NBA 2K19 Reviews
NBA 2K19 is a joy to play, but with progression in MyCareer often halted due to lack of VC, you have to wonder why 2K wants you to struggle to progress, especially after last year's concerns.
NBA 2K19 continues its dominance over sports games with a new entry that provides substantial improvements both in the gameplay and its multiple game modes, although the predominance of microtransactions negatively affects the overall experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
NBA 2K19 continues the series' decade-long trajectory of becoming the very best sports sim in the world.
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.
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.
Purchasing NBA 2K19 for yourself just depends on what you plan to play within its larger package. If you were already put off by MyCareer last year, then not much has changed to win you over this season. If you're looking for the best basketball sim on the market though to just play with friends or play by yourself in some of the more team-based game modes, you cannot do better than NBA 2K19. Despite there being so many fundamental changes that I want to see from this series moving forward in regards to many of its abrasive practices, at least the actual basketball has continued to be phenomenal without skipping a beat.
Barring a massive rethink from 2K in regards to their microtransaction focus, I think NBA 2K19 is the last NBA 2K game I will be excited for. It is clear the developers only see its consumers as a walking pile of cash so why would I willingly subscribe to that philosophy.
The biggest question mark on NBA 2K19 is if the game can be separated from its economy? And the answer is no, definitely not. Your character can’t both look cool with baller swag and be good at the game unless you’re willing to put in hundreds of hours or spend a significant amount of money. However, can the game be enjoyed despite its economy? Absolutely. Despite the dire circumstances of 2K going all-in on VC, NBA 2K19 has seen a return to form for MyCareer mode as well as a solid showing across every single game mode. But when 50% of your game is heavily reliant upon a “pay-to-win” system, there is something fundamentally flawed about the product and message that you’re putting out to your players and potential audiences. I understand the need for video games to make money, but there are more ethical ways of doing so without ruining the experience along the way. Please buy NBA 2K19 because it’s a great game, but don’t give in to the pressure of the non-existent shiny gold coins – they’re just not worth it.
2K19 is a must buy game for all NBA fans. The MyCareer mode has been improved with all new additions and changes to the Neighborhood. The graphics have dramatically improved and the refined movement of players and the realistic aspect of the game is at an all-time high. 2K has again proved why they are the superior basketball game.
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.
Improved in many ways, this year's NBA 2K continues to drag behind some historical problems of the series, among which there is certainly the absence of an anti-cheat for the online sector, which has other annoying design flaws, and the rather invasive presence of microtransactions.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There is a lot to like about NBA 2K19, but it's hard to come away from it without a bad taste in your mouth. Its pay-to-win nature and occasional hiccups are hard to swallow.
Despite keeping last year's terrible decision to force players to buy into microtransactions, NBA 2K19 is still the king of sports games. The matches are better than ever and there are enough alternatives for those who don't want to spend a dime over the game's price, even if they are not ideal. You'll still feel like you're in the courts of the best basketball league in the world.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
It's nice to see NBA 2K19 working to get back to being a powerhouse franchise. This year's MyCareer mode is titled The Way Back, and it feels appropriate for this latest entry - the first step in climbing its way back to being the best.
It might not feel that different from last year, but NBA 2K19 continues to be the best there is in terms of sports simulation games with neat updates. A definite pick for fans!
I don’t see myself ever really going hard for that 99, because the ability to do that requires the use of my wallet just to get started, because grinding for VC for free is insanely slow and I think they made it that way on purpose to push microtransactions.
NBA 2K19 is the absolute best NBA simulation experience, with numerous refinements and improvements over previous years. I think there was a missed opportunity of adding the tutorials for newcomers located in 2KU into the MyCareer game mode, which puts you into the action without explaining any of the intricacies of the mechanics. The Neighborhood online hub experience has been improved, yielding more chances to earn VC, as well as hosting numerous events. The servers are another story, however, as the game will frequently not connect or hang while trying to synchronize data without a proper error message. At some point, the heavy reliance (although toned down) on microtransactions needs to be removed from the game entirely.
Whatever viewpoint you're coming from, NBA 2K19 is both slightly better and a bit more competent than its predecessor, but there are still issues that need to be addressed. It is still clearly designed so there is an underlying temptation to invest in some VC just to get to the good bits, instead of spending days, weeks, months slowly building up your player or your team. That said, whatever score it's given really won't matter since the NBA 2K series will remain dominant when the competition isn't as strong as it could be. While NBA 2K19 is competent it has also, for me at least, continued down the road of not feeling as fun or exciting as previous NBA 2K titles. This year, the feeling isn't so much of outcry as it is fatigue at having seen the gradual changes take place over the last several years.
Make no bones about it, I think NBA 2K19 is a force to be reckoned with. It’s the same core NBA 2K that we know and love, and the small tweaks continue to make it a standout. Unfortunately, much of that good work is undone by overbearing promotion of microtransactions, and keep NBA 2K19 from a real slam dunk.
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