wanted to get what's good about this game out of the way.

    The most CHEESY and TYPICAL game I have ever played. Whoever dishes out rating to players also has down syndrome and rates players according to their ESPN popularity. Im also waiting for 2K to take this moronic shot meter off of the game. Unless you play on rookie, getting a perfect release is IMPOSSIBLE.    2K looks amazing. I wanted to get what's good about this game out of the way.

    The most CHEESY and TYPICAL game I have ever played. Whoever dishes out rating to players also has down syndrome and rates players according to their ESPN popularity. Im also waiting for 2K to take this moronic shot meter off of the game. Unless you play on rookie, getting a perfect release is IMPOSSIBLE.

    Can't wait to play the next piece of trash 2K releases. Give me 2K9 with better graphics, back when this franchise was worth a ****    … Expand
  10. tinycheex
    Jan 27, 2016
    0
    Piece of garbage. Want you to buy ingame currency on a 60 dollar game or else your my player is absolute trash. Dont waste your time on this cash grab piece of rubbish.
  11. Tanman428
    Jan 27, 2016
    7
    The graphics are amazing. But it has some issues. Like the my career it is awesome to play in high school and college but the story makes it so boring. The MyGM is very much fun full of excitement. The best part of the game is relocating and making jerseys and stadiums.
  12. algoz1257
    Jan 13, 2016
    4
    The newest basketball game from 2K came with many flaws and very few improvements, but these improvements were not enough to counter the flaws. The game presents it's new story made by Spike Lee especially for this game. In the end, the story isn't anything more than monotone and melodramatic, with repetitive cutscenes. When beggining the myCareer mode, you'll find yourself thrown into aThe newest basketball game from 2K came with many flaws and very few improvements, but these improvements were not enough to counter the flaws. The game presents it's new story made by Spike Lee especially for this game. In the end, the story isn't anything more than monotone and melodramatic, with repetitive cutscenes. When beggining the myCareer mode, you'll find yourself thrown into a non-skippable cutscene, and will then proceed through to repetitive High School basketball games that actually make no difference in the development of your character. After that, you get to pick the college you want to go to. Except it also makes no difference whatsoever. After getting drafted, you'll find yourself playing boring games where you'll do poorly since your attributes are horrible, and you don't get to interact with any characters ever again.

    One minor flaw that persists throughout the NBA 2K series is the fact that, when releasing your shot, it makes no difference wheather it's a near perfect release, or a barely good release: The chances of you making that shot are the same. 2K did this to balance out the game between casuals and pros, so that a casual can make a shot even if the release is bad, and a pro can miss even if the release is nearly perfect. Speaking of perfect releases, they aren't even a guarantee that the ball will go in: You can miss even if you nail the release. To sum it up, upgrading your myPlayer's' shooting attribute is useless.

    Even with these flaws, other gamemodes such as myGM, and myTeam are actually quite interesting, with myGM being one of the most complex managerial game modes you can play in any game, if you're into that.

    Graphically speaking the game is alright, although there are many visual glitches. To sum it up, I wouldn't say the game is worth your money. Buy it only if you find it in some heavy sale.    … Expand
  13. CRedfield
    Jan 5, 2016
    9
    - nearly perfect in terms of playing NBA Basketball versus an AI
    - Online Play needs stability improvement, then it's a 10

