NBA 2K10 review
The NBA 2K series have pretty much been kicking NBA Live’s behind for the last few seasons, and rightfully so. The gameplay has always been better on the 2K series, the presentation and depth have likewise left NBA Live in the dust. But for the 2010 versions of the respective games, the stakes are higher, with both NBA 2K10 and NBA Live 10 having upped the ante. Today, we look at one of those, NBA 2K10, and without spoiling too much of the review, we can safely say that fans of the series will not be disappointed.
When booting up a game of 2K10, you’ll immediately notice that the gameplay has received a notch upwards, and that there are now a slew of new animations, all contributing to life-like, realistic players on the court. The player models themselves are the best the series has ever seen, as everything from clothes to skin, to facial animations have been rendered almost perfectly, besides one thing; the jerseys the players are wearing. Usually, they seem to “pop up”, as if resting on an invisible cushion on the player, giving them a very odd look. But overall, those are minor details.
The gameplay is smooth for the most part, but once a lot of players clog together, like in the paint, for instance; going for a rebound, the game features some serious slowdowns at times, chugging along in a single-digit frame rate. 2K Sports has promised a patch regarding this issue, so we’ll see how that turns out later on. A few other issues plague the game as well, from player animations that bring the ball back over half-court (resulting in a back-court violation) for no reason, to doing the wrong kind of pass or shoot. The low post play can be frustrating in particular, especially when playing with your back to the basket. However, one thing that has been greatly improved over last year’s edition, is the commentary, which now seems a lot more fluid and conversational, and the commentators will factor in the latest real life games in order to give a more natural commentary. It’s definitely a welcomed feature, and works great.
The new career mode, called “my player mode”, let’s you create a player, but this time, you go from a complete unknown, fighting your way through training camps, to development leagues, to the draft and finally, to the NBA. Fans of this kind of feature won’t get disappointed, as it’s very comprehensive and offers plenty of gameplay value. However, it’s not without its fault, as your player will often get penalized on his ratings and progress for no reason at all.
Technically, the game looks great, everything from player animations to the crowd and the bench all seem to fit perfectly, with the exception of the occasional frame rate issues. The soundtrack and commentary are great as well, the commentary in particular is the best the series has seen so far. The multiplayer is just as solid as the last few years, with online matchmaking and lobbies that will fit everyone from the newbies to the pros. Fans of the series won’t be disappointed, especially if 2K Sports fulfills its promise of fixing the issues.
The Good:
Great gameplay
Best commentary yet
Solid multiplayer
The Bad:
Occasional frame-rate issues
Some AI issues
Annoying product placement
Overall score: 8/10