NBA 2K24 Xbox Series X Review

The NBA 2K franchise has improved over the past few years and has been renowned for delivering realistic basketball simulations. The series constantly innovated and released new games yearly without simply being a full-priced roster update. The NBA 2K24 is the sequel to last year's highly praised release and the franchise's 25th anniversary and potentially could mark a turning point for the series for its introduction of ProPLAY and Crossplay features.

Despite the game's improved playability thanks to ProPLAY, MyCareer once again suffers from microtransactions that slow player advancement and diminish the experience. If you played NBA 2K23, you won't be too startled if you get a sense of remembrance at the beginning of 2K24. Yet, the next-gen console version of NBA 2K24 has much more to offer than it may appear initially.

The fundamental gameplay has a much more fluid feel to it overall; the dribbling moves, body operations, jump shots, and dunks all have a much more natural feel to them. I'm not going to exaggerate it because I don't want to, but when you actually play it, you'll notice that it's a lot smoother, and you can credit ProPLAY for that. There is nothing comparable to the new in-game improvements that were included the previous year, such as the ability to hang with the rim and one of the most controversial features, Adrenaline Bars.

These new features were not included in this year's version of the game. But they did change some aspects, such as the fact that your adrenaline bars will now be reduced when you make contact with an opponent rather than when you enhance your speed. There will be "green or miss" shooting options, where failure to succeed in the attempt to fire results in failure to complete the level. On certain modes, there won't be any whites going in at all.

The timing, as well as the process of shooting, have undergone the most noticeable transformation. The NBA 2K24 shot timing stick is quite different from previous versions, and I had a lot of difficulties getting used to it. I agree that the intent was nice, but it was essentially a swish or airball if you missed the timing. Because of this, I started waiting until I had a wide-open shot before attempting a jump shot. Iterations, where the shot time varied according to your degree of openness, were particularly annoying.

I don't mean slightly or as if your shot were interrupted, but rather if there was no room to maneuver. When you were shooting with a narrow aperture, the shot meter moved at a pace that felt more natural to me, but it moved at a glacial pace when you were wide open. As a result, there were many occasions when open shots were missed because the player just couldn't tell how open they actually were.

In general, the enhancements made to the gameplay make shooting and dribbling feel more open and natural than they did in the previous version. Easing the way for players of varying ability levels to shine while they're competing. You can access it to enable you to construct electrifying dribbling sequences and offer up chances to make high-percentage shots. The defensive end of the court is where counter moves to grab the spotlight in NBA 2K24. The defenses of the perimeter and the paint are more effective. Players are rewarded for their anticipation and their good reads. If you take great pride in your team's defensive abilities, this will change the game.

New Adrenaline Boosts have been added to NBA 2K24, and they are aimed to make offensive as well as defensive play more compelling. The most skilled ball handlers can produce greater freedom, while excellent defenders can lock down opposing ball handlers and hinder their shooting ability. It gives the game an additional dimension of strategy to explore. 2K Smart Play is back on new-gen consoles, which means those of you who enjoy calling plays will have the ability to more easily streamline your offense, defense, and coaching.

With the introduction of its ProPLAY technology, Visual Concepts has made a significant step forward, and it is the most recent gaming engine that will be used in NBA 2k24. ProPLAY is able to take footage from actual NBA games and convert it into playable animations without any noticeable hiccups. The improved accuracy can be attributed to their recently developed motion capture method. This indicates that all the animations, including your dribbling, shooting, dunking, and any other animations of this nature, will be far smoother. You can also observe here how ProPLAY can imitate in-game movements with such precision.

As a direct consequence, the level of realism achieved is through the roof. It's almost like playing basketball with some of your favorite NBA players. Unfortunately, however, this function is only available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. This technology, which completely transforms the way NBA 2K24 is played, directly applies to the game. It represents a quantum leap in authenticity, bringing your gaming experience closer to reality than it has ever been before. You will have the impression that you are actually on the court and are making those crucial moves.

Mamba Moments, a mode that pays tribute to the late, great Kobe Bryant, is another fantastic new addition to the game. You will get the opportunity to relive Kobe Bryant's remarkable rise from a rising bright talent to one of the best players in the sport's history. If you're a basketball fan and want to relive some classic events from Brian's point of view, this mode is a no-brainer. It's a new take on Jordan's challenges, but this time, the focus will be on Kobe's most memorable events, such as when the Lakers faced off against the Kings in the 2001 Western Conference semi-finals.

The match against the Sonics in which Kobe broke the record for most three-pointers made in a game with 12. In addition, there are some more games, including one in which Kobe scored a career-high 55 points while taking on MJ. Both the game in which he scored 81 points and the game in which he played his final game against the Jazz were not included, which came as a surprise.

In MyNBA mode, you can also play throughout the LeBron James era. If you haven't played my NBA in the past year, you now have the option of selecting a different era from which to launch the game. In addition, this year, you'll have the opportunity to begin the so-called "LeBron era" from the time he brought us all the way down to South Beach and formed the superteam that is Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and themselves.

NBA 2K24 The MyCareer mode is getting more challenging, giving you more opportunities to shape your legacy. Along the way, you will strive for excellence and championships, elevating your status from that of a generational talent to that of a Hall of Famer. In addition to that, there is a whole new location set in a tropical setting that may be explored. This setting has streetball competitions and possible side quests.

In terms of features, I believe that 2K's primary focus was on the MyCareer mode. One of the most significant shifts that has taken place is the revival of the rap system. The Season event will remain, as will the requirement to reach Level 40 to unlock its rewards. However, there will be a second progression meter that will not reset at the end of each season, and it will operate very similarly to a rap system that existed many years ago.