    P.S.: I can't understand the whole bunch of negative comments. The Story in the First Year of MyCareer is awful, but it's a small part of this Game Mode and there is a lot more. myGM an myLeague rocks!
  14. PanthersFanStev
    Dec 26, 2015
    6
    This game is amazing, except for Spike Lee's take on My Career. I was okay with the lack of choices, but after grindng through way too many long, drawn out story scenes I have grown to despise this story. From the disjointed to outlandish acting and directing, it really does stink. Besides that, this is by far the best sports game I have ever played. Players move realistically,This game is amazing, except for Spike Lee's take on My Career. I was okay with the lack of choices, but after grindng through way too many long, drawn out story scenes I have grown to despise this story. From the disjointed to outlandish acting and directing, it really does stink. Besides that, this is by far the best sports game I have ever played. Players move realistically, graphics and cutscenes are crisp and beautiful. Love this game. This ranks up there with Super Tecmobowl and NFL 2K5.… Expand
  15. ChromeHase
    Dec 20, 2015
    0
    MyTeam is completely broken, and almost entirely based around forcing micro transactions for poorly designed players. The MyCareer "movie" is terrible and takes an insane amount of time to make it through. Lots of connectivity issues. The patch broke the ability to play multiplayer on the same team
  16. kahlezb25
    Dec 13, 2015
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. MyPlayer mode was terrible. I'm a white guy with an all black family? Overall, the game looks beautiful and 2K improved the gameplay. I would rate it higher but all I play in these games is MyPlayer mode.… Expand
  17. mattparra15
    Nov 28, 2015
    0
    This is the worst mycareer ive ever played, spike lee ruined it by taking away any and all choices other than what highschool and college you go to, after that every cut scene, every conversation is just a movie, you have no choice in what your chacter says, in the last game you could pick what to say to people, not this game, spike lee decided a downgrade would be better, you just sitThis is the worst mycareer ive ever played, spike lee ruined it by taking away any and all choices other than what highschool and college you go to, after that every cut scene, every conversation is just a movie, you have no choice in what your chacter says, in the last game you could pick what to say to people, not this game, spike lee decided a downgrade would be better, you just sit back and watch him have corny conversations with no option to make your own choices, this just shows how out of touch spike lee is with the nba 2k fanbase, NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR LAME STORY SPIKE, WE WANT TO MAKE OUR OWN… Expand
  18. iPsYx
    Nov 27, 2015
    3
    the game was okay till the new patch that ruined everything but whats worse is the people you talk to over the support. they dont really care about you
  19. Soxwin7
    Nov 23, 2015
    8
    This is by far the most realistic basketball game ever made. However that Spike Lee bull crap kind of screws that myplayer part up. Skip the myplayer...
  20. augustwo
    Nov 17, 2015
    7
    I have not reviewed a game on here since 2K14. I was so pleased with 2K15 that i thought 2K was ok without my help, but now I see they are not. It amazes me how a game can go backwards from one year to the next. Everything was so close to being great in 2K15 that I was sure this was the year for perfection. Nope, instead I think the developer cut corner after corner when making thisI have not reviewed a game on here since 2K14. I was so pleased with 2K15 that i thought 2K was ok without my help, but now I see they are not. It amazes me how a game can go backwards from one year to the next. Everything was so close to being great in 2K15 that I was sure this was the year for perfection. Nope, instead I think the developer cut corner after corner when making this game and as sad as it is they are reminding me of EA with all of the crap Madden games over the years (madden 16 rocks for the record). LOADING times of this game remind me my dreamcast in the 90s. And the glitches coming out of timeouts, etc. during my career games are ridiculous. If it was once in a while id be ok but it's twice a game you sit there for 20 seconds staring at a player frozen on the screen. MY CAREER UPGRADES are achieved through practices this year rather than playing 7 games. OK no problem, i can go to the practice 5 times on off days to get another upgrade. However, if the practices are going to be such an integral part of the game this year then please allow me to adjust my camera view. Simple little things like that make you wonder who the hell is in charge at 2K. Who are the department managers signing off on this game saying "yep, that's good, send it out to the masses". I'd like to know because they are not doing their job. Makes you wonder if the people earning money to make this game truly love the NBA 2K franchise. If they did then they would be embarrassed to let this product out with so many bugs. I say all of these negative things because my expectation level was so high. For the casual fan this game rocks and is well worth the purchase. Going to the park is awesome (even though last year was easier to navigate from court to court). MyTeam is fun. MyCareer is fun. The Spike Lee story is cheesy but whatever. The soundtrack for this game is good but i still wish they would allow us to plug in our own tunes. Too much $ involved for that simple change i guess. All in all it's a great game i would recommend to non-diehards and for the diehards like me we can just vent to each other about what coulda been and hope for next year.… Expand
  21. Urbanlistener
    Nov 12, 2015
    9
    Great basketball game, the graphics are on a next-gen level, the gameplay is fun and realistic, there is a lot of improvement on the AI and some new modes and features which are very enjoyable. If you are a fan of basketball, there is no reason you wont enjoy the game.
  22. ilovegames1102
    Oct 31, 2015
    0
    Wow. Instead it's not perferct... lots of bugs... and some little things missing... it's like as developpers are part time employees... This could be a masterpiece... but fall short.... Good improvement from last year... They listen to the fans on the blogs... But i can't understand some name on the roster... it's like they are there for a simple reason : boost the roster over the hundredWow. Instead it's not perferct... lots of bugs... and some little things missing... it's like as developpers are part time employees... This could be a masterpiece... but fall short.... Good improvement from last year... They listen to the fans on the blogs... But i can't understand some name on the roster... it's like they are there for a simple reason : boost the roster over the hundred mark... Fit finley, Col Mustafa...???… Expand
  23. steil
    Oct 20, 2015
    3
    The game looks amazing. When people in my house walk in and see me playing it the frequently think I'm just watching a game on tv.
    Story mode seems kinda hokey. Nice idea but would be a lot more enjoyable if the player was able to have more of a say in how the story progressed. Even some simple dialogue options.
