NBA 2K18 Reviews

NBA 2K18 is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9.4 / 10.0
Sep 15, 2017

Simply one of the best sport games that we've seen. An excellent work from 2K Sports and Visual Concepts.

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8.7 / 10.0
Sep 16, 2017

NBA 2K18 has come close to become the best complete sports game, offering different styles of play to satisfy all tastes. If you wish to live like a basketball player, you can play MyCareer. If you wish to build your dream team you can play MyTeam and if you want to live like a General Manager you can try the MyGM, but that does not mean it's a full-fledged game. Despite the great players scans and the addition of a face scanner to put yourself in the game and I think it's the best, but facial expressions are one of the worst expressions I have ever seen.

Review in Arabic | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Sep 16, 2017

NBA 2K18 is one of the most anticipated sports games of the year. This iteration of the NBA2K franchise has most of the features fans were asking for in the forums and throughout the NBA 2K17 season. NBA 2K18 was enhanced and reworked to make it more authentic and is true to the experience of a basketball game than ever before. The Pre-Game Show with Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith has been revamped with more realistic animations making it feel like the real deal.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 17, 2017
NBA 2K18 | REVIEW - Is it any good? video thumbnail
Forbes
Top Critic
9.1 / 10.0
Sep 17, 2017

Just like LeBron James, NBA 2K18 isn't perfect, but with its ambitious new additions, refined gameplay, and a truckload of options, there's no question, it's still the best in the world.

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Sep 18, 2017

NBA 2K18 is very likely the best basketball game ever made and a template in how to approach a sports sim on nearly every level.

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Sep 18, 2017

It's a testament to the the compelling nature of "NBA 2K18" that there's any such concern over time being wasted, time that could instead be spent playing more of such an exceptional game in any number of satisfying ways. "NBA 2K18" shines in the areas that matter most to basketball fanatics, through excellent gameplay and presentation, a variety of modes all with considerable depth and its celebration of the league's history.

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9.5 / 10.0
Sep 18, 2017

NBA 2K18 is the definitive basket simulation, a game that will make basketball fans play for months. This year defects are hard to find and the new elements of the gameplay are really engaging.

Review in Italian | Read full review

82 / 100
Sep 18, 2017

Microtransactions and MyPlayer's The Neighborhood can be frustrating at times but the perfect realistic gameplay and now balanced AI make you forget all about that. There is no doubt that NBA 2K18 defeats NBA Live series, again.

Review in Persian | Read full review

92 / 100
Sep 19, 2017

NBA 2K18 is unstoppable on the court. The new AI, graphics and improved gameplay are unmatched. My Team is better than ever with the salary cap, My GM feels fresh with his cinematic approach and we will be on the neighborhood for months. All of that, of course, if we have enough VC (money) to expend, cause it feels like a pay-to-win too many times.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Unscored
Sep 19, 2017

If it gets patched soon we'll happily declare this one a highly recommended game, but in its current state we simply can't recommend it at all. Fingers are firmly crossed 2K will issue a patch quickly to solve the problem, but there is of course no assurance of that at present.

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Sep 19, 2017

2K Sports is getting absolutely brazen with their community, testing the limits of what they'll put up with in terms of microtransactions in 2K18.  Thankfully it doesn't persist into every mode, because there's a lot of good ones to compliment the excellent gameplay and presentation.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2017

Note: Keep an eye out for future patches/updates that could address MyCareer and save issues.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2017

NBA 2K18 has a few holes in its game -- the series needs to improve its writing, the ballyhooed MyCareer Neighborhood hub falls flat, and the tech powering the series is nearing retirement age. That said, boil the game down to its essentials and you have a rock-solid, well-balanced sports sim that provides an immensely entertaining shoulder-to-shoulder same-couch multiplayer experience. It's that strong core that keeps NBA 2K18 and its vast array of modes and features from collapsing in on itself. NBA 2K18 isn't a milestone entry in the series, but it's a solid playoff contender well worth basketball fans' time.

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EGM
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2017

Maybe NBA 2K18 has been the king of the court for too long and now it's getting bored. Instead of improving gameplay, it's figuring out more ways to make money through MyCareer and MyTeam. It's new Neighborhood functions as a metaphor for the entire game itself, in that it seems like a big addition to the game but you quickly realize it's pretty much just an empty shopping mall and a distraction from the actual game.

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4.5 / 5.0
Sep 19, 2017

When all is said and done, NBA 2K18 is a solid title that will carry you long into the winter with its upgraded features, massive amount of content, wide range of game modes, and overall better presentation. Its minor setbacks pale in comparison to the positives infused within this title. Yet again, 2K and Visual Concepts have combined to provide basketball fans another great installment. It's safe to say you can skip the NBA Live resurgence all together and stick with NBA 2K18.

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Gameblog
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 19, 2017

The best series of sports video games comes back this year with in a nice wrapping paper full of promises. This episode of NBA 2K18 is an instant pleasure as well as a garanteed immersion. With a solid length and a tough challenge, i twill speaks to both basketball aficionados who will be thrilled to welcome back the series, but also to newcomers who might want to join in. This strong basis might gives us a perfect hypothetical follow-up which might correct the few Career Mode imperfection.

Review in French | Read full review

Sep 19, 2017

NBA 2K18's dedication to the finest of details make it a living, breathing adaptation of the NBA experience.

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9 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2017

Probably the best sports game of the year and a great achievement for 2K and Visual Concepts. Brilliant!

Review in Italian | Read full review

IGN
Top Critic
8.4 / 10.0
Sep 20, 2017

NBA 2K18 is another step forward on the court, improving on the series' already great gameplay. You're rewarded for smart, controlled basketball when dribbling, driving, and playing defense in ways that make sense for the players you're controlling. In the side modes, results are mixed: the new fusion of Career mode elements into The Neighborhood gives it some new life, but the same can't be said for the meaningless story elements within MyGM, and microtransactions now have too much of an impact on gameplay. There's far more good than bad, though, and NBA 2K18 deserves credit for taking chances.

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