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) wereNBA 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
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