    As for the gameplay this is clearly complex game. I've been a basketball fan    The game looks amazing. When people in my house walk in and see me playing it the frequently think I'm just watching a game on tv.
    Story mode seems kinda hokey. Nice idea but would be a lot more enjoyable if the player was able to have more of a say in how the story progressed. Even some simple dialogue options.
    As for the gameplay this is clearly complex game. I've been a basketball fan and player for years. I've also been playing computer games for years on pc and more recently on console. As soon as I get past the high school games I'm getting my butt kicked. Why? Because there is very little in the game that teachers you how to play it. A few very brief videos that probably left me feeling more confused and bewildered by the range of moves without actually helping me to execute any of them. I've been looking through the controller options to figure out basic things like what button will steal the ball etc.
    You can practice shooting by yourself but get in an actual game and things are completely different. You can play practice matches but without the proper skills the opposing team walks all over you which really isn't great practice.
    What the game really needs is a decent tutorial system that can run you through basic drills. A dribbling tutorial (instead of a short video) where you can actually practice dribbling outside the pressure of a game. Drills where you can practice defending, blocking shots. Driving through defenders. You play a game and you'll see the other players doing that and wonder how it's done. The game simply doesn't teach you. Players of previous 2k games seem happy enough with the gameplay but for anyone new to the franchise, there is not enough help. I'm about ready to give up in frustration.
    Nice looking game but I'm regretting buying it.    … Expand
  24. EverydayIDecay
    Oct 17, 2015
    3
    First off I'd like the say the gameplay has improved with the animations and tuning, however this years focus on MyCareer written by Spike Lee during only the rookie season is horrendous. You play acouple high school games, a few college, and then only 8 games your rookie season! You can not win rookie of the year or win the championship. It's not part of the story. Another thing toFirst off I'd like the say the gameplay has improved with the animations and tuning, however this years focus on MyCareer written by Spike Lee during only the rookie season is horrendous. You play acouple high school games, a few college, and then only 8 games your rookie season! You can not win rookie of the year or win the championship. It's not part of the story. Another thing to mention is the story is not interactive at all. You make zero decisions! MyTeam mode continues to improve with additions of special moments cards, dynamic ratings, team customization, and Euroleague items. Warning the best mode online association has still not returned. This is another bad decision by 2k sports. All you get is a league with no offseason, and reason to play really. The upgraded Pro-Am my player team play is hindered with connection issues. It's obvious 2k did not listen to the fans in terms of direction of this game. Major disappointment.… Expand
  25. Pelikan94
    Oct 10, 2015
    9
    Game is Awesome AI is completely redesigned so your tactics from 2K15 won't work.My career is good but it isn't that much interactive but after that movie it starts the REAL career you can choose sponsors and what do you want to say on press conference and what do you want to do on off days.Pro Am mode is crappy when you play random but with friends Its real joy.All other modes are good soGame is Awesome AI is completely redesigned so your tactics from 2K15 won't work.My career is good but it isn't that much interactive but after that movie it starts the REAL career you can choose sponsors and what do you want to say on press conference and what do you want to do on off days.Pro Am mode is crappy when you play random but with friends Its real joy.All other modes are good so overall its 9… Expand
  26. wcrosher
    Oct 7, 2015
    9
    NBA 2k16 has an absolutely perfect gameplay style, with everything feeling much more realistic than ever before. The best players feel like the best players, every player feels like they should, and the graphics are incredible. If it weren't for Spike Lee having WAY too many cutscenes in the "Living Da Dream" mode, then this would have been an easy 10.
  27. Navagator29
    Oct 7, 2015
    10
    This is obviously not everyones taste. I wasn't blown away with the myplayer movie. That's not what myplayer is for. Yes the storyline is important but it has to be empty and generalized. But this was an annoying dream of freaking Spike Lee and he's making us play it. I hated the fact that all the colleges you can pick are colleges that were good in the early 80s. High Schools are allThis is obviously not everyones taste. I wasn't blown away with the myplayer movie. That's not what myplayer is for. Yes the storyline is important but it has to be empty and generalized. But this was an annoying dream of freaking Spike Lee and he's making us play it. I hated the fact that all the colleges you can pick are colleges that were good in the early 80s. High Schools are all brooklyn high schools. It is extremely stupid. Please don't bring Spike Lee back. He took this situation to make his dream and screwed everyone who isn't from New York. I hope there is going to be a DLC but regardless I loved the gameplay and if you just ignore certain things about the storyline myplayer is still great and innovative. Other than that 2k16 once again hit to me. I loved it. And once again I play it like a fiend.… Expand
  28. breakbacon
    Oct 1, 2015
    5
    First there is no decent tutorial feature which should be criminal, like seriously. The story mode looks like 2010 and is buggy with funny glitches that make players jump around, also the AI spams their timeouts and fouls even when they are toast. It's bad enough when you just want the game over and they won't even let you do that. That would be fine but the actual game play is mediocre atFirst there is no decent tutorial feature which should be criminal, like seriously. The story mode looks like 2010 and is buggy with funny glitches that make players jump around, also the AI spams their timeouts and fouls even when they are toast. It's bad enough when you just want the game over and they won't even let you do that. That would be fine but the actual game play is mediocre at best. I don't think the game of basketball is playable. (Actually does anyone remember NBA Ballers, or arcade NBA Jam even?) 2K's version of the sport seems too dynamic and 'slippery' (read too-sim) and makes for an overall frustrating experience. Maybe they could have added some cell-shading and made it more of a arcade dunk fest? In conclusion there is no tutorial, better luck with NBA2K17 maybe?… Expand
  29. SeanGamerDays
    Oct 1, 2015
    10
    NBA 2K16 is the most best sports game you'll ever play, It's really good than the previous NBA 2K. The sports also counts to Spike Lee, since his story narration is a complete masterpiece!
  30. thedanman
    Sep 30, 2015
    0
    What a horrible game.

