NBA 2K22 Reviews
The good news though is that NBA 2K22 is a great game in pretty much every other facet, which helps to overshadow the VC issues that have been present for years now. Combining MyCareer with The City was a genius decision and the introduction of Seasons across multiple game modes will keep NBA 2K22 fresh moving forward throughout the next year while waiting on the next annual entry.
Despite all of its gains…and perhaps I'm being over-critical…but NBA 2K22 remains a gorgeous but ultimately non-fun experience unless for those who spend lot of money on VC. Yes, you can grind, but this alternative would take dozens of hours and hundreds of painful losses online/offline. Also, the solid improvements to the shot meter, off ball defense and overall AI cannot overcome the lack of on-ball spacing, right stick spamming requirements, and/or omnipresent sensation of being stuck to a defender indefinitely.
The changes that were implemented for NBA 2K22 are for the better.
Game development is hard and a year after being the only major sports video game franchise to produce a full-on next-gen experience, they followed up with the most polished and still feature-rich game they have produced, maybe ever. NBA 2K22 is a must have for anyone who has remotely enjoyed the series in the past or who has a taste for basketball and the culture it powers. Still, there is room for improvement on multiple fronts. It’s the gift and the curse of producing a game with so many layers.
NBA 2K22 is an excellent next-gen addition to the franchise on Xbox Series X, delivering revamped gameplay that feels better than ever before on the court, smoother transitions between modes and all manner of graphical bells and whistles to boot. My Career's new City area has been well implemented and could well be a huge timesink for those who are into that mode and, although there's no other major changes to speak of, what's here is undoubtedly still the slickest basketball ticket in town right now.
NBA 2K22 is not a perfect basketball game, but it is the best installment of the series in years. The creators implemented novelties that have a big impact on the gameplay, and the biggest scratch on the project are still cumbersome microtransactions and the emphasis on them.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The on-court experience created by NBA 2K22 continues to be unparalleled, delivering a basketball simulator ever closer to reality. There is a lot to enjoy in the various game modes present, but unfortunately, the game is quite hampered by the excess of microtransactions and the bad decisions of MyCareer that leave any player worried about what the future holds.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
NBA 2K22 once again proves to be the best in its field and offers an extremely enjoyable basketball simulation experience on the field.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
NBA 2K22 is not very different compared to previous instalments in the series. However The game still delivers one of the best sports game experience of new generation courtesy of Improved graphics. That being said, The amount of In app purchases and microtransactions is Unacceptable for a game which already costs $70
Review in Persian | Read full review
Still the best Basketball simulation game on the market, NBA 2K22 does good but not enough to break into the 9th generation of gaming hardwares as the PS5 version of the game is only superior to its PS4 counterpart in terms of visuals, and the RPG-like My Career mode and heavy reliance on microtransactions keep dragging it down.
Review in Persian | Read full review
NBA 2K22 exceeds what was achieved in the previous year, and although it does not represent a radical change for the franchise, it has everything necessary to satisfy NBA fans. For better and for worse, the game has everything players love about NBA 2K, but also everything they hate.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, NBA 2K22 plays like a strong offering from 2K, a welcome change from recent years.
I was honestly looking forward to NBA 2K22 with the real-life NBA 2020 season a write-off due to covid, I thought that this edition would have been a big jump in all areas of the game from the 2020 and 2021 editions but sadly it wasn’t. Here’s hoping that Visual Concepts will keep building on the great foundations and add something spectacular in the 2023 edition! Don’t get me wrong it is still a great game. It’s just not the jump in improvement I may have been expecting. If you want a visually stunning basketball game, a superb soundtrack, and aren’t worried about grinding away for VC points, then this is the one for you! I award NBA 2K22 the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
I have my gripes with NBA 2K22 for sure, but for the most part, it delivers such an entertaining Basketball experience that it’s hard to dislike it. MyTEAM is a wonderful game mode full of life that could keep anyone playing for hours, and MyCareer is as addictive as always, and also cut back on some of the mode’s previous issues. Although I’m not ecstatic about defending and shooting, they’re things that can be worked around by a good player and won’t derail my enjoyment of the game anytime soon.
NBA 2K22 has provided a unique experience and wholesale changes to many phases of the game, including a style of play that has become more challenging and difficult than ever and mimics real NBA players.
NBA 2K22 makes some smart and interesting changes and refinements. Unfortunately, they aren't a large enough leap to truly dazzle the audience
NBA 2K22 is a nice addition to the franchise even though PlayStation 4 players get the shorter straw in terms of content.
It’s time for Visual Concepts and 2K Games to go back to the drawing board with their microtransaction philosophy. At this point, it’s hard not to feel like they’re gouging the player. Especially given the exorbitant prices their premium edition versions cost. And it’s so damned frustrating to dislike as much of 2K22 as I did because behind every extra dollar asked of me was an excessively smooth compressed spin or step-back jumper to put a smile on my face.
NBA 2K22 has a few things that make this upgrade feel worthy. The new play mechanics are excellent, and it continues to excel on the presentation front. The microtransactions are still super gross and I wish some of the other modes such as Blacktop would get a proper overhaul as they are starting to feel dated. Still being the only NBA game in town it does upgrade nicely. I found myself deleting the old version to play this one, and not being a huge NBA fan that is saying something.
NBA 2K22 is a sound step forward for the series. While it doesn't always hit the mark thanks to the grindy MyCAREER mode and microtransaction-heavy MyTEAM, the gameplay and presentation is still second to none.