NBA 2K22

 Xbox One
Metascore
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No score yet - based on 1 Critic Review

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
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  1. LevelUp
    Sep 24, 2021
    80
    NBA 2K22 exceeds what was achieved in the previous year, and although it does not represent a radical change for the franchise, it has everything necessary to satisfy NBA fans. For better and for worse, the game has everything players love about NBA 2K, but also everything they hate.

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User Score
4.6

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 9 out of 17
  1. Xbox_Alive
    Sep 14, 2021
    9
    NBA 2K22 is the best title in the series’ history. Big improvements on defense make a difference, and the revamped shot meter is a step upNBA 2K22 is the best title in the series’ history. Big improvements on defense make a difference, and the revamped shot meter is a step up from NBA 2K21. The truth for many years has been that what you get out of an NBA 2K games depends entirely on what you’re looking for. The gameplay remains rock-solid, and a wide variety of modes provide a huge variety of experiences. Many of the series’ biggest strengths remain virtually unchanged for years, though, while some new additions feel somewhat terrible. Let’s start with the biggest addition to NBA 2K22. The City is a sandbox that you create a character and work to the top. Playing basketball is a big part of this, with street ball, leagues, and a variety of challenges to help you develop your player into an NBA superstar. There’s just as much to do off the court, though. Grow your personal brand, build your style, get into races; this mode is filled with things to do. Too bad so much of it feels off. The city is definitely big, but getting around this huge place is never fun. Your character moves so slowly, and he gets caught on nearly everything. You can hop on a skateboard, or in time a bicycle, but none of these control all that well. Moving around the city doesn’t have to be the draw, but it shouldn’t feel this awkward when you spend so much time doing it. That’s before getting into the nightmare of branding here. Any sports game is going to feature brands. Things like Nike, Adidas, they’re part of the culture. So playing on the Mountain Dew court or seeing banners in the background are hardly deal-breakers. Do I really need to sit through lectures on the importance of Gatorade or hang out with Jake from State Farm? There’s a line, and The City is over it. Even if The City isn’t for you, there’s still a wide variety of ways to play in NBA 2K22. Many players will jump into My Team, where you collect cards, level them up, and build the best team you can. It’s actually a lot of fun. Trying to go free to play here is awful, with the pace of unlocks horribly balanced. This entire mode is designed to force players to spend real-world money. That’s no big deal in free-to-play games, but when it’s a part of upward of $100 title, I’m a little less inclined to be forgiving. Offline, there’s always single matches, a playoff experience, or the mode which has kept me busy for twenty years: franchise. This allows you to take over a team or group of teams and lead them through the years. This mode hasn’t really changed. There are a few minor tweaks like the ability to remove teams from the league instead of just adding them, but they’re minor. Still, it’s so fully loaded that there’s a ton of fun to be had. You can also jump into a single-player WNBA experience now, which is nice, though it’s pretty bare-bones compared to The City. It focuses on the basketball and removes running around a janky city in slow motion. Once on the court, everything turns around. The team at Visual Concepts has done a fantastic job of building on the game’s already great base. The little things this year feel bigger than in many others, though. The shot meter introduced last year was solid, but I had some difficulty finding the right timing with it. This year’s version does a great job of helping players get a feel for a team full of players and even the defense has seen an overhaul. Perimeter defense feels a lot better now. It feels awesome to silence a crowd and terrible when you just can’t despite your best efforts. Funneling players to your bigs feels natural, and shot-blocking has taken a huge leap. It feels natural, allowing big men with great shot-blocking ability to put their stamp on the game in a way that has been difficult in recent years. AI is also improved. Defenders move together, recovering smoothly. On offense, off-ball movement is the best in the franchise. Finding open shooters after they cut around your pick and roll is awesome. The perfect shot now leads to a little cinematic, which did a nice job of highlighting the moment without taking me too out of the game. Perhaps these are too common, but it’s nice to see a reward for getting my timing right. The rest of the game’s presentation is a mixed bag, though. It looks great on the court with fantastic player models and strong lighting. You really feel the power of the PS5. With everything else looking so good, though, the developers still not quite getting the eyes right stands out, though. Perhaps more importantly, the game’s menu system is a mess. Over the last couple of years, Visual Concepts have worked to streamline what had become a deeply dense menu. There are so many options here that presenting them all in the open can feel a bit overwhelming. Now you’re only shown a limited set of options that look great. The problem is that now it’s almost impossible to find certain features but hands down this is the best version of the franchise to date.
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  2. 2ksucksbuns
    Sep 12, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Do not buy this game if you do not have current Gen. It is just scraps of the current generations game . They changed the shot meter after letting you get used to the old one and just expect you to be happy about it , then it's the same bullcrap as last year with just 2k22 printed on the front . I have only had this game for a day and I already know it's not worth the money your gonna spend on this trash in a case. So in conclusion they just put a great player on the front just so the game can be trash… Full Review »
  3. MinePlay512
    Sep 11, 2021
    9
    It's safe to say that NBA 2K22 is a very good game. The gameplay has improved. There are new features. But I honestly feel that could be more.It's safe to say that NBA 2K22 is a very good game. The gameplay has improved. There are new features. But I honestly feel that could be more. But overall, NBA 2K22 is a very solid, polished basketball game.… Full Review »
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