    1. All of the stupid annoying bugs from 15 are there. Have fun stealing the ball only to watch it slingshot out of the court and notice a "turnover" in the top corner because you stole the ball and physics stopped. 2. The menus are designed by school children on drugs 3. The career mode is the slowest most boring piece of junk in gaming history. I normally    What a horrible game.

    1. All of the stupid annoying bugs from 15 are there. Have fun stealing the ball only to watch it slingshot out of the court and notice a "turnover" in the top corner because you stole the ball and physics stopped.
    2. The menus are designed by school children on drugs
    3. The career mode is the slowest most boring piece of junk in gaming history. I normally dislike stories in games but this took it to a whole new level, thankfully I was able to skip every one of the 2999882 boring cutscenes
    4. There's like 4 different sets of settings for the same things, some seemingly change to default at random times just to annoy you.
    5. I swear the graphics are actually worse than last year. Everyone has pitch black eyes and the ball is constantly going THROUGH players... what.
    6. VC micro transaction junk is back again. YAY?! The feature everyone really looks forward to each year.
    7. The High School and college section goes for all of 7 games. I figured you'd use these 7 to build your skills or something... but they literally do nothing. May as well not be there?
    8. Everything feels like you're back in 2000 waiting to load a webpage on dial-up. Long loading times, long mid-game things which take 2 mins of button mashing to skip, long loading times again... more long loading times.

    Quite genuinely the worst game I've bought in the past 6 years or so. I specifically made this account just to give it a 0 as I hate it so much.    … Expand
  31. TheWrestlePixel
    Sep 29, 2015
    2
    This game doesn't deliver for me. It feels exactly like 15, and they even made the controls worse. There are tons of glitches that we don't even know will be patched including Demigod glitches. MyCareer just seemed like a low-rate movie to me. You don't make a lot of decisions, it's just a bunch of stupid cut-scenes to make it look like a new experience. The story is literally set to theThis game doesn't deliver for me. It feels exactly like 15, and they even made the controls worse. There are tons of glitches that we don't even know will be patched including Demigod glitches. MyCareer just seemed like a low-rate movie to me. You don't make a lot of decisions, it's just a bunch of stupid cut-scenes to make it look like a new experience. The story is literally set to the life of a black player. You have a black biological twin sister with BOTH BLACK PARENTS, meaning if you use a white player, (you'll have a black twin sister). You grow up in the projects, which is common for certain African Americans. You can add your voice to the game, but it just sounds awkward to me. It just seems like 2K is led to believe that they don't have any white fans. The face-scans are completely horrible. It's obvious that Chris Smoove lied about his face-scan saying that it was good. You could OBVIOUSLY see that it looked nothing like him. Live has better face-scans and you do it from your phone! The High School and College stuff only lasts for 4 games, so I don't even call that an addition. The only reason why I'm giving this a 2 is because even though it is a refurbished game, it is still a solid simulation basketball game, but it just gets boring after while. And I've experienced my fair share of glitches, and I think it's time that I take this back to the store.… Expand
  32. matzac15
    Sep 29, 2015
    9
    Pleasantly surprised by the overall improvements to the game by 2K. The My Team mode is better with more options and MyLeague/MyGM is completely revised to allow a build your own experience per franchise. MyCareer mode is in need of work for the story, but overall is a huge improvement for upcoming years. This game is a definite buy for any NBA fan and best sports game for 2015.
  33. norse76
    Sep 29, 2015
    4
    This review is based on just the Livin' Da Life story mode in My Career. What could have been an interesting take on a typical format has turned in to a cliché-riddled potboiler. Take everything you might see in a Lifetime channel movie-of-the-week and break it up in to five to fifteen(?!?) minute portions throughout a handful of abbreviated high school, college, and NBA rookie seasonThis review is based on just the Livin' Da Life story mode in My Career. What could have been an interesting take on a typical format has turned in to a cliché-riddled potboiler. Take everything you might see in a Lifetime channel movie-of-the-week and break it up in to five to fifteen(?!?) minute portions throughout a handful of abbreviated high school, college, and NBA rookie season games. Since the character created by you is forced awkwardly in to the storyline, several of the scenarios stretch the limits of believability, and the dialogue is melodramatic to a fault. Spike Lee should stick to what he knows (which is well past its prime now), and leave anything and everything video game-related to others who know how it's done.… Expand
  34. CGreen
    Sep 28, 2015
    7
    Let me preface my review with this: I love the NBA and loyally purchase the 2K series every year for basketball. Let's start with the BAD NEWS. 1-If you have never played a 2K basketball game ever, or haven't played one in awhile, the controls will be confusing or downright infuriating. There still is no simple tutorial. Listening to some NBA players tell you how to do things in aLet me preface my review with this: I love the NBA and loyally purchase the 2K series every year for basketball. Let's start with the BAD NEWS. 1-If you have never played a 2K basketball game ever, or haven't played one in awhile, the controls will be confusing or downright infuriating. There still is no simple tutorial. Listening to some NBA players tell you how to do things in a video that is small does not help one learn the controls. The only way you can learn the controls is through their menu system. You can check in game at any time, but there is no trial by error way to learn. Sure practice modes exist, but they don't give you suggestions on how to do things or improve your game. 2-The Spike Lee Joint is a gimmick and nothing else. I found the acting to be cheesy and downright lame (although I recognize this is a family friendly game). You WILL NOT have a unique MyCareer experience. You will be from Harlem. You will have an African-American family. You will have the stupidest nickname in the history of humanity (Frequency Vibrations). This mode is so annoying I do not know if I will ever finish more than a few games in my first season. 3-I play on simulation mode. That means the game should play like a real NBA game. It tries...really hard. But still, certain aspects are overblown like the following: there are too many blocks, especially of jumpshots. Honestly, how many games have you seen where more than one or two jumpshots are blocked? I also find that scoring is more difficult than last year. I find it nearly impossible to hit a shot perfectly, and scoring near the basket appears easy for the PC (friendly or opponent) but even simple shots are missed by the user controlled player. 4-The soundtrack is bad. They use a lot of tracks from previous versions of the game (hoping that the consumer doesn't remember back as far as 2k7 or 2k8). Some songs are fine, like Made you Look by Nas, but more often than not they are also, oddly lame. 5-Not a big deal, but some strange menu decisions are annoying. 6-Hair. I am a redhead, and if you want to create your own fellow ginger character...good luck. 2K still does not know how to make hair colors accurate. OJ Mayo's blown out hair looks gray in game. It's really awkward. Blonde players often look brown also. Some players' hair looks great, but come on...isn't it about time redheads have accurate hair color in game?

