NBA 2K25 Review: A Presentation Powerhouse

NBA 2K25

Recommended

Platform reviewed on: PlayStation 5

Pros

• Career Mode focuses on all the right things
• The most realistic and immersive presentation in any sports game today
• ProPLAY's Signature styles and Rhythm Shooting add variety and flavor to gameplay

Cons

• MyPlayer AI can make questionable shots and decisions.
• Microtransactions
• The number of quests and attribute upgrades can be overwhelming

ESRB Age Rating: Everyone
ESRB Interactive Elements: Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)

Review code provided by the publisher.

While I've always been a big fan of sports games, basketball tends to fall to the bottom of my list. I have fond memories of playing NBA Live and college basketball back in high school, but recent games for the sport just haven't caught my eye. Though it may have some minor flaws pop-up, NBA 2K25 might be the game that changed my mind.

From the start, I was taken aback by the game’s presentation. Before I could even get to the main menu, I was whisked into overtime of game seven of the NBA finals as a created player, MP (an acronym for My Player).

The atmosphere was absolutely electric. Commentators hyped up the game and MP's performance, players chirped one another as they jockeyed for position on the court, and the crowd was as loud as a game played in Serbia. At one point, I made an "And One" foul, and they started chanting MVP while I shot my free throw.

When the game ended, it all turned out to be a dream sequence, but I couldn't help but be impressed by how well NBA 2K25 sets the tone for the game with this opening sequence. As such, I went straight into career mode to make MP's dream become a reality.

Career mode has always been tough for sports games to hit on correctly, especially basketball. While they try to immerse players into the game with storylines and voice-acted sequences, they often feel half-cooked and poorly performed. The 2K series in general is guilty of this, boasting one of the most comical sets of acting in video game history in 2014’s NBA 2K15.

While there are some lines here that are a bit cliche, the game’s story mode does a fantastic job of making players feel like they’re on a journey to NBA stardom, and I loved how the game gives you multiple options on how to approach the mode from the beginning.

I was given the choice of starting in the D-league or on the street to build up my attributes, or go straight to the NBA and fight for minutes as a sixth man. I was eager to get going, so I skipped the development and started on a lower-end team to make landing a starting job a bit easier.

Thanks to the memorabilia quests, I was able to at least get a bit of backstory on MP's journey, playing in a handful of high school games and other important moments in their rise to the NBA. After that, I put my focus on playing games and advancing my career.

Lots of bells and whistles added to the ambiance, including time-out performances, commentary surrounding MP's journey, and even an in-game version of the best halftime show around. All I've ever wanted from a sports game is for one of them to get close to how good NFL 2K5's halftime show was with Chris Berman. While it might not be perfect, Inside the NBA with Ernie Johnson Jr., Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley is about as close as anyone has come to replicating it.

At first, the gameplay was a bit frustrating. AI teammates seemed to make random decisions, and defense felt nigh impossible to navigate, as opposing seven-foot point guards kept driving to the lane on my rookie, making me feel helpless.

After tweaking some of the controls, most notably making the sticks just for dribbling and playmaking, and figuring out playbooks, I saw the fluidity of NBA 2K25's gameplay and how well it mirrored real-life NBA. The next-gen ProPLAY system made dribbling both dynamic and realistic, especially when combined with signature styles and rhythm shooting.

There's nothing quite like breaking ankles with Kyrie Irving, hitting a deep three with Steph Curry, or slamming down a fast break with Lebron. While the new pro-stick shooting is hard to master, there's definitely a huge benefit to it for players that are talented enough. Not only will you be rewarded with more accurate shots when timed correctly, but combining it with the improved dribbling system and signature player movements can result in some impossible-to-guard plays.

The biggest criticism I have of NBA 2K25 won't really come as a surprise to many. Yes, it's the game's microtransactions and the grind that comes along with them.

Virtual currency (VC) is still at the forefront of how progression works throughout each mode, and players who game in lower modes are punished with lower amounts of rewards. It can be navigated around by purchasing packs for real money, but there's simply no way to justify dropping $50 to get My Player up to a 90 overall.

Alongside microtransactions, NBA 2K25 also has the issue of throwing way too much at the player at once. Whether in career mode, MyNBA, or MyTeam, there are just too many different upgrades, menus, and systems to learn and navigate. Simplifying these into a handful of systems and removing the unnecessary RPG element would go a long way in making life easier for new and old players alike.

I'll admit that for a lot of players, NBA 2K25 is going to feel like the same-old annual basketball simulation re-skinned. Yet, despite the frustrations that come alongside the microtransactions and annoying AI, this year is a step forward.

ProPlay makes the game feel more realistic, and there's no other sports simulation title on the market that can match the presentation that goes into each game and the career mode. There are still plenty of improvements to be made, but there's also no doubt that NBA 2K25 is one of the best games in the sports genre at the moment.

NBA 2K25

Release Date: September 6, 2024

• Windows
• Nintendo SwitchBuy
• PlayStation 4Buy
• PlayStation 5Buy
• Xbox OneBuy
• Xbox SeriesBuy