NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 Reviews
A clear improvement over its predecessor. Looks better and plays better too.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a great game for anyone who loves over-the-top arcade basketball games. It is great fun even though it's a grind without using microtransactions.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Starting with the positives the game absolutely looks great, has a ridiculous roster of players (including the likes of Michael Jordan), and features all sorts of preposterous on-court moves and dunks...
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a step forward gameplay wise... but it excessively rely on microtransactions.
Review in Italian | Read full review
NBA 2K Playgrounds is a small step forward in the work of Saber Interactive. In addition to greater content, we will have more control over the unlocking of players.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A fun game that you can play alone or with your friends. But high price and micro payments are surely annoying.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
NBA Playgrounds 2 brings a lot of great improvements to the table with enhanced gameplay mechanics and visuals, but the package is brought down by unnecessary, backward changes.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 improves on a quite a few aspects of the original game like game modes and gameplay mechanics. But its microtransaction model leaves a sour taste in the player's mouth. Unlocking great players takes a very long time and the game wants to get you to buy in-game credits. But if you're patient, or spending more money isn't a problem for you, you can have a lot of fun with NBA 2K Playgrounds 2.
Review in French | Read full review
For the most part, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is an improvement on the original. The fun, over-the-top, and easy to understand gameplay returns and the online options make it a more complete package.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 has a great presentation, a fun set of mechanics and a solid character progression system. There are microtransactions, as all sports games seems to be laboured with them these days, but it's nowhere near as intrusive as some other sports games I have played. However, without any statistical tracking, limited number of players on the court and only a handful of modes, that this title won't have quite the shelf life for me that a more involved simulation game like NBA 2K19.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 brings back the arcade experience in its sequel with some subtle but welcome improvements to gameplay and features more content. It suffers from a terrible player unlock system fueled by microtransactions, which is thankfully still optional and not a necessity to enjoy the game.
With NBA Jam On-Fire Edition being horribly outdated and the original Playgrounds recently delisted, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is the go-to-choice for arcade NBA basketball by default.
In the end, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a fun game that may not excel from a gameplay standpoint, but its fun arcade action that has become rare in the genre. Basketball and sports fans would enjoy Playgrounds 2 if it weren't for the grindy implementation of card packs and in-game purchases.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is an excellent arcade style Basketball game that is hauled down by soul crushing microtransactions that tip the gameplay.
Despite the action on the court being fun, it's the looming frustrations of microtransactions that hinder player development and the overall appeal of the game.
As an NBA Playgrounds apologist and lover of arcade sports sims, this game can only be characterized as a disappointment, and a frustrating one at that. NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 has all the ingredients for an excellent game, but its best flavors are overpowered by the saltiness of its microtransactions and repetitive season. It's a shame, because the gameplay itself is absolutely excellent; it's the surrounding constructs, progression system, and a lackluster season that leaves this game tripping over its own laces.
NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 features many gameplay improvements over the original, and a deeper roster of superstar players thanks to the 2K umbrella, but unfortunately the experience is marred by the return of loot boxes that dictate which players you can even use.
Enjoy basketball for arcade lovers
Review in Turkish | Read full review
An improvement on the first game ruined by terrible microtransactions.
There's fun to be had in 2K's arcade-style basketball game, but a lack of variety and flawed gameplay make for a missed opportunity.