    THE GOOD: 1-The players finally move fluidly. While there is still some times where your players feel slow moving, more often than not each player moves like an ACTUAL HUMAN. It's only now in 2015 that this could ever be accomplished in a video game (sarcasm). 2-There are a lot of modes to play in. I personally like MyGM, but I would dabble into MyTeam or MyCareer (probably not this year!) from time to time. 3-The graphics are excellent and most, but not all of the players look extremely lifelike. 4-I enjoy the small sit down interviews with a player shown in between quarters. This may get old, but so far it's pretty cool. 5-Defense is finally improved. You can actually follow your assignment around the court and effectively defend. **This should also be somewhat of a negative, because the computer still has the innate ability to completely stop a player from moving in a direction or from doing any sizeup/dribbling move, despite moving their controller to do such.**

    Overall I think I will grow into this game, as I learn the new controls (albeit from the menu) and get better at actually scoring. You might just think I am bad at 2K, but I played last year on simulation on All-Star and regularly blew opponents out by 20-40 points. I still can't forgive 2K for the joke of a MyCareer. I guess it's something they had to peddle in order to trick people this year's game was SO different from last years. It really isn't though. Sure there are some cool things to do if you play online (which I don't), but the whole Spike Lee Joint experience seems like a gimmick to make $$$. I get it. I really do. Which is why I will still play this game until NBA 2K17 comes out.    … Expand
  35. JohnnieFinn
    Sep 28, 2015
    5
    Spike Lee forced me to have a biological black twin. Check and mate. Why is there even a face scanner? Every year, you're forced to role play as Vanilla Ice or Michael Rappaport. This year I have to role-play as a dude with Vitiligo or Albino disease.
    Not being able to spend vc on specific attributes is a form of freemium. They force you to grind for a very long time if you want to    Spike Lee forced me to have a biological black twin. Check and mate. Why is there even a face scanner? Every year, you're forced to role play as Vanilla Ice or Michael Rappaport. This year I have to role-play as a dude with Vitiligo or Albino disease.
    Not being able to spend vc on specific attributes is a form of freemium. They force you to grind for a very long time if you want to perfect a certain attribute, seducing you to spend extra money. But even then, I can't create the specialty player with the advantages/disadvantages I want him to have. And what sense does it make to force me to build a big man's moving 3pt if I want to improve his FT?
    So I didn't have any high hopes for the white characters being non-douchebags. But why did the corny ass story go light on the He Got Game and heavy on the UPN+Lifetime+After School Special? Let's get Oliver Stone on the case next time, kthanx.    … Expand
  36. goldfalcon43
    Sep 26, 2015
    0
    The Xbox One does not deliver in terms of the aspects in which NBA 2K16 excels on other consoles in that it includes a worse community that should definitely find a better console. Overall, the game is pretty good but the community could be better. Thus, this game deserves a 0.
  37. pinball123
    Sep 26, 2015
    1
    Why oh why did 2k think it was a good idea to have Spike Lee of all people direct the mycareer mode? The guys got far too big of an ego and is a hack. The story has bad acting and is stupidly predictable.