This is a really positive development since it means that the grinding you do will have a greater significance with respect to the Seasons. You are required to make a financial investment in a brand-new feature that has been met with various responses from the community: your season pass. There are two seasonal payment plans available: $10/season or $20/season, both of which come with additional seasonal prizes and other benefits.

It is completely voluntary, but we all know that occasionally, voluntary items have a tendency to muck up our thoughts and can build up to become a must-buy, particularly if they give gameplay improvements. But we'll have to see, it all depends on the kinds of prizes that are available to us for the entire year.

Even though MyCareer Builder looks quite similar to its predecessor at first glance, you'll quickly realize that many improvements have been made. You now get access to 24 new badges in addition to a brand-new progression system for badges, a revamped batch system, and an improved method for upgrading your existing badges. The year before, all that was required of you was to accumulate the finishing batch points and distribute them across all of your finishing badges.

Now, to level up your badge, you will need to perform the actions specified by the badge. There have also been a lot of other adjustments made to the ways in which you are able to make your structure, but the peak of the Builder has become more stringent. It appears to be difficult to develop a build that can perform everything like it could last year.

Formerly, most of us could invest deeply in the fate of our custom character in the MyCareer mode. It put us in the shoes of aspiring basketball players, giving us a real taste of the ups and downs that inevitably come with any such endeavor. But in NBA 2K24, heartless basketball stats take precedence. You have no emotional investment in your player's plight, and the experience suffers as a result. 

There was a significant drop in immersion due to the lack of a storyline, and you don't feel like you belong in the lively basketball world. Though many won't be bothered about MyCareer mode not having a story, the gameplay in genreal is much more difficult than the previous entries. The opposition AI is much faster and more clever as they pass more and defend better. Though at times, your team AI felt quite the opposite, even ignoring to pass to you while you're wide open.

In the City, there is a focus on the seaside, and the number of alliances has been reduced to only two. You have the option to select either Elite or Rise, and neither one is only a cosmetic upgrade or a way to boast that you are a member of this club. Now, there are genuine enhancements to the gameplay that come from selecting one and picking the right one is incredibly critical for how well you do in the City.

In addition, if you love card-collecting activities, MyTeam has returned and is packed with countless hours of enjoyment that can be customized to your preferences. On the MyTeam side of things, you now have access to the new content, which includes the new MTP upgrades, the new player Market, the new player salary, cap mode XP revamp along with XP coins and events, Triple Threat online co-op look for a group, coach boost, and seasonal tokens. You are able to conquer both the single-player and multiplayer game modes by constructing your ideal Squad out of current All-Stars and Legends from throughout the game's history.

A brand-new wage cap mode is also included in MyTeam; this mode helps maintain that healthy sense of competition. On new-generation consoles, NBA 2K24 gives you the option to select from sixteen different favorite actions, including anything from full plays to isolations to give-and-go takeover returns. However, there is a catch. To fill up the Takeover meter and give you the option to use either your rebounding, finishing, shooting, playmaking, or physical abilities. You can also choose to activate your defense or physicality. It's all about tailoring your gameplay experience to your particular preferences and manner of play.

The introduction of Crossplay between different current-generation consoles by Visual Concepts is one of the best features of NBA 2K24 for providing the best possible basketball experience. You can now play casual pickup games, online tournaments, or dynamic co-op battles with players from all over the world, or you can compete against players from all over the world. For those of you who aren't familiar with the term "Crossplay," it's a feature that allows you to play against other players even if they're using a different kind of gaming console than you are. Players on PlayStation can now compete against players on Xbox, and this will be the case across all game modes.

To tell you the truth, NBA 2K24 doesn't bring a lot of new graphical features to the table. However, if you play a lot, we'll declare that your playing time is above average because of how much you do it. If you don't notice it right away, you'll probably need to look at it more closely to notice the difference. However, it's likely that you will notice it right away. In general, though, there was an obvious improvement.

I am aware that it is somewhat disheartening that the graphics have not advanced very much, especially considering that, similar to the early years of the 2000s, there is a significant leap every year. However, I believe that to be the case at this point. If you take a look at sports games in general, which are always being published on new platforms at least once a year, you'll see that the graphics haven't actually advanced that much. It gets really close to the point of saturation.

Although NBA 2K24 may be a slam dunk in many respects, it is not a radical departure from its predecessor, NBA 2K23, in terms of the overall gameplay experience. The same NBA teams will be featured in the game, and the gameplay will not undergo any significant changes. Although we are always open to new ideas and improvements, there are occasions when making too many changes to a tried-and-true method might be dangerous. It is safe to assume that if you are a fan of the franchise, you will find a lot to appreciate here. There is a lot to love about this installment. The inclusion of ProPLAY, Mamba moments, and Crossplay, along with the ongoing development of MyCareer, contribute to the fascinating nature of the title.

On the other hand, if you are anticipating a comprehensive redo, you can end up being let down. It is important to keep in mind that certain features, such as ProPLAY, are only available on the most recent generation of consoles, despite the fact that the presence of Crossplay opens up new vistas for competitive play.

It all comes down to personal preference when deciding whether to play NBA 2K24 and try to win by dribbling your way to victory or NBA 2K23 and play on the court that you are already familiar with. But one thing is for certain: 2K Games and Visual Concepts' undying enthusiasm for both basketball and video games is on full display in this latest installment.