NBA 2K24 review — A missed jumpshot
2KIt’s a new year in the NBA, and a new year for NBA 2K. The latest installment of the franchise is here, but it’s one that just might drive fans of The Association crazy — and not in a good way.
Basketball season has arrived, and so has a new NBA 2K game. 2K and Visual Concepts released NBA 2K24 in September 2023, the 25th edition of what’s become an iconic sports game franchise.
In the summer of 2023, 2K and the franchise’s development made waves with a number of decisions, including the addition of a season-based battle pass. However, gameplay changes and the removal of several overpowered badges did intrigue the player base.
Now that the hype is over, we’ve gotten a chance to dive into NBA 2K24. But while there are some positives, the 25th edition of the franchise does carry some major flaws.
NBA 2K24 – Key Details
- Price: $59.99 (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch), $69.99 (PS5, Xbox Series X|S)
- Developer: Visual Concepts
- Release Date: September 8, 2023
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
NBA 2K24 trailer
MyCareer created a G.O.A.T…. but at a cost
The crown jewel of NBA 2K24 is MyCareer. Last year’s MyCareer received quite a bit of negative feedback, thanks to complaints over “demigod,” overpowered builds in online play and a complex story that made some feel they were playing a TikTok influencer simulator as opposed to an NBA player simulator.
2K24’s development team stated in August that things would be different with respect to the latter, and that much is very true. Not only has The City been condensed and Fast Travel returned, but quests have been cut down — a positive and negative, which I’ll get into in a bit — and there’s now more of a focus on the action on the court and becoming the G.O.A.T. as a third-generation NBA player.
Now while I personally didn’t have a major issue with the story-driven aspects in the past – although the amount of quests that had nothing to do with basketball did feel a bit much – these are positive steps in the right direction. Rather than having to talk to someone in The City before a big game, players can now just… play.
However, there are a lot of negatives with MyCareer. Let’s start with the exorbitant amount of VC — in-game virtual currency for MyCareer and MyTeam — that’s needed in order to upgrade one’s MyPlayer.
The goal in MyCareer is to do two things: win championships and grind to 99. The latter, though, is extremely difficult to do with how much VC is needed in order to buy attribute upgrades.
2KFor reference, I spent 75,000 VC — the equivalent of $19.99/£17.99 — from the 100,000 VC obtained in the Black Mamba Edition on upgrades at the start of my MyCareer story. However, that only bumped my avatar’s rating up to 73 OVR, just 13 points more than the starting point of 60.
Yes, I understand that the grind isn’t supposed to be easy. But at the same time, I have a hard time believing that many casual players who just want to relax and play MyCareer will go for the sky-high opportunity cost needed to grind to 99, which is a bit harder given that those aforementioned quests in the past did offer some free VC on a regular basis.
The other major component that’s become quite the dilemma is badge progression & regression. This year, 2K players must actively use their badges in order to progress and upgrade them. Failure to do that, whether through poor play or not even using it in-game, will lead to regression.
For example, if Curry has a bad night from beyond the arc or decides to be more of a facilitator one night, does that mean basketball fans will start doubting Curry’s ability on the court and think he’s a bad shooter? No. So, why should my MyCareer player and his Badges be affected by one or multiple games in that regard?
Another problem with this is online play. This system incentivizes ball-hogging and chucking up shots with no remorse, just to upgrade Badges.
In reality, what should have been the move is to lessen or outright remove regression for players that receive high teammate grades. Thus, players who hoop well from an overall standpoint will be able to keep their progress, should the script and without the need for Floor Setters.
2KMyTeam went in a new direction
Visual Concepts made a very interesting decision for MyTeam in NBA 2K24, opting to remove the Auction House entirely.
When developers confirmed this news, the 2K team believed that it would make it easier to get cards deemed “unattainable” in the past. It also coincidentally fixed rampant usage of third-party MT Coin sellers.
The decision does add more of a level playing field. But, it doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things.
Prices for many of the high-prized promo cards in the game are still high. Those who are willing to spend will still be the ones to have those cards, as opposed to those who regularly grind for four to five thousand MT per game in Domination.
One change that is for the better is Salary Cap, which puts an emphasis on constructing the right team.
2KMyNBA and Eras remains an innovator
In my opinion, the best game mode in NBA 2K24 is MyNBA. It’s 2K’s version of franchise and sport management modes, and it quite frankly blows the competition away.
Besides its incredible attention to detail, whether it be through setting up training sessions to even having the right rules to follow the NBA CBA to a tee, it also comes with Eras. New to NBA 2K24 is the 2010s Era, a time ruled by LeBron James and the Heat, and saw the re-emergence of the San Antonio Spurs as a title contender.
No major sports title on the market today gives sports fans the chance to rewrite history in this regard. And with accurate rosters to boot, it’s the kind of mode that NBA fans can play for hours on end.
2KThe verdict — 3/5
Look, there are positives with NBA 2K24. I’ve actually enjoyed the gameplay, which has been fine-tuned from 2K23 to reward good timing on shots and does include new animations thanks to ProPlay. I have zero problems with any sort of learning curve or “skill gap,” so long as the right inputs at the right time reward players on the court.
On the other hand, it’s really hard to enjoy any sort of grind whatsoever in what’s become a title that’s become heavily monetized in recent years.
The reality is that MyCareer and MyTeam are not for the everyday NBA fan. The changes and aforementioned issues with the former are not only frustrating but also an indication that microtransactions in 2K are here to stay.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X