In every era there’s at least one or two borderline NBA superstars that are tantalizing to watch on the court but are mired with off the court issues. Most recently, the name that sounds like croissant comes to mind. Deserved or not, they end up hurting their overall reputation with decision makers in the league. NBA 2K24 is no different. 

While this may have already been the case for the past 4-5 years or so, it has never felt more egregious than in 2K24. NBA 2K offers a literally unrivaled basketball simulation game, but its most played and most popular game mode suffers from a shameless pay-to-win scheme. 

ProPlay isn’t just MoCap

ProPlay is one of the biggest things NBA 2K highlighted even before the game was released. I’ve seen quite a few discussions online saying ProPlay is nothing more than a marketing term for motion capture or MoCap. It is essentially MoCap but is fundamentally different in execution. 

In regular MoCap, you need the actual player, or at least someone who can mimic the moves of NBA players, to actually do the moves in a controlled environment. ProPlay, on the other hand, can take any game footage and turn that into an animation for the game. 

The technology is different. And I suspect the rapid advancement of AI technology has a lot to do with it. To dismiss it as just a marketing term is reductive. 

But how does it affect gameplay? It’s not something you’ll notice right off the bat and will only really see if you go looking for it. Some player jumpers still look and feel the same. There are standouts. Shooting with Curry will make you feel like the greatest shooter ever, and Paul George’s off-the-dribble shots feel as smooth as they look when you watch him play. 

However, The overall change in gameplay is a combination of 2K’s own tweaks along with the animation. One does not outweigh the other. 

Still a gameplay champ

Another constant criticism, and a running joke at this point, is that the NBA 2K franchise is just the same game, re-skinned, year after year. While there is some truth to that, it has more to do with how far basketball simulation has come over the years. Think of it like leveling up in an RPG. The level has gotten so high that reaching the next feels longer. 

There’s also the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” NBA 2K’s overall gameplay works for the most part. As someone who’s played NBA games year after year dating back to NBA Live 1998, this level of detail and control still astonishes me from time-to-time. 

Shot timing

So, what are the changes for NBA 2K24? The biggest change I noticed is how the default shot timing is set to both jump shots and lay-ups. Perhaps a by-product of ProPlay, the game encourages you to learn the timing for finishing moves. If your play style is that of a slasher that likes to add variety to how you finish at the rim, there’s a lot of fun to be had here. 

There will be adjustments, for sure. The shot meter’s timing can get confusing because the defense varies as you go up for a lay-up and you’ll need a few reps to get everything down. Shooting feels tougher in that you’ll have to figure out the proper timing for each player. The more you’re familiar with the players in real life, the better you’ll be at shooting.

Lock it down

Defense, likewise, has been improved. It punishes players who excessively attempt blocks and steals. NBA 2K24 encourages proper positioning and expert timing. Sure, the player stats do play a part, but as long as you can stay in front of the offensive player and raise your hand to challenge the shot at a decent distance, you should be alright. 

On the court, NBA 2K24 is a literal unrivaled champ. It’s gonna take a serious contender to take NBA 2K down in this department. 

GOAT status is gonna cost you 

NBA 2K24’s MyCareer storyline feels pretty bare bones compared to past iterations. Over the years, we’ve seen your MyPlayer be an unheralded prospect going as far as being called up from playing China. There are no college rivals to beat. And not B-Fresh to annoy you. Instead, the game mode is focused on your MyPlayer reaching GOAT or Greatest Of All Time status. And the road to get there is gonna cost you. Literally. 

The story line doesn’t match with your stature as a prospect. You’re being touted as the greatest prospect of all time since LeBron James, but you’re forced to start with an Overall Player rating of 60 which is an absolute scrub. 

It would have been better if you were at least asked to play a few exhibition games first with your performance being the basis of the Overall Rating you start with. But that’s not the case. 

The Overall Rating you should be targeting to even be remotely competitive against key match-ups is somewhere around the 83-86 range. And to get to that, you’ll have to either grind like there’s no tomorrow or pay up. 

Real-life cost

Here’s the in-real life cost. You’ll have to spend somewhere in the 15 to 20-hour range just to get to around the Overall Rating of 78-81. For context, there are single player games you can beat in that span of time. Don’t have the hours to dedicate to frustrating grinding? Then be ready to spend. It takes about 150,000 to 160,000 VC or virtual currency to get you to an Overall Rating of 85. That’s somewhere in the ballpark of US$ 80/ over PhP 4,500 which is more than what you’ll pay for the Standard Edition of the game. 

And you’re forced to pay if you want to compete against other players because many of them have already opened their wallets to boost their ratings. 

I personally gave up on playing versus other players online years ago. And I used to be able to get by with just grinding. But that isn’t the case with NBA 2K24 and it’s a little disheartening especially for players who only have the means to get the base version of the game. 

