2K has begun releasing details about this year's entry of its latest basketball sim. NBA 2K18 is set to feature improved visuals, mechanics, modes and more with Shaquille O'Neal as this year's cover star. Always a highlight of gaming's sporting calendar, we can't wait to don a pair of sneakers and get back on the court.
TrustedReviews has compiled everything you need to know including all the release date info, news, gameplay, trailers and more.
NBA 2K has been, for some time now, the deepest and most visually stunning sports game on the market. Visual Concepts has consistently produced a game that can be genuinely indistinguishable from the real-life sport. The developer has gone one step further this year, with a complete overhaul of its modes offering more depth than ever. Getting a chance to experience The Neighbourhood, it's clear the NBA 2K wants to remain king for a good while yet.
2K has completely revamped the way in which MyPLAYER works. In recent years we've seen compelling stories told, helmed by famous directors such as Spike Lee. But executive producer Rob Jones says the feedback the team received is that players didn't feel like they were telling "their" story. Now, the developer has created an entire experience built around you in the form of The Neighbourhood.
An entire city block where you get to roam around as your created player between matches, go get your haircut, visit an arcade, meet up with other players and buy some new clothes and shoes or simply play a pickup game on the local court. Imagine PlayStation Home or any other life simulator in microcosm and that's pretty much it. This was my first time seeing The Neighbourhood, and I was impressed at this sort of experience being on offer in a sports title.
First up I head into the gym. Successfully completing the weightlifting minigames will earn points towards improving your character, and there's a few different exercises you can do. They're harder than you'd expect, mainly because the button prompts don't overtly tell you when exactly they should be pressed or released. So after a measly three reps I unfortunately didn't earn many points, but onwards and upwards.
2K gave me a generous amount of Virtual Currency to enjoy the mode, so I headed straight to Foot Locker and bought some new shoes to head into my first game. I also decided to change my hairstyle, too.
Before the match, the usual narrative-driven cutscenes take place. I didn't have the full context, but it's clear this year's story will focus on you and your best friend, as well as working with your agent to ensure you get the best endorsement deals and sponsorships along the way.
But again, the best thing about NBA 2K is how much you get to see around the court. I now get to watch my character speaking in the locker room before the game, change my shoes, and even choose to walk onto the court when I want and engage in the pre-game shootaround. 2K has done an amazing job of creating the 'feel' of being a professional basketball player.
On the court, this is still of course the very best basketball experience on the market. Everything feels much smoother and more fluid thanks to an improved physics system, meaning it doesn't feel like I'm dragging players around the court now. Also, the shot stick has been streamlined to place greater emphasis on timing rather than stick rotation. But the better feature is your shot analysis which comes after every attempt. In the upper-right corner, you'll see a "shot timing/contested" box appear that'll explain why you missed or made your shot. If your timing was a little off, or you tried nailing a three-pointer in heavy traffic, this will tell you with a simple traffic-light system. It's much better at conveying why things aren't going your way.
The way in which your player levels up has also changed. Rather than only earning VC to level up stats, you can now select primary and secondary attributes. Previously players felt a little one-dimensional, if I chose to be a shot-creating point guard, that was pretty much all I can do, but now I can also be an option to take shots on the perimeter and improve both sets of stats without feeling like I'm becoming a Jack of all trades, master of none.
Also, post-game, you'll see that that different badges will be earning experience as you play, based on your performance. For example, for every assist you'll earn 150 points towards unlocking the "Dimer" badge, and for every good thing you do in the game, you'll earn XP towards your level on "The Road to 99" rating. It's a much better system that hopefully will try and avoid the feeling of buying your way to the top.
But Virtual Currency still remains a big sticking point in NBA 2K18. VC feels stitched into absolutely everything you do in the game, and it was true in my time in MyCareer and The Neighbourhood. Want some new shoes from Foot Locker? That'll cost a couple thousand VC. Want an energy drink to recover stamina? That's VC too. Haircut? The most expensive you're likely to get at 1,000 VC. The game has all the look and feel of a true triple-A sporting behemoth, but with seedy undertones of constantly trying to get the player to spend a little extra cash to get that leg up on the competition with some extra VC. When the game is also chock-full of product advertising from the likes of JBL headphones and Gatorade to boot, it just creates an uncomfortable feel.
Granted, there now appear to be more ways than ever to earn the cash in-game, with the ability to predict winners of real-world basketball matches, and what feels like more generous earnings after each game, but it still doesn't sit right.
First Impressions
NBA 2K18 continues 2K's dominance as the best sports game around. The sheer amount of content in this year's entry is incredible, and with the improvements made to MyGM and MyTEAM to boot, there's an entire game within every mode for every player. It really does show other sports titles how it's done.
The continued persistence of VC being shoved down players' throats leaves a sour taste in the mouth, but for the most part, can be ignored and you'll still have a great time, because on the court this is still brilliant.
We also have a new gameplay trailer for NBA 2K18, and it's our best look yet at the game:
NBA 2K18 Legend Edition – What's in it?
Just like last year, NBA 2K will launch with a Legend Edition that provides players with early access to the game alongside new and exclusive in-game content. This year's edition is adorned by basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal, as you can tell from the above trailer.
The ordinary Legend Edition will run you $100, with the gold variant costing $150. UK pricing is yet to be announced. Here's a full list of the contents found inside. Legend Edition –
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/?bctid=5384493314001 NBA 2K18 is once again shaping up to be an incredible game of basketball, and we can't wait to play it!
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