By Tyler Banks
As basketball fans approached the launch of NBA 2K20, many believed that this would be the year when 2K, the famous video game, would return to its peak. It had been three years since 2K17 came out—which many considered the best 2K since the release of the PS4 and Xbox One in 2013—and no game had come close to the level of quality on a technical level since then. However, by the end of NBA 2K19, the game had taken a step in the right direction, so many fans thought that the video game series could only improve.
On a strictly technical level, the game was solid. The implementation of a new player motion system provided a realism that hadn’t been seen in any 2K, ever. The game had all of the potential in the world to provide an uncharted experience for many fans of the series.
Pre-Patch Review
Unfortunately, NBA 2K20 had one of—if not—the worst opening launch of any 2K prior to this one. Bugs and glitches plagued many players’ experiences throughout all game modes, including its most popular ones: MyCareer and MyTeam. Things like broken attribute bars, constant input delay and latency in shots, and crashes from even a simple action like checking one’s win/loss record were all recurrent. Many people were ready to give up on the latest installment due to its disappointing start. Fortunately, thanks to protest by many 2K players and content creators, the 2K development team was able to release a 23 GB patch which helped clean up the many rough patches in the game.
Post-Patch Review
After a whole week, 2K20 finally found its footing and most importantly, consumers can finally enjoy what they paid for. In the latest installment of the 2K franchise, almost all of the problems of 2K19 were addressed, improving the game exponentially. As previously mentioned, this year’s new player motion system added to the overall realism of the game along with some new animations to help differentiate elite dribblers from the rest. The new shot mechanics also feel smooth. However there may be times when there is a delay, but that is a rarity.
MyCareer is back—and it feels amazing
The intrusive and annoying grind is gone in exchange for a more seamless and fun experience for the 2K community to enjoy. Players can choose their builds and adjust them accordingly to perfectly tailor them to their own playstyle. Reaching a 99 overall has never been easier, with some players already achieving that feat within a week of the game’s release.
MyTeam has finally become an all-around experience
MyTeam has always been known as the money-grabbing mode of 2K; people call it “the gambling simulator.” However, this year’s game has brought a significant change to the formula. No longer do players have to constantly shuffle out money to compete in this game mode. In fact, players truly don’t have to spend a dime to succeed in this game. Thanks to the thousands of offline challenges in the game mode, players can build their team at their own pace and still be able to compete online against other players at an elite level. The development team has truly made strives to help fix any problems that players of previous games have faced.
2K’s Redemption
NBA 2K20 started off in one of the worst possible ways a game could’ve started. As an unfinished game, many people were writing the game and also the franchise off as a failure and mockery of the industry. However, after the hard work done by the millions of 2K players to get the news out that this new game wasn’t finished, 2K’s development team was forced to step their game up and provide the consumers with a true sports gaming experience—and finally, after a week of outrage, consumers around the world have gotten one of the best basketball games of all time.
NBA 2K20 receives a 9/10 from The Harbinger.
