Like every year around this time, we have a new NBA2K, with NBA 2K24 bringing gameplay improvements, some changes to the game modes, but microtransactions are back again and perhaps stronger than ever. It goes without saying that we have all the roster changes, new music, a completely new MyCareer with several differences in MyCity and an upgraded MyTeam. The Jordan Challenges we had last year have been replaced by Mamba Moments while we have new options in MyNBA with the revamp of Eras and the addition of a Lite mode for a more accessible championship experience.
Advantage of NBA 2K24 Gameplay
Before we go into detail about our experience with the game, we must once again note the existence of micro-transactions. And this year the gamer has the possibility to buy with real money in-game money, items, cards, etc., in order to gain an advantage over his -online- opponents or to do some things faster. It is obvious that this choice of 2K is not going to change and will always take points away from the game.
However, for the signer who does not play online, microtransactions are of little importance. Since 2K put them into the game, we haven't spent a single euro on anything without missing out on what the game has to offer in terms of gameplay. Even so, those who play MyCareer or MyTeam even in single player, maybe it would be better to prefer the Mamba Edition of the game, which offers enough "free" money and cards for the above two modes. This year however, especially in MyCareer and how it's set up, the game almost pushes the player to get extra VC Points to raise the stats of the player they create faster. Besides the fact that it is impossible to play online with a player who has an overall rating of 60 compared to those who have put in VC Points and have players with a rating of 90, even with the Mamba Edition and the 100000 VC Points that it offers "for free", we don't get over 75.
Description about My Career below
The game itself urges the player to play only the "important" games in the league by simulating the rest, which means that they do not get points for them. But you will read more about MyCareer below. In addition, this year there is also a Season Pass, with each season lasting 40 days and the two passes available for purchase costing €10 and €20 respectively! After we are done with the disclaimer above, let's see the game. Those who played NBA2K23 on PS5 will find themselves in familiar surroundings. The main menu includes 6 main gaming categories as well as Features which are various settings options for many different parts of the game. Mamba Moments, a mode that brings Kobe Bryant into focus, has a prominent place. In this we have available only 7 challenges that we can play, 7 match-stations of the Black Mamba's career as a Lakers player.
Unlock 21 stars in NBA 2K24
Each of them puts us in control of the team that Kobe plays for with the aim of achieving at least one goal out of the three available in each challenge in order to unlock the next one. Each goal is represented by a star earned, and once we earn a total of 21 stars, our game unlocks items for MyCareer and MyTeam. Before the start of each game we can watch footage from the specific match and immediately afterwards we can play the match. Sure, Mamba Moments is a nice addition, but as a mode it cannot be compared to last year's Jordan Challenges as they are fewer and Kobe's perhaps best - individually - game is missing, in which he scored 81 points. - See more at: http://www.enternity.gr/Article/Games/Reviews/nba-2k24-review/83449.html
However, the renewed MyNba, the mode that allows us to create our own custom league, also brings retro aesthetics. Obviously we can start the league with today's teams, but four more eras have been added here, the one that includes the 80s with the Celtics-Lakers rivalry, the Jordan-Bulls era in the 90s, the Kobe era (Bryant) from the early 2000s and the LeBron era.
Essentially team development
Essentially the team development has created all the teams themselves with their stadiums, appearances and players so that the player doesn't have to do this. In fact, we can create our own Draft Class, essentially changing the outcome of each season. Anyway, the options are really many, giving the player the possibility of in-depth parameterization of the league, from the teams themselves, the management of salary cup and player relations, the use of General Manager and of course whether the league will be offline or online.
In fact, the new MyNBA is the mode that those of us who really love basketball as a sport and want to enjoy it, away from micro-transactions, cards and everything that MyCareer and MyTeam have, will deal with it. This year there is also MyNBA Lite which only has the current rosters and everything else regarding the teams is more simple and understandable for those who just want to play a league.
But before we talk about the two modes that most people play, MyCareer and MyTeam, let's see what we have in the others. The Play Now option offers the basics, such as Quick Play for quick play, NBA Today which allows us to play games that take place that day (as long as the NBA has started), Eras QuickPlay which allows us to play simple games in some of the older eras, the ability for online matches (online seems to work well this year), the 2KU training system and Blacktop. WNBA is the menu that has all the gaming options with women's NBA teams.
Just like last year, this year too there is a possibility to create a player in the MyCareer environment, but without the story that the normal MyCareer has. We also find MyWNBA with options just like MyNBA. The women's games, however, have a different pace and are played differently since both the height and athleticism of the girls are at a lower level compared to the regular NBA.
