NBA 2K23 Review

NBA 2K23 is a very promising game, which has been setting precedents for a long time, but will the tradition continue?

NBA 2K23 has been the benchmark for Basketball games for quite some time now. And definitely this is something that can be dangerous, but the franchise has managed to handle it and bring us an interesting proposal year after year. Each time increasing the use of good technologies and taking full advantage of the current generation of consoles.

I’ll start off by saying that NBA 2K23 plays impressively on the latest generation of consoles and definitely the detail in character stats is the most impressive in this game.

But, let’s talk in more detail about its gameplay, which has undergone some changes, which for some could be an improvement, for others simply a change or an annoyance.

Sprints and defense deplete stamina at a rate that fairly balances the entire game. So you have to be careful, the more stamina you use, the slower and less precise your player will act, this definitely makes the matches more realistic.

It is also possible to use adrenaline boosts which will help you perform impressive moves both offensively and defensively. You only get three per game, so using them strategically in the late quarters is vitally important, as the less you have, the more tired you’ll be.

Here the difficulties are adapted to all players, which helps the learning curve that can definitely take a while, but enjoying the game is instant.

We have the Jordan Challenge, which is not as new as we can say, it has already been implemented in previous installments. This consists of playing featured games of Jordan, each of them with particular challenges to complete. And here everything will revolve around Jordan, where even the least knowledgeable will understand a little bit of basketball history.

I quite liked that this modality adds different filters that are adapted to the period of time in which it is being played. But, above all, if you are a connoisseur of the sport since the old days, I am sure that you will enjoy it even more. Although, in my opinion, this ends up being quite repetitive.

Since 2K22, online and MyCareer have been merged to be the same. Instead of going through menus to do one thing or another, your character can seamlessly transition from story to online play thanks to The City which is an expansion of the hub world seen in recent NBA games.

Here you can freely walk, bike and visit the different basketball courts with their own rules and above all rewards. Shops, gyms, and the running sports arena are also found throughout the city, and while this freedom helps the RPG aspect of the game, the structure of the quests and the complicated journeys start to get tiresome.

We continue to have this quest system which was a feature introduced in 2K22 and to be quite honest I’m still not convinced.

I don’t think it’s necessary to do the actual walk to the locker room, the press room and the pitch, it makes me spend more time than I really want to spend on the game. I like something more basic, more linear and fast.

MyCareer’s story is a bit different, instead of starting in college and working your way up to the NBA, you choose where you want to be recruited right away. But, this does not stop there, since you were the last choice for the team and no fan wanted you; instead, they would prefer your rival, a more charismatic counterpart and seemingly better than you at everything.

Now your goal will be to make the fans see that you were the best choice for the team. You will achieve this by playing well, getting public relations points and making brand deals. There is now a cast of characters supporting you on your journey in the form of a management team; everyone is distinct in their personalities, but the performances feel limited.

In MyCarrer progression feels important as it is integrated directly into the online. Building your character has incredible depth in visual representation, but the main change has to be the stats. Now you’re no longer limited to a pie chart, but rather a point-based system that works with your overall stats, height, and size.

The badge system has seen a redesign this time around with badges having different levels that can cost more. The system for people who are new to the game essentially works as perks that can improve your abilities in specific situations.

Women’s basketball has returned, without many changes. Career mode is a very light version. The rhythms of the stories do not exist as such, it is as if it had been done just to comply with the genre.

MyTeam is another one I have mixed feelings about. It has to be the most diverse mode the game has, but also, I feel a huge incentive to use micro transactions. You will have to be incredibly lucky or spend a small sum of money to land players worth including in your fantasy roster. I can still say that I had a lot of fun building my team, putting them in the right positions, making players from all eras come together to be a dream team and defeating my competitors and also being abolished by them.

In conclusion

Hopefully NBA 2K23 and the 2K series in general will continue this trend of improving everything they have to offer. It is clear that releasing a game year after year is something that places you with limitations regarding how much each game can improve, but the most remarkable thing is that they always strive to improve.

Animations are more fluid along with offense, counter, and defense, with smoother transitions in their executions, resulting in a faster but consistent flow throughout the game. At a graphic level it is simply great, its limitations are exactly in the area of ​​​​innovation and well, some modes show that they did not receive as much love as I expected.

This review was made thanks to a copy for PS5 provided by 2K Games