PlayStation 4
Released in 2017 by 2K Sports
Grade: A
NBA 2K18 is yet another excellent basketball sim in a series full of excellent basketball sims, but for slightly different reasons than its predecessors. It trades precise adherence to basketball fundamentals for a slightly smoother-moving, user-friendly experience.
Where it falls in the series
It’s the fifth edition on PS4. The game engine changed in 2K17. If you ask me, NBA 2K16 remains the class of the series.
Praises and gripes
Here’s the thing about this series: In its most celebrated stretch (2K11 to 2K16), it’s got an extremely steep learning curve. Simply running toward the basket or stopping to put up a clean shot can be a challenge early on. You’ve got to learn the nuances of your players’ movement, and then you’ve got to figure out a million other things, like running plays, getting by defenders, contesting shots, and boxing out for rebounds. But, once you get to that level, you uncover the impressive depth those games have to offer.
2K18 flattens that learning curve quite a bit. Your players react more smoothly to what you’re doing on the controller. You won’t screw up a jumpshot by pressing the button too early. Shooting from the post is simpler. Players interact without as much friction, so you don’t get stopped in your tracks as often. Want to finish at the hoop with a layup or dunk? Just hold the shoot button and the animation does the rest.
The game becomes fun fairly soon after you pick it up. The action is nice and smooth. In that sense, it’s kind of the dream basketball game. It’s a simulation, but one that doesn’t require hardcore practice to enjoy.
The inevitable downside is that it’s not quite as deep. It even screws up some fundamental stuff, like how players magically slide their feet along the floor or how they can change their pivot foot in the midst of a goofy-looking post move.
Now, it’s still 2K basketball. It’s not that simplified. You still need to run plays, use screens at the right angles, protect the ball, and spread your offense among your players. There’s still some nifty AI that will make defenders tighten up on star players or sniff out repeated plays. The logic that determines whether shots are made or missed is still well-tuned, and there’s a new display that tells you how much the defender altered your shot. (The game also has the option to ignore shot release timing altogether, a delightful setting if there ever was one.)
That new engine that I mentioned comes with a slight downgrade in graphics, particularly the players’ faces. While it doesn’t affect the gameplay, I certainly wasn’t wowed by the game’s look the way I was when I played 2K16.
All in all, this game is a ton of fun. If I’m taking one game to a deserted island to play for the rest of the time, it’s 2K16. But as a fun basketball game to have in your collection and pop in at a moment’s notice, I think 2K18 might be the best there is.