    ALL the choice is gone from the mode. You want to make yourself in the game? Too bad your a black dude from the hood! You made a white character? Too bad you have a black family and a    Why oh why did 2k think it was a good idea to have Spike Lee of all people direct the mycareer mode? The guys got far too big of an ego and is a hack. The story has bad acting and is stupidly predictable.

    ALL the choice is gone from the mode. You want to make yourself in the game? Too bad your a black dude from the hood! You made a white character? Too bad you have a black family and a black BIOLOGICAL twin!

    There's now 15 minute cut scenes about your team owners best friend and despite the entire cast being obnoxiously douchey and your main character making stupid decisions the whole time you have zero input in any of it. If I wanted to watch a bad movie I would have just rented a spike lee dvd! Luckily in your second season it goes more normal but you still get interviews about the story and still have a stupid nickname and your character has stupid reactions on court. I want to run back on defence after a dunk not sit there pretending I'm a DJ while the other team runs a fast break.

    You also only get to play 8 games in your rookie year and can't check the standings, stats or anything you would expect to check in a game about playing basketball.

    They've also removed some of the old control schemes so we are now forced to use the new one that feels like garbage, the game often locks up on a player standing on the court and randomly pointing for a few minutes and there's more unskippable broadcast stuff that bogs the games down too.

    The other modes might be better but I usually only play the mycareer mode, why couldn't they have had the spike lee mode separate from the regular mycareer? How did 2k think this was a good idea?    … Expand
  38. erdbeerheld
    Sep 26, 2015
    3
    2K Sports is pretty much ripping it's customer off again, but this year it's worse than ever...

    My review is pretty much just about the MyCareer mode. While this years story mode is pretty much nice, it has a lot of flaws and feels cheesy. There was so much potential in it, but Spike Lee dropped the ball on it with implementing WAY too much drama in it. Every cutscene is pretty much the    2K Sports is pretty much ripping it's customer off again, but this year it's worse than ever...

    My review is pretty much just about the MyCareer mode. While this years story mode is pretty much nice, it has a lot of flaws and feels cheesy. There was so much potential in it, but Spike Lee dropped the ball on it with implementing WAY too much drama in it. Every cutscene is pretty much the same: characters fighting and then getting friends again... Then the whole story is over after your first season. Then that's it with cutscenes. You'll never see those characters again, at least I didn't.

    But that's not my problem with the game. It's that 2K forces you to buy VC if you want to be successful in MyCareer mode. Not just succesful, you even need a lot of VC to even have fun in this game mode.

    While being the superstar in HS and college, with feeling like you're playing MJ, you quickly realize in your very first NBA game, that you'r just a 55 overall (65 if you've spent your 10,000 preorder VC) that had it's stats boosted in the HS/College games.

    So I'm a SG inside scorer and couldn't hit ANY shot that wasn't right in front of the basket. But then I hardly can get near the basket at all because I'm way too slow to get ANY opposing player. I drop the ball at the slightest contact and bounce off every guy like I'm made of rubber. And then my agent is telling me I'm the guy that shoulders this team and is the upcoming superstar? Doesn't feel like that at all. Well at least as I'm not spending another 20 bucks on VC so my player gets to proper NBA rookie ratings to start enjoying the game.

    This is not how you design a major game mode 2K. I know it shouldn't be easy and I do want a challenge, but this is a punch in the face of every paying customer. As it's just that hard to rip off some extra bucks to enjoy a game that we've already paid 60 bucks for.

