Final Verdict - Give It A Shot
Say hello to the next generation of gaming with King James himself. NBA 2K14 has been toted as the best representation of the next generation of gaming. It makes superb use of the power of next gen graphics and quite honestly is the foremost leading game to take advantage of the emerging generation of gaming. Typically I stay away from reviewing sports games because I suck at them primarily but also cause usually they are the same thing every release aside from the fact that they change the roster. Thankfully I can say this years' release of NBA2K14 heralds a return to greatness for the series and solidifies the franchise as a strong contender in the sports genre of gaming. So lets see what the game of basketball is all about...
NBA 2K14 is a basketball video game that was developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. LeBron James of the Miami Heat became the cover athlete, and also served as the music curator for the game. 2K Sports also released the DLC pack that as a bonus for pre-ordering the game, they would receive 10,000 VC, bonus content for "Path to Greatness" mode, adding James in the Blacktop mode and a signature skill for MyCareer mode. On August 14, 2013, 2K Sports announced that Crew Mode would return to this year's installment of NBA 2K. The main centerpiece of the game as always is the My Career mode where you play as a rookie trying to make a name for yourself in the NBA.
What’s Good:
Replay value: With such a wide variety of modes and teams to play with this installment of the franchise is the most rounded and expansive to date. Many different avenues to explore in this years game where we have such things as: "LeBron: Path to Greatness" mode, A new "Training Camp" mode, a vast character creation library, MyCareer and MyGM modes, as well as more than 50 hours of new commentary from Kevin Harlan, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr. New draft night audio is also present alongside new "MyCareer" voiceovers.
Soundtrack: On July 15, 2013, the NBA 2K Live team announced the soundtrack to NBA 2K14, chosen by LeBron James. 2K14's soundtrack presents a much more present style of music, showing off new singles that have been recently released instead of older more classic songs like previous 2K versions. This brought a modern new age feel to the overall flow of the game and is in tune with bringing the game into the modern next generation of gaming.
Graphics: Bar none there is no disputing that this game is currently the pinnacle of next gen graphics and is one of the few titles that make it worthwhile spending that cash on a next gen console.
Story-line: Not a bad attempt with the various dialogue choices. Though somewhat limited, they do give a feasible idea that you make decisions to invest in the progression of your character's development. The social media integration alongside various activities available, help to garner team and fan admiration to help tie in another level of interaction is also a nice aspect of the game progression as well.
What’s Bad:
Game Mechanics: As always the lack of a smooth controller scheme integration presents too high of an entry level barrier for new players. Compounding that with a lack of a structured tutorial to teach the fundamentals of the game and you have the makings of a bad time filled with frustration.
What Should Have Been Added:
A tutorial mode should have been added to help ease new players into the flow of the game as well as introduce veteran players to the finer intricacies of what might have changed over the change in titles.
Final Thoughts:
Simulation basketball at its finest; with just enough new features, and tighter-than-ever gameplay, NBA 2K14 tops its predecessors and competitors...again. I can't say I would recommend this game to everyone as the learning curve is a bit steep but for the seasoned veterans out there this game is definitely worth getting.
