NBA 2K16 Reviews
Perfected gameplay and an abundance of addicting modes make NBA 2K16 a heavyweight contender for the greatest sports game ever made.
Not exactly a massive Air Jordan-style leap over NBA 2K15, this year's game is nonetheless a substantial enough evolution to warrant a closer look. MyCareer's Spike Lee Joint isn't as groundbreaking as it thinks it is, but proves engaging enough for a few hours. As ever though, NBA 2K16's vast number of modes and options, as well as its unparalleled and authentic on-court experience makes it a basketball game that continues to stand tall.
A game which sets the bar as the pinnacle of the current generation of sports gaming thus far.
Visual Concepts continually makes improvements with every new entry in their basketball series. NBA 2K16 tugs heavily on the Spike Lee promotion to sell its improved story mode. Beyond that, the upgrades are more on the technical side. There's still a ton of content to keep any fan of the franchise busy until next year's offering. Whether the investment is worthwhile depends on your commitment to enjoying every small enhancement and always being on the current leaderboard roster for the new season.
On-court improvements off-set by off-court issues
The basketball is stunning, the narrative is not
Basketball has never looked, or felt, so good to play.
[B]asketball fans will likely have a great time playing NBA 2K16 for hours on end, but there are too many small steps back here that can't be ignored. The good news for fans of sports games is that the first misstep in this great franchise is still a very good game, which speaks to how truly fun its gameplay is.
Even though the story isn't always a hit at times, and there are some online issues that could use some looking into, NBA 2K16 remains a slam dunk when it comes to the world of virtual basketball.
NBA 2K16 is a great sports simulation, a title packed with content that will allow basketball lovers to live out their fantasies, create some impressive matches, and experience presentation that rivals real-world broadcasts.
Basketball gamers have never had a better simulator than 2K16. It is a complete improvement in every way over the games that came before it, and has addressed most of the issues that its predecessor suffered from. That being said, there are still plenty of new issues, the main problems being the story mode and the severe issues with online play. The game even used the tagline "Story is everything" in regards to Spike Lee's creation, so the question has to be asked, if the story is very poor and "Story is everything", what does that say about everything else?
NBA 2K16 remains a great basketball game at its core, but makes a mistake in trying to give us a narrative-driven MyCareer mode. It just isn't keeping with the spirit of the ever-expanding customization and freedom of sports simulators and on top of which, it's just not that interesting or especially well presented. The online missteps are another problem, as are the good but somewhat languishing visuals that are starting to show their age.
NBA 2K16 is another solid entry in a series that is really starting to establish itself as one of the best in sports. It might have its drawbacks and fall short of certain expectations, but the core of NBA 2K continues to be strong.
NBA 2K16 might be the best NBA game out there today. It's one of the best sports simulations I've ever played, the TV feel has been captured better than any other sport simulation. The gameplay also managed to feel like an actual Basketball game, and the gameplay has had some significant changes from last year to help make it that much better. There's also a lot to do in the game with MyCareer and MyGM being the best examples of sandbox modes that will keep you coming back to this great game until next year.
If you like basketball and the NBA, you’ll love NBA 2K16, available for PS4, Xbox One and PC. This is, truly, a memorable experience for sports games and a welcomed step forward towards the realm of realistic gameplay, realistic graphics and game depth.