NBA 2K23 Review

It’s been a little while since I’ve picked up and played an NBA2K title, if only because the last few years have felt a little too samey – the been-there-done-that issue that has been a thorn in sports-themed video games for a while now. How do you keep a genre fresh when the sport itself hasn’t exactly evolved greatly in the last few years? Unless you want to count the advent of the four-point line, to be fair to 2K Games and Visual Concepts they’ve certainly tried to bring something new and interesting to the NBA world with every iteration. But while the series hasn’t exactly set the world alight compared to its earlier days, does going back to the well of Michael Jordan content up the tempo for NBA 2K23? In a way, yes. In others…not quite.

NBA games only really need to nail one thing to be somewhat respectable, and that’s what happens on the court. NBA 2K23 covers that ground in ways you would expect, with all the big players, stadiums, courtside reactions and awkward commentary voiceovers wrapped up with a glossy bow of realistic animations. There’s a mode to suit every taste, be it online or solo, covering modern-day superstars of the game (in both male and female leagues) and the classic heroes of generations gone by. There’s also the added return of the persistently online city introduced in 2K22 and a newly re-configured Jordan Challenge mode which originally debuted all the way back in NBA 2K11.

It’s the Jordan Challenge that truthfully pulled me back in this year, with 15 challenges across the incredible career of His Airness that do an excellent job of presenting each era of Jordan’s career with a high level of authenticity and a pinch of creativity. Take the first test for instance, going all the way back to his North Carolina roots and the finals of the 1982 NCAA National Championship that tasks you with not only winning the game but nailing his exact stat line from the night in points and rebounds. Ignoring the fact that the actual title-winning night was two months before I was even born into the world, it was enjoyable to relive the sights and sounds of an early 80s telecast, with a blurry visual overlay and retro camera wipes mimicking the presentation style of the times.

The crowd doesn’t seem that into it

That layer of presentation is consistent across the remaining challenges in the mode, ranging from equalling his record playoff haul of 63 points against the Celtics, to playing through some of his greatest performances against his biggest rivals, all the way through to that shot that sealed the title against the Utah Jazz in his final Bulls performance of 1998. As someone who grew up with Jordan – a remarkable athlete who is the sole reason I even had any interest in basketball in the first place – the Jordan Challenge is a fantastic way to play through and reminisce on one of the all-time greats, and the visual flourishes are a welcome addition.

Here, however, is where the experience of playing 2K22 starts to falter. Outside of simply playing games or completing Jordan’s career, every other mode will vary in playing time or interest depending on two key factors – how much time you have to play and how much money you’re willing to spend.

MyCareer has a considerable amount of content to it, as your created character takes to the court as a young rookie in an awkwardly paced and silly story mode that expands through numerous quests, events and content drops. Outside of the cutscenes that do nothing other than make you want to skip them, the City itself feels like a playground you can get lost in, and it’s certainly nice to have something to come back to every day that feels like there’s a constant level of progress and competition. But there’s no hiding the fact that it’s designed solely to convince you to spend money, with a seemingly endless supply of clothing, accessories and equipment to make your character look exactly how you want them to tied back into virtual currency that can become an expensive prospect depending on how deep you want to go.

The best mode in the game, by far

Elsewhere, MyTeam returns with thousands upon thousands of cards to collect in order to build your team your way. Again, your experience here will vary on your interest in purchasing new packs in the hope you’ll pull the right player or card upgrade, down to the shoes they wear and the court your created team plays on. Admittedly, I spent a bit of time here playing with the creation system and it was enjoyable to create a complete team, jerseys and all, but that looming shadow of microtransactions hangs ominously around every corner, constantly reminding you how you might win a cool card if you buy enough packs.

MyTeam and MyCareer would be perfectly serviceable if they weren’t so heavily focused on having you spend to make the most of them. Running around the city and playing street ball with random online players can be fun, but your standard t-shirt wearing character will stand out like a sore thumb compared to those who shell out for weird hairdos, tuxedos or gold chains. There’s a distinct divide between those who are willing to put whatever they want towards however much they can get and those who simply want to play ball, and the in-game rewards handed out after each challenge completed or game won is never enough to justify the costs of a lot of the content you simply must pay for in order to obtain.

As for the game on the court? It’s a more than serviceable basketball experience; players react and move as their real-life equivalents would and it’s largely enjoyable for both rookie level players or pros. 2K have touted a ton of changes to how things happen on the court both offensively and defensively to make them more believable and effective compared to previous editions, and it does show. The action on the court feels right, especially when you use the right stick to determine how your player rolls to the basket, but there are also numerous moments where players suddenly stop moving after a foul is called or run awkwardly into place between actions. We’re close to being as believable as video games can get in recreating true-to-life basketball, but there are still a lot of moment-to-moment issues that remind you that this is still just a game limited by online connectivity or the console you play on.

Booker’s one of us now

Final Thoughts

NBA 2K23 continues the tradition of small iterations, meaning the changes on the court will amount to little for casual players and a lot more to the pros who come back every year. Your mileage with it depends on your level of experience and the amount you’re willing to spend on it. There’s no shying away from the fact that microtransactions are rampant, but the included Jordan Challenge and some solid online functionality makes up for the feeling that you’ll only get enough out of the game if you put more into it later. It seems all modern sports games feel the need to continue down this road, and perhaps it’s too late to turn back. In that case, if you’re only here (like me) because of MJ, stick with the standard edition and you’ll get enough content to justify the cost.

Reviewed on PS5 // Review code supplied by publisher

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