Trainers, jerseys, haircuts, tattoos, and challenges consume a fair amount of VC, making sure you’re grinding constantly to earn more. Even though you earn it at a much faster rate, it’ll take a while before your players stats are built up, translating to constant drubbings online or in an actual career match inside the NBA.
Load times as a whole last for a long time, whether you’re waiting for a game of street ball, trying to get into the Jordan Rec Facility, or looking to buy some new gear. Waiting on the sidelines while watching the current match unfold is fine, but waiting for others to join from the server you’re on seldom happens, and instead of just loading a menu and waiting for available players in the world to join, you’re constricted to only a handful. There are two main problems here firstly, trying to get a match on the street courts is excruciating. Right until you finally sign with an NBA team, you’ll leave The Prelude with a much higher admiration for 2K Sports’ attempt this year.Īs for The Neigborhood – the hub for where you’ll earn yourself Virtual Currency and subsequently spend it – it’s much bigger, or more spacious, offering new stuff to do and plenty of ways to earn (and spend) your VC. falls in love with, to Marcus Young, a rival and fellow teammate on the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, you’re engrossed in their lives and how they affect A.I. Characters like Nikki, a reporter with whom A.I. (yeah, that’s his name) as he tries his damnedest to become a star. Starting off in China playing for the Shangai Bears and trading to the G League (an NBA training ground of sorts), you’ll witness the struggles of A.I. Focusing on a player who dreams of playing in the NBA, you’re forced to take a tough road to the top. Clichéd characters, obvious revelations, and predictable outcomes did nothing but put me off progressing, but thankfully The Way Back is so much better. My biggest concern with the last few years’ M圜areer mode has been the horrendous storylines. Shooting feels more responsive this year, and with the shot meter now appearing when making layups, you’ll find that missing the easy shots is a thing of the past. This allows the LeBron James scenarios of the 2017-18 season to come to fruition in NBA 2K19, making the momentum in games shift and bless you with an advantage. If one of your players is on a scoring streak, making assists and getting rebounds, they’ll enter a “he’s on fire” type scenario akin to NBA Jam, where for a limited time their stats are increased and performance is enhanced. The Takeover system is a brand new feature aimed at giving the outstanding performers dominance after a successful run of good plays. Stealing has also had an overhaul, with a gauge appearing to indicate an opponents vulnerability when in possession. It takes a lot more to break away from defenders in NBA 2K19, requiring more awareness of other players and finding the opportunity to dish to an unguarded teammate. Defending in last year’s game was tricky when the opposition was using the right stick to handle the ball, allowing them to drive past you with the right touch. Playing basketball is even better than last year, featuring plenty of improvements to make it a much more rounded experience. Unfortunately, microtransactions still harbour progression, and trying to get a game online is as painful as it ever has been. Although that’s the case, if you’re going to be the best it’s still vital that many of the familiar concerns are ironed out, and NBA 2K19 has managed to eradicate some of the issues faced in last year’s offering, such as a much better story in the M圜areer mode, better defending, and more responsive shooting. We’re at a point now where no matter which developer comes out with a new basketball game, nobody is going to topple 2K Sports yearly offerings.