    So don't buy if you wanted to play the MyCareer mode.    … Collapse
  39. Expos4421
    Sep 25, 2015
    7
    NBA 2K16 is a fantastic game, in fact I'd go as far as to say that is it the best basketball simulation on the market today. The graphics, the gameplay, the soundtrack, the online game modes all shine in my opinion on this years edition of the franchise we've all come to know and love, however the game is not without its flaw, the largest being MyCareer. Going into 2K16 I was very excitedNBA 2K16 is a fantastic game, in fact I'd go as far as to say that is it the best basketball simulation on the market today. The graphics, the gameplay, the soundtrack, the online game modes all shine in my opinion on this years edition of the franchise we've all come to know and love, however the game is not without its flaw, the largest being MyCareer. Going into 2K16 I was very excited with the idea of the Spike Lee Joints, having not played MyCareer in 2K15 instead favoring focusing on my player from 2K14. With all the hype around the new and improved story and the concept of being able to play College and High School basketball for the first time, there was no doubt in my mind that this was going to be the most realistic basketball experience for everyone who plays the game, emphasis on everyone. Starting fresh for the first time since 2K14 I spent around a half hour trying to create a reasonable portrayal of myself in game, which I've got to say was very much improved since 2K14, 2K did a very good job nailing down player creation and how in depth you can really go in order to create a replica of yourself in game, however this creation plays little into the Spike Lee Joint story "Livin Da Dream". A lot of the customization has been streamlined in order to create an experience that fits the storyline of "Livin Da Dream" rather than truly making "Livin Da Dream" a story of your own, which is understandable given the circumstances surrounding the story, however disappointing nonetheless. For starters, you are no longer able to pick a nickname for yourself, for story purposes your nickname both on and off the court has been designated as "Freq" short for "Frequency Vibrations" as your mother often refers to you as, not exactly the nickname I think a lot of fans had in mind but I think we can let it slide. The major gripes I have against MyCareer is the actual story itself and its ability, or lack thereof to make the story compelling and involving my player. The basis to the story revolves around "Freq" growing up alongside his hard working parents, twin sister and longtime friend Vic in the Harlem area, no major plot twists there coming from the man who is notorious for making films about basketball in the Harlem area. The immersion and interaction with my African American family is really what made me end up skipping the majority of the cutscenes. In no way shape or form was that comment meant to come across as racist, however the immersion is lost and just awkward when creating a player who doesn't fit this pre-determined role for myCareer, which is supposed to be a reflection of an individual's person. It may seem I'm getting rather in depth with the story aspect alone, however it was one of the major selling points of the game and should be discussed as such. The high school games are rather lack-luster lasting a whole 3 games lasting 8 minute against unchallenging opponents before declaring your college of choice between 10 colleges. The college aspect of the story was by far the most enjoyable aspect of MyCareer despite it short length of 4 games. Healthy amounts of playing time and the idea of playing for the college of my choice, one of the few choices you get to really make throughout the whopping 15 game story mode was a really refreshing change to the franchise that I hope returns in full force in the coming years. Your first season in the NBA can be summed up as disappointing, playing in only 8+ games including the playoffs, often receiving very little playing time. After being drafted by the Utah Jazz as the third string point guard behind 2 other point guards drafted within the last 3 years, I played very little throughout my 8 games and had very little of an effect on the season and the end of the "story" which concludes at the end of your first season before resuming the typical 2K myCareer formula during your 2nd season, which is a much welcomed sight in my eyes. Ultimately "Livin Da Dream" fell flat in the same vain as Frédéric Weis of Knicks infamy, a promising experiment ruined by a "dunk de la mort". However instead of Vince Carter delivering the final blow "Livin Da Dream" is put out of its misery by a lack of personalization the MyCareer game mode many of us have come to love as an expression of "our" fantasies of playing out or careers in the NBA. I understand the fact that given the format of MyCareer there would be limitations to the customization, however I was expecting some sort of rationale and was left disappointed mainly due to the lack of making the story of this Spike Lee Joint about "MyCareer" rather than an awkward Spike Lee cliche. Feel free to agree or disagree, like I said NBA 2K16 is the best basketball simulation on the market and absolutely worth a purchase if you love the game of basketball, however if you purchase 2K16 based solely for the purpose of MyCareer I recommend going in with no expectations and trying to make the best out of "Livin Da Dream".… Expand
  40. davedavidson
    Sep 25, 2015
    0
    MY CAREER IS DISAPPOINTING

    Pros - I like that they tried to do a story. -I like the addition of going through high school and college Cons -I like the idea of the story, but I don't like how restricted it is. Basically you have to be from harlem, you have to be poor, and you have to be black. Would be nice if there was more excitability to this. However, out of my cons, this one    MY CAREER IS DISAPPOINTING

    Pros
    - I like that they tried to do a story.
    -I like the addition of going through high school and college

    Cons
    -I like the idea of the story, but I don't like how restricted it is. Basically you have to be from harlem, you have to be poor, and you have to be black. Would be nice if there was more excitability to this. However, out of my cons, this one is the least of my concern.
    -Whats up with the horrible nick name?. "Frequency Vibration", WTF? Why can't 2k just give you a few generic names to choose from? At least that way to commentary could use that instead of calling you Freq all the time. This nickname stuff was also an issue in 2k15. I have heard that you can change it after the rookie season.. So that kind of makes it a little better if true.. But it still ruins the immersion.
    -No stats available in the menus. No calendar, no standings, no player stats.. I hope this is also an issue with it not being available until after rookie season. Otherwise that will be the biggest disappointment.    … Expand
  41. porhawj
    Sep 25, 2015
    10
    Gameplay is best including offense and defense.. Defense wowed me so much.. superstar like lebron james, kevin durant playing like real life so find elite defender player to stop them.. i haven't try My Career out yet.. i am so addicting to My Gm so much.. this game is best hoop title ever i playing in my life !!! can't wait to play NBA 2k17 when it launch in late September or earlyGameplay is best including offense and defense.. Defense wowed me so much.. superstar like lebron james, kevin durant playing like real life so find elite defender player to stop them.. i haven't try My Career out yet.. i am so addicting to My Gm so much.. this game is best hoop title ever i playing in my life !!! can't wait to play NBA 2k17 when it launch in late September or early October 2016. presentation is one of top priority for NBA 2k17… Expand
  42. damman
    Sep 25, 2015
    10
    Great game must better then NBA Live 16. EA please stop trying to make a basketball Sim because you lose ever year. 2k16 will always be king of Basketball Sims. Love the myplayer and Spike Lee Joints, online is solid I could go on just go out and buy trust me.
  43. XboxOneReviewer
    Sep 25, 2015
    10
    NBA 2K has given us one of the greatest sports games of all time. With spike lee penning the script to an extremely immersive and story driven my career, and with the new Pro-Am mode being one of the most well executed new modes of all time, this game brings back what we all love about 2K and adds things to make the experience even better.

