It’s disheartening to have the coach promise to start you and then see the usual crowd of players lining up ahead of me. Despite getting coach ratings for my play of B’s and A’s, bagging assists and points, I’m just getting nowhere. I unfortunately went for the Chicago Bulls, and then realised that they’re awful these days, but nevertheless I started as a benchwarmer and that’s what I still am. DJ has to showcase his skills in a local event to catch the eye of the scouts to earn a tryout, and possibly a place on an NBA team. Instead the character you’ve created takes on the mantle of a failed musician, nicknamed DJ, who wants to give basketball another shot after giving up on it earlier in life. Jordan, who featured in the previous game’s M圜areer, and its main character ‘Prez’. After moulding the MyPlayer to suit your preferred position and playstyle – whether that’s being a 3-pt shooter or a dunking enthusiast, the game has you covered with the choices on offer – you’ll be thrown into the story. I can say right now that M圜areer is the real meat of NBA 2K18 a place where you must create your own player with the aim of succeeding in growing the player’s attributes to climb to the top and become a Hall of Famer.
Fortunately, the NBA 2K series prides itself on having an immersive career mode and each year that’s the mode most people are interested in. Personally I prefer a bit more substance to my gaming experience, so Play Now does very little in the way of satisfying me. It’s a shame the European teams are no longer a part of the series though.
With all of the current NBA teams present and correct, plus a host of all-star and classic versions featuring the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird, the player is saturated with choices of teams to use.
From matches locally versus the CPU or friends, to online play for up to 5v5, this area has you covered. Play Now is ideal with short term interest in mind, as it is here where the standard exhibition modes and one-off basketball games reside. In NBA 2K18 there are four main modes – Play Now, M圜areer, MyTeam and MyGM/MyLeague – and each of these has a fair bit to offer. Basically, it suits all types of players, but what about the game modes? The less gifted players can enjoy end to end fast-paced action, whereas the better ones throw in the tactical nuances to turn proceedings in chess-like affairs. It must be said that the basic controls are very easy to grasp, whilst there’s enough depth in the play for the best ballers to dazzle with their ball control, attacking moves and defensive strategies. Even when I hit perfect timing, it still bounces away like someone’s shrunk the hoop and it’s incredibly frustrating, almost off-putting to try them at all.
Timing the jump and release is something I’m used to from previous games however my success rate is terrible in NBA 2K18, which is baffling considering the amount of shots taken with players possessing 90+ attributes in 3-point scoring skills. controlled team can sink baskets beyond the 3-point line for fun, but for some reason it’s erratic in my experience. All seems good on the gameplay front, except for 3-pointers – the bane of my life. Only once have I discovered an issue with the passing, and it was purely an animation discrepancy, when I attempted a small pass to a player nearby but the guy holding the ball looked like he was throwing it miles away. Passing is pretty neat too, with the ability to make different types of passes and even pick out exactly which teammate is to receive it. But overall the whole system works well in both the defensive and attacking phases of play, as whether you’re dropping a shoulder to shimmy past a defender or trying to block off a slippery attacker, momentum is a crucial part of the game, just like real life. Getting used to the way your players move is tricky at first I saw myself wasting shooting opportunities aplenty by rushing a shot instead of settling the player, or going against the natural flow in which the ball was taking me.
Almost everything about the gameplay feels as realistic as ever, especially in terms of the movement, as body momentum can play a huge part in any action taken.