It's time to talk about MyCareer
It's time to talk about MyCareer which is based on a new story but the logic behind setting up the whole mode has completely changed. The story is extremely simple, with our player considered the best prospect since Lebron and a player who is already entering the conversation to be the next GOAT. Of course, how this is supported when our player starts with overall 60, we cannot understand.
Also, this year we don't have a special story with cut scenes and actors like in previous years. The game immediately drops us into his revamped city (which apparently runs at 30fps, just like in previous years) with the only background story actually running regarding the fact that our player is a 3rd generation NBA player with a grandfather and his father also to have played in the NBA. In some parts of MyCareer we can also play key matches of these and somewhere there the whole story mode is completed.
There are of course many sidequests in the city just like in previous years, but they all have to do with achieving goals by playing matches. It's obvious that the development team didn't give the story any basis, believing - or knowing - that everyone is playing online. And to play online you need to be a good player, which is done by raising your stats with VC Points. And to have a player with an overall 85 you need over 200,000 VC Points with each match in MyCareer giving around 1000. One realizes the grinding required to make a simply good player, which pushes quite a few people to buy VC Points with real money.
Activated the various badges
The creation of the player itself plays an important role as it needs a lot of attention in terms of how the points will be distributed in the stats with the maximum goal being the 99 overall of the player. Accordingly, the various badges are activated, which are clearly more than last year. But beyond the badges and attributes, this year the game offers Goat skills, which we can use in the match. Once we reach the in-game goal of a skill, it activates during the game (for a certain time) boosting specific MP abilities.
Another thing that has changed during the matches is the Team Takeover. Until last year this was unlocked if we filled the two available takeover bars of himself our player and then the Team Takeover bar. This year, it fills separately depending on how much we team up, which can allow us to even trigger Team Takeover 2 or 3 times during a match, thus controlling the entire team. But the two individual takeover bars this year work differently. For each one we can strengthen the player's stats by choosing between 5 categories (finishing, shooting, playmaking, defense, power) with the time that the takeover is active being minimal and not doubling when we fill both bars! From there, the story is based on MP trying to level up the Goat "ladder" by earning Goat Points, which are more when we play the key games, which are what directly gives you the option to play MyCareer while to choose the next match, you have to press the triangle to display the full schedule!
NBA2K24 MyTeam multiplayer
The other "big" mode that NBA2K24 has is MyTeam, the well-known card game. Things haven't changed much in terms of the modes one can play (either single player or multiplayer). There are other additions and changes that make NBA2K23's MyTeam one of the most complete gaming modes, but here too the logic of microtransactions comes into play in a strong way. Especially since the Auction House was removed and now 2K sets the prices for the cards, even demanding real money for several of them.
In any case, what matters is how the game plays. So here we have once again amazing graphics, the best we have seen in "basketball". The famous players (Lebron, Giannis, etc.) are like real ones, especially when you play with a close-up camera and see them up close. This year we have the addition of ProPlay, a technology that has allowed the development team to take video footage from NBA games and turn it into in-game animation. And the truth is that this year the movements of the players (especially the stars) are better than ever.
Changes have been made to the AI and how it manages the various matches with the aim of being more balanced in the inside-out game and not so overpowered the three-pointer as in other years. Changes have also been made to the adrenaline boost, which coexists with the energy bar. It appears as three bars below the energy bar (just below the player in-game) and is essentially a representation of each player's dribbling ability. The goal of the development team was to reduce players' endless local dribbles (so-called size ups), with good defenses on the ball holder and dribbling directly reducing adrenaline bars, thus putting more emphasis on defense.
Smart additions of NBA2K24
It's definitely a smart addition that balances the game. Of course, on the PS5 we have the excellent feeling that DualSense gives, both through the speaker through which various sounds of the field pass and mainly through the adaptive triggers. However, haptic feedback is not used this year either, something we would like to see when, for example, the player we control is against other bodies during the matches.
NBA2K24 is a two-sided game. On the one hand, it is an excellent basketball simulator with a lot of content for those who want to enjoy our basketball. On the other hand, it is a title full of microtransactions and set up in such a way that pushes the player to this part. Depending on which part the end user will see, they will either love it or hate it. Even so, the relatively small and lacking Mamba Moments and MyCareer's truncated Story definitely take away points and put it at least 2 notches below last year's NBA2K23.
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