Review-E-Mania > NBA2k14

It’s a credit to NBA 2K14 that despite not one but two new basketball sims looming on the next-gen horizon, it still managed to draw my attention squarely to the current-gen court and keep it there.

The 2K series has been the undisputed leader of basketball games in recent years, an accolade made easier by the fact it’s been the only show in town since 2010. However, with the arrival of the new generation of Microsoft and Sony consoles EA have released a new NBA Live, leaving the ball in NBA 2K14′s court to prove itself the king of hoops.

When I drove the lane as LeBron, drew the defense to me, and kicked a no-look pass to the wing for an open trey by Mario Chalmers using the new Assist Pass modifier on the left trigger – after which a camera close-up showed Chalmers making the “Okay” symbol with both hands (the NBA’s current three-pointer salute), NBA 2K14 proved its worth. The worry is that without competition, a series might adopt an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy and grow apathetic. But in the time I’ve spent with it,  2K14 confidently walked the line between not enough change and too much.

Graphically NBA 2K14 is excellent, with the level of detail in athletes’ faces being near photorealistic. While this alone doesn’t give the same wow factor that L.A. Noire provided (possibly because that game is now over two and a half years old) when excellent crowd visuals and player animations are added into the mix it makes for a very impressive whole.

Our Verdict

It’s a credit to NBA 2K14 that despite not one but two new basketball sims looming on the next-gen horizon, it still managed to draw my attention squarely to the current-gen court and keep it there. Though LeBron’s new mode doesn’t manage to bottle the same magic of MJ’s from two years back, the new Assist Pass, and re-tooled ball handling have made what was already a finely tuned on-court experience even tighter. NBA 2K14 is simply the best hoops sim I’ve ever played.

Aditya

The Author is Aditya Mehrotra, a 15 year old from New Delhi, India. He is interested in the latest tech and is an aspiring gamer and reviewer and loves football and wrestling.