    For those that don't know, the new Pro-Am mode    NBA 2K has given us one of the greatest sports games of all time. With spike lee penning the script to an extremely immersive and story driven my career, and with the new Pro-Am mode being one of the most well executed new modes of all time, this game brings back what we all love about 2K and adds things to make the experience even better.

    For those that don't know, the new Pro-Am mode is a mode where you can get your my careers, join up with your friends, and make your own team to compete against others across the world. But it gets better. The jerseys, stadium, and logos are fully customizable for your team. You can even upload photos and use them as your center court logo. MyCareer is back and better than ever with your player starting in high school, playing in college, and of course making the NBA and achieving stardom. With numerous cutscenes and storylines, you get an inside look at the trials and tribulations of being an NBA superstar. With the new MyCourt mode, you can design your own court designs, invite your friends and play pick up. Also, old favorite game modes such as MyTeam, MyPark, and MyLeague are back and more polished then ever before.
    All in all this game has set the bar high for every sports game. FIFA, NHL, Madden, etc. you all need to take notes. An immersive career mode will bring the fans out and it will keep them happy. This is without a doubt the best sports game of the year and a must pick up for basketball fans.    … Expand
  44. erdbeerheld
    Sep 26, 2015
    3
    2K Sports is pretty much ripping it's customer off again, but this year it's worse than ever...

    My review is pretty much just about the MyCareer mode. While this years story mode is pretty much nice, it has a lot of flaws and feels cheesy. There was so much potential in it, but Spike Lee dropped the ball on it with implementing WAY too much drama in it. Every cutscene is pretty much the    2K Sports is pretty much ripping it's customer off again, but this year it's worse than ever...

    My review is pretty much just about the MyCareer mode. While this years story mode is pretty much nice, it has a lot of flaws and feels cheesy. There was so much potential in it, but Spike Lee dropped the ball on it with implementing WAY too much drama in it. Every cutscene is pretty much the same: characters fighting and then getting friends again... Then the whole story is over after your first season. Then that's it with cutscenes. You'll never see those characters again, at least I didn't.

    But that's not my problem with the game. It's that 2K forces you to buy VC if you want to be successful in MyCareer mode. Not just succesful, you even need a lot of VC to even have fun in this game mode.

    While being the superstar in HS and college, with feeling like you're playing MJ, you quickly realize in your very first NBA game, that you'r just a 55 overall (65 if you've spent your 10,000 preorder VC) that had it's stats boosted in the HS/College games.

    So I'm a SG inside scorer and couldn't hit ANY shot that wasn't right in front of the basket. But then I hardly can get near the basket at all because I'm way too slow to get ANY opposing player. I drop the ball at the slightest contact and bounce off every guy like I'm made of rubber. And then my agent is telling me I'm the guy that shoulders this team and is the upcoming superstar? Doesn't feel like that at all. Well at least as I'm not spending another 20 bucks on VC so my player gets to proper NBA rookie ratings to start enjoying the game.

    This is not how you design a major game mode 2K. I know it shouldn't be easy and I do want a challenge, but this is a punch in the face of every paying customer. As it's just that hard to rip off some extra bucks to enjoy a game that we've already paid 60 bucks for.

    So don't buy if you wanted to play the MyCareer mode.    … Collapse

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best Xbox One Game of 2015
30
#30 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2015
20
#20 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. games(TM)
    Nov 15, 2015
    80
    NBA 2K16 is masterful at providing a re-creation of what we expect to see from a TV broadcast. [Issue#167, p.84]
    Read full review
  2. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Nov 9, 2015
    90
    Incremental changes in all the right places on the court, coupled with a comprehensive dynasty mode, make this the sports game to beat for the foreseeable future. [Dec 2015, p.82]
  3. SpazioGames
    Oct 27, 2015
    90
    It's amazing. A basket game so full of content and quality that its almost unbelievable for a fan of the real sports. It's only fault is the online, that remains unstable year after year, with irritating lag spikes. Oh yeah, the Spike Lee directed stroyline isn't that amazing either, but hey, perfection does not exist after all.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »