Any annual sports game release is under pressure to deliver a new experience while retaining the familiarity of the previous version. It can't be so easy that it bores the hardcores, nor so difficult that it scares the casuals. As Visual Concepts' newest entry in the NBA 2K series hits digital store shelves, it's a reminder that the NBA season is nearly upon us, so let's see how the NBA's signature video game series did.
So what's new?
This year's MyPlayer mode is called "Fire & Concrete," and is the story of a former high school star whose path to college basketball was upended by an early twist in his story before working his way back up. Your player's journey will take you from streetball tournaments to the G-League and up to the NBA as you complete challenges and develop your character. It's an easy-to-understand storyline with enough character moments to keep you invested.
The animations have taken a step forward in terms of improving the fluidity of layups and up-and-unders. Depending on the angle you use to attack the rim and the attributes of your player, no two layups will look quite the same, even from the same player.
While the ability to play as WNBA teams isn't new, the ability to create a woman player underwent several significant improvements. The character creation engine is built on the same one as NBA players now and features the same customization and attribute builds as the men. Additionally, you can take your woman MyPlayer to The City and even participate in coed in every game variation there.
What are the game modes?
Players can start a 2K27 game in a number of different historical eras. NBA 2K27 You can play through different eras of NBA history: The Magic vs. Bird Era (1983), Jordan Era (1991), Kobe Era (2003), LeBron Era (2010) and Steph Era (2016) -- though, the LeBron Era probably hasn't ended yet? Games in each Era are complete with period-appropriate rosters, TV graphics and jerseys. If you ever wanted to see the Seattle SuperSonics take the court against the New Jersey Nets, this is your time to shine.
NBA 2K27 also takes it a step further by allowing you to create a MyPlayer and drop them into the time period of your choice. For those nostalgic for whatever they consider the "glory days" of the NBA to be, this is a fun diversion. The game uses special filters to make the game look the way it did on TV at the time. If you grew up with older generations of the NBA, this game is a trip down memory lane and does justice to the arenas, jerseys and lineups of the time.