No distractions 

If you happen to have the bandwidth to boost your ratings, whether that’s time on your hands or extra disposable income, the game can be enjoyable. NBA 2K has removed unnecessary side quests that had you doing skateboard tricks around The City or building your reputation as someone who’s Fashion forward or a Music mogul. 

However, I do feel that there’s a bit of an over-correction here. I personally enjoyed *some* of the side quests and having sort of a peak into the life of a basketball superstar. It just has to be executed properly. Although, I might be in the minority on that as I’ve seen plenty of NBA 2K content creators putting the focus back on mostly just basketball.  

Mamba Moments, MyTeam, and more 

If you have no ambitions of becoming the GOAT, there are plenty of other game modes in NBA 2K24 that you can enjoy. 

Mamba Moments 

Mamba Moments is a list of seven (7) game challenges where you try to recreate feats by the late, great Kobe Bryant. It’s not as robust as the Jordan Challenge, but there’s about enough here for Mamba fans to enjoy. 

You even get the chance to play using the Kobe-Pau Gasol Laker teams that are inexplicably still not part of the Classic Teams available in Play Now game modes. 

MyTeam 

MyTeam is another game mode that encourages you to spend VC. I personally got caught up in it a couple years back, but in NBA 2K23 and NBA 2K24, I’ve managed to play without spending a dime. It’s also great that Season Progression in MyTeam and MyCareer are now tied together. I’ve had no problems reaching Level 40 in MyTeam but struggle to do so in MyCareer because progression is tied to online play which I have mostly stayed away from. 

There is a Season Pass which gives spenders an advantage. But unlike MyCareer, MyTeam can still be enjoyed without spending any more than what you have after purchasing the game. 

MyNBA 

The additions this year are minor. The LeBron era is nice as I now get to play out one of my biggest NBA What Ifs which is What If Derrick Rose didn’t suffer a career-altering injury. My goal is to have Rose beat the Heatles and lead the Bulls to a title. 

Then there’s MyNBA Lite which takes away the more complicated aspects of MyNBA and just lets you dive in. It feels similar to much earlier versions of the game mode where you run an NBA team. 

The W

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that you can use your stored face scan when you start your campaign at The W. While I probably won’t use it, it’s great for the growing number of female players who want to play the mode. 

My personal NBA 2K wishlists 

In previous reviews, I manifested the comeback of the Jordan Challenge. This time, indulge me as I list down additions I want to see in future versions of NBA 2K. 

NBA All Star Mode 

This was a beloved feature from a different franchise. In NBA Live 2005, players had the option to jump straight into All Star Weekend and select players that will participate in the Three-point contest and the Slam Dunk competition. I want something like this on NBA 2K. It makes for a great quick game when you have friends over and it’s relatively easy to pick-up and play even for non-basketball fans.

A better MyCareer Mode

I’m still playing because I had to review the game and I have delusions of becoming a larger-than-life basketball superstar. But I desperately want MyCareer to be better. I have a sinking feeling they intentionally tanked this year so they can say they improved it for NBA 2K25. 

I like the focus on hoops approach, but I don’t mind having side quests here and there that give you a break from the grind. And I wish the grind is a little less punishing so players who don’t have extra dime to dish out can still play competitively without pouring in unreal hours. 

More Classic Teams, All-Star Jerseys for Best of Era Teams

Some of my favorite Classic Teams actually have full rosters in NBA 2K24 and I’m happy about that. But there are a few teams I desperately want to use that aren’t available in official rosters like the Kobe-Pau teams, the Orlando Dwight team that prevented a Kobe vs LeBron Finals, and a few more. 

Sure, I can load player-created rosters and era rosters, but I would really love for these teams to be readily playable from the jump. 

Should you play NBA 2K24?

I am blessed to have access to this game year-after-year for review purposes. It’s my personal destresser and is a game I play during its entire cycle and in-between other game reviews. I’ve seen other players recommend that you only upgrade every 2 years or so and that’s fine too. 

My personal advice is if you’re just a casual basketball fan, wait for the game to go on sale at key moments during the NBA Season. That’s around the Holidays when Christmas games are approaching, some time around the All Star Weekend which is in February, and right before the playoffs which is in April. 

We reviewed NBA 2K24 on a PlayStation 5. A code was provided by the Publisher. The game is available now on multiple platforms. Philippine pricing is as follows:

• PS4 Kobe Bryant Edition: Php 3,390
• Xbox1 Kobe Bryant Edition: Php 3,390
• Nintendo Switch Kobe Bryant Edition: Php 3,390
• PS5 Kobe Bryant Edition: Php 3,890
• Xbox Series X Kobe Bryant Edition: Php 3,890
• PS4 Black Mamba Edition: Php 5,590
• Xbox1 Black Mamba Edition: Php 5,590
• Nintendo Switch Black Mamba Edition: Php 5,590
• PS5 Black Mamba Edition: Php 5,590
• Xbox Series X Black Mamba Edition: Php 5,590