NBA 2K16: Basketball played right

The NBA 2K16 franchise is back for it’s 17th edition with the best NBA experience I have seen in the series so far. Within its first week of release, the game set a benchmark by selling more than 4 million copies and digital sales of the game for the first week double as compared to last year’s NBA 2K15, the game has done a lot right.

The game features and all-new MyCAREER mode which has been created in partnership with acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee. It boasts of an intense narrative, which is written and directed by Lee and is a treat for those interested in the sport. The game is also more real than ever with management of your off days and networking and bonus content enabled via connections, endorsements and a live practice environment. That being said, the mode does feel like it suffers from a lack of choice especially because of the amount of choice that was present in last year’s game. The mode seems overly focused on delivering Spike Lee’s story and as a result leaves gamers with not the amount of choice they are used to with modern games. It goes so such an extent that if you create a white character, you still have a black twin sister and your choices feel like they lack any true meaning. I found the whole thing rather disappointing.

NBA 2K16 also includes a new 2K Pro-Am mode with fully customizable teams and 5v5 tournaments livestreamed on NBA 2KTV. You can team up with your buddies and create a personalized perfect squad with your own logos, uniforms and arenas with the ability to join any open game.

This year’s rating system also makes a lot of sense. The system looks at who’s the best player in the world in terms of each aspect of basketball, either currently playing or retired and then the rest of the players are rated in terms of comparing their skill to his. For example, Dennis Rodman is the best offensive rebounder of all time, he is a 99 for his Offensive Rebounding. The same goes for overall rating, Michael Jordan is considered to be the best player in terms of overall skill, he is a 99 overall and so all other players are ranked in comparison.

NBA 2K16 has innovated in every way possible, the graphics are absolutely stunning and the animations are smoother than ever. Gameplay has improved and has been made more realistic, the defense is smarter and you cant just mindlessly zip through it. Passing controls have also been reworked making the game a little harder but a litte more satisfying. A new motion engine generates better and more intelligent movement while new ball and rim physics along with player collisions, lead to a more intense and authentic virtual basketball experience.

DJ Khaled, DJ Mustard and DJ Premier have also produced a great soundtrack for the game, featuring 50 dynamic tracks across 5 playlists and exclusive cuts from each DJ.

NBA 2K16 is packed with things to do and hence provides a lot of gameplay for a single game. Even after sinking over 12 hours of the game for this review, it felt like I had only scratched the surface and that it was virtually impossible for me to experience it all. That being said, the basketball experience is one of the most solid I have ever experienced and it also comes with a host of different ways to enjoy that experience including a bunch of online options. The sheer scale of the game makes it feel like one of the most ambitious sports games ever made, and a definte play for any basketball fan.