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PlayStation 4
Released in 2019 by 2K Sports
Grade: B-
NBA 2K20 is extremely technical and deep, but not as fluid or well-rounded as some of the best entries in the series. Many of its ambitious attempts at sophistication falter and the whole thing feels uneven.
Where it falls in the series
The series jumped to PS4 with NBA 2K14 and to PS5 with NBA 2K21.
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The 2K games always have a steep learning curve. It’s tricky to learn how to move your guy just right, and it’s a project to find the plays that get your guys open. But there’s usually light at the end of the tunnel.
This year, though, it’s even trickier and the light at the end of the tunnel feels miles away. The complicated dribbling controls are too touchy. The directional passing is a nightmare, making you rely more on icon passing. Shooting animations are even more varied than before, making it harder to release the ball at the perfect millisecond. There’s a nifty setting that allows you to ignore timing the release on layups and dunks, but I found basic jumpshots so difficult I dumbed down the setting on those too.
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The action plays out like NBA basketball and has a load of basketball logic baked in. With the way the NBA style has evolved in the last couple years, the 2K series has tried hard to keep up. There’s more open space, more 3-pointers, more defensive switches, and enhanced 1-on-1 logic. It’s all impressive, but it’s also a headache. Each possession feels like a mini chess match, leading to an open shot or a contested shot.
Oh, and let me tell about those contested shots: There’s a display that shows you how much the defender affects each shot, and guess what? You’ll swear that the game is downright wrong on its judgment. What feels like an open shot might be deemed “38% Guarded” before clanking off the rim.
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Playing defense also comes with new frustrations. The CPU runs plays with pinpoint timing, often leading to wide open dunks while your teammates are lost. When trying to pick up your man in open space, you won’t snap into a side-step animation fast enough and it’s another easy dunk for your opponent. Even on the default “pro” difficulty, I was failing on defense in ways that felt out of my control.
After being frustrated with this game for a while, I popped in NBA 2K16 just to make sure I wasn’t crazy, and indeed, the older game felt much more smooth and intuitive.
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Are you getting annoyed by these little advertisements? Well, get used to it! This game is loaded with shameless advertising. There are logos all over the place, endorsement incentives in the MyCareer mode, and when a player is tired, there’s a Gatorade icon to let you know to put him on the bench. GATORADE: THE THIRST QUENCHER!
The presentation is generally flashy and impressive, but once you’ve seen a few canned interviews and cheerleader routines, they’re just annoying. I adjusted the settings to avoid interruptions, but I was still smashing the X button during every stoppage to get back into the action. A lot of this crap I don’t want to see when I’m actually watching basketball on TV; I definitely don’t need it in a video game.
Anyway, it’s still a decent game in a vacuum. I did enjoy it somewhat, but it’s just not the rock-solid package we’ve seen from the 2K series in previous years.