NBA 2K19 Reviews
NBA 2K19 continues the series' decade-long trajectory of becoming the very best sports sim in the world.
NBA 2K19 is a masterclass in simulating the mechanics and culture of basketball, but it loves to needle you for money
The only bad thing are the awful, greedy microtransactions.
NBA 2K19 is once again the best simulation of basketball. When it comes to gameplay, presentation, and polish 2K's latest entry is undoubtedly unmatched. However, basic cosmetic options being held hostage behind microtransactions and an obtrusive story during MyCareer are huge unforced turnovers and prevent NBA 2K19 from cementing itself as the Greatest Of All Time.
NBA by 2K is confirmed as the best basketball video game series, with a long and engaging career mode, effective AI and great visual appeal even for this installment. Unfortunately, microtransactions are still a problem and cannot be ignored.
Review in Italian | Read full review
NBA 2K19 is better than ever on the court, but, like a lot of top NBA stars, the game is a bit too obsessed with making money by any means necessary. NBA 2K19 struggles to strike the right balance – the game offers some refreshing story and gameplay improvements, but they don't quite make up for an aggressive monetization scheme that hasn't been updated in any meaningful way. Much like its Special Edition cover star LeBron James, you can't help but respect the accomplishments of NBA 2K19, but sometimes you may not actually like the game that much.
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With a renewed My Team, a smarter AI and displaying realism in every detail, NBA 2K19 is pure basketball.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
If you're new to the series or would just like to have a really good basketball game to dip in and out of over the year NBA 2K19 is a solid choice, but if 2K18 frustrated you with its microtransactions and you don't want to grind or pay to be competitive with your own player then not much has changed from that base model.
NBA 2K19 is again a top sports game as an all-round upgrade from 2K18. But microtransactions and Pay2Win are annoying.
Review in German | Read full review
NBA 2K19 is another impressive outing from Visual Concepts and 2K with just about everything you can think of included. It's a real shame that there is still a heavy reliance on purchasing VC in the modes that matter, but it's plausible to play without giving in to the temptation. Aside from the microtransactions and occasionally tedious load times NBA 2K19 has all the modes, polish, challenges and value you've come to expect from the franchise. It's the annual release that truly lasts a year and if you're a fan, there should be no doubt as to whether or not you should get this year's game.
Once again, NBA 2K becomes inevitable. it only fix a few things in terms of mechanics and content but it's enough to offer the best gameplay in the series so far.
Review in French | Read full review
If you've passed on some NBA games, now is the best time to return to the court. It features a ton of refinements across the board and took into consideration some much-requested features from fans. If not for the blatant microtransactions and VC-driven progression system, NBA 2K19 would be the best basketball game on and off the court to date.
The on-court action of NBA 2K19 has never been better, and the new Takeover system adds a fresh wrinkle to the gameplay. However, the continued presence of microtransactions continues to bog down the otherwise overwhelming amount of content.
A review code was provided by the publisher.
NBA 2K19 is a fun basketball game held back by unnecessary bells and whistles alongside intrusive microtransactions. The basketball is second-to-none and the players feel and look incredible. It is a true shame the game is shackled by microtransactions which make progression a grind both for MyTeam and your player.
As a newcomer to the series, I was very surprised but also pleased with how inviting NBA 2K19 turned out to be.
Another superlative iteration of video game basketball with very few flaws, NBA 2K19's biggest problem remains in its implementation of those pesky microtransactions that threaten to eclipse everything the game does right. Look past that, and NBA 2K19 is still unsurpassed.
For every step in the right direction, NBA2K19's price tag keeps it from being a truly outstanding installment in the 2K series.
the basketball gameplay in NBA 2K19 is brilliant, and it has been for the last decade that I've been reviewing this series. But the way VC is used in the game needs to be re-evaluated, as it has become ridiculous and is blatantly pay-to-win. This greedy freemium model within an already fully priced game needs to disappear.