NBA 2K23 Reviews
NBA 2K23 builds on last year’s rock-solid entry with some well-considered on-court changes, a deeper, more satisfying career mode, and an array of accessible nostalgia-tweaking content. Most refreshingly, almost none of these additions are designed to push extra spending. If Visual Concepts stays hungry, NBA 2K23 could be the beginning of a new dynasty that would do its cover star proud.
There's no denying it: NBA 2K23 is once again a sports game of the highest level, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Jordan Challenge and the retro options. However, it's getting harder and harder to perceive the visual and gameplay improvements, along with the most aggressive micropayment system in the entire industry.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I can safely recommend NBA 2K23 to every sports games fan, even though the microtransactions are extremely aggressive. The gameplay is too good, and I hope future updates won’t break it.
Review in Polish | Read full review
NBA 2K23 does a good job with introducing some cool ideas into its stubbornly lackluster larger format.
NBA 2K23 makes the inevitable downgrades and cuts that we see every year with this franchise on Nintendo's console and, just like other last-gen versions of the game, it's also missing both The City and the brand new MyNBA Eras. Loading times can be frustrating, and 30fps basketball feels noticeably stodgier than the 60fps found in other versions. However, if you can put up with these necessary downgrades and slight technical shortcomings, this is still a solid port of a superb basketball sim that's stuffed full of enough content to see fans through another season.
There is a lot to evaluate in NBA 2K23, and a lot of that evaluation is yet to come from its restive community, various influencers, and people like me. But NBA 2K23’s appeal and value, for once in a very long time, far outweighs its raw and constant calls to spend money, and the guilt and icky feelings that brings. As I said back in August, if nothing else, no one can complain that Visual Concepts did nothing for its franchise mode. So if the microtransactions truly bother you that much, you can always go to MyNBA Eras and rewrite 40 years of history at no extra cost.
It may be easy to accuse sports games of offering the same experience year in and year out, but you simply can't say that about NBA 2K23. The game still has issues with its overemphasis on microtransactions in MyCareer and to a lesser extent MyTeam, but the new MyNBA Eras mode is a revelation – and the Jordan Challenge campaign is damn fun, too. On the court, 2K Sports has made some nice balancing tweaks and also improved the overall AI to make matches more dynamic and competitive, and when you pair all of that with all the new animations, you end up with a basketball sim that's the very definition of a slam dunk.
Overall, NBA 2K23 is a fitting tribute to the historical legends and iconic moments that made this sport what it is today. Though the game has its fair share of issues with its poor narrative choices and omnipresent microtransactions, it’s still a solid improvement over the previous game. This year’s release isn’t quite the flashy free-throw line dunk that lands a perfect score, but it is a worthy, all-around effort that would earn M.J.’s shrug of approval.
NBA 2K23 is certainly a game of highs and lows, although nearly none of the bummers have to do with the actual gameplay on the court. The advertisements for partners and pushes toward microtransactions are obnoxious at best and scuzzy at worst, but the actual basketball is stellar.
Visual Concepts and 2K’s clever enhancements to NBA 2K23 allow for the most authentic experience to date.
NBA 2K23 has once again hit the jackpot. The very rich offering in terms of modes, a more refined gameplay, an increasingly realistic AI and a top-notch graphical appearance make it an unmissable title, despite some minor imperfections.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The newest entry of the NBA2K family pays homage to the embodiment of baskteball itself: Michale Jordan and it does it flawlessly with very tiny details to polish.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While the action on the court is still fantastic and the new game modes are very entertaining and play with basketball fans' nostalgia, NBA 2K23 is brought down by its excessive microtransactions, which are the very definition of "pay-to-win".
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Without a focus on MJ's career, 2K23 doesn't offer too much more than last year's iteration. It's a serviceable experience for newcomers and pros alike, it's just a damn shame it's becoming more and more a marketing tool than a game. What concerns me is, where do they go from here?
Refinements to core aspects of NBA 2K23's gameplay make for some of the most fluid and enjoyable action seen in some years, and it's all capped off with the excellent Jordan Challenge. It's not perfect by any means, but this year's NBA 2K is certainly a big step up from previous entries.
Developing a new title in the sports genre every year and improving at the same time is a real challenge for any company, but Visual Concepts managed to create a true 9th generation experience with NBA 2K23, offering solid visuals, stunning animations and tons of content while staying loyal to simulation gameplay. It is safe to say that the king is back.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Still, for those seeking an authentic simulation, NBA 2K23 delivers. For those who couldn’t be bothered to invest into either MyTeam or MyCareer, you will find plenty else to occupy your time. At the end of the day, it’s all about what you’re willing to check at the door. There will always be things players take or leave. On the whole, it very much feels like a big step in the right direction. Underneath, I continue to let myself imagine ‘What if…’ which is why personally, it’s difficult to look past the ever-present elephant in the room.
That’s naïve, overly-simplistic advice, maybe, but we’re a decade into this series’ slide straight into hell and nothing else seems to be working, so it’s worth a shot.
NBA 2K23 was able to build on the success of last year’s release and provide us with the basketball experience we have always wished for. It seems the series has taken a good step towards achieving what seems to be near and perhaps in the next installments, a remarkable transformation into one of the best sports games
Review in Arabic | Read full review
This year's edition is certainly the most complete and best of all NBA 2K games that have been released in the new generation consoles.
Review in Greek | Read full review