NBA 2K22
Review
Going for the championship
by Howie Howard
reviewed on PC
Can I Win an NBA Championship?
Yes, you can, and it can be done with NBA 2K22. NBA 2K22 is the latest version of the venerable sports franchise video game that first came into existence way back in 1999 as NBA 2K. Along with the addition of the digits suffixing the title – which is now into its 23rd season - the yearly upgrades have gradually improved the sports title over the years. Sega started the ball rolling in the early days and now the developer is Visual Concepts with 2K Sports publishing. Stay with us as we talk a bit about NBA 2K22 and discuss whether it's bound to commit a technical foul or win an NBA championship.
I Feel So Tired...
The biggest change or improvement in the game from previous versions is the addition of player endurance. As a player gets tired from running around while dribbling, the shot meter will shrink making it tougher to hit shots. This may not seem like a big deal, but it does make game play feel more realistic. In reality, it turns the 2022 version in to more of a team game where all of the team’s players will be needed to win. This adds to the fun equation in that it more resembles the real game of basketball while making it seem like you are really on the court. The old tried and true tactic of launching 3-point shots is still available but the enhanced offense and defensive system might serve to put a damper on trying to play like that.
It's All About the Tactics
With the addition of endurance and an enhanced offense and defensive system it makes it necessary to use real world basketball tactics such as pick and rolls or post play involving big front court players. Most new people to the game won't know how to perform all of the team tactics so there's a nice training mode where users can practice the different plays and shots. You can also practice all of it with opponents in scrimmage games against teams of your choice. This helped me because I hadn't played an iteration of NBA 2K in a while and my basketball skills were rusty. In previous editions of NBA 2K, being proficient at using team tactics sometimes might have been overpowering and that made the game seem unrealistic. That has changed in the 2022 version due to the enhanced offense and defence artificial intelligence.
The improved defensive system includes more realistic shot blocking than in previous editions - which serve to counter easy wins and unrealistic game results. The offense on the other hand has enhanced player moves and actions which will tend to even game play out. However, there are areas where expert NBA 2K game enthusiasts can still exploit certain aspects of the game.
It's A Virtual World Baby
Even though improved gameplay is important we still need a place to take advantage of these improvements. The virtual world of NBA 2K22 includes a revamped city neighbourhood experience. The different modes consisting of MyCareer, MyTeam and MyNBA / MyWNBA are still present but all have been updated. In MyCareer the focus is based more on the avatar's emphasis of building a social media sensation. This is much like real-life basketball when a new talent starts his or her career. Of course, there are choices to be made in a real career and it's no different here. New MyCareer talents must make the choice of going to college, decide when to enter the draft, play in the G-league or go directly to the NBA. Once a choice is made then it's a lot of fun watching how the storyline unfolds.
Is My Team Really Better Than Yours?
It all depends, but generally speaking, because of AI improvements, MyTeam is better. Back due to popular demand, the draft is making a much-needed return to the game. In the draft you can select a complete line-up from a constantly updated player pool. After drafting players, competition with the new line-up in online multiplayer games can take place.
As progress online is made, such as winning games, answering basketball trivia questions, and other activities, Virtual Currency (VC) points are earned. VC can then be spent to buy items or to increase MyTeam or MyCareer Player Rating. Player Rating determines how good the team or player will be so improving player attributes is important. If spending real-world money to improve isn't a problem, then getting the credit card out to purchase player improvements is also available. This unfortunately can make NBA 2K22 feel like a pay-to-play affair. Competing against top players that do pay is not going to make beating them easy if you don't pay yourself. If you aren't overly impatient, getting the Player Rating to its max of 99 is possible, but it will take a long time.
Can I Play in the WNBA?
Yes, the WNBA is available and a lot of teams in both leagues are waiting for their new GM to sign on. The MyNBA mode consists of taking the reins of a team as General Manager. The updates include improved staff attributes, a better scouting model along with trainers that are better at their job. Since my personal NBA 2K basketball skills as an on the court player are lacking, I prefer managing instead of playing. Let me say that managing a team in this game is quite detailed. Along with needing to know a lot about the sport, knowledge of how to manage a professional team is desirable or you could end up looking for a new job.
Has A Technical Foul Been Called?
NBA 2K22 definitely hasn't earned a foul of any type, but may not quite win a championship either. Let's say that NBA 2K22 won its conference title and might have made it to the finals, but not an NBA Championship this year. There's always something else to improve before championship status can be awarded. NBA 2K22 is much improved over the NBA 2K21 edition. As with most all yearly serial sports franchise computer games developing a completely new game engine takes a lot of work and time, work that probably couldn't be completed with the years. When taking into consideration the disappointments involving the 2021 edition, Vision Concepts and 2K Sports really did a good job with the 2022 game. It rolled around the rim and dropped in for two. Here's hoping that future editions can sink the three-pointer.
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8.5
fun score
Pros
The graphics look fantastic and overall game play has been greatly improved. There's a whole lot of content.
Cons
Don't much like the online pay factor to gain perks and to be better. Some of the added content, like player shoe design, seems to be thrown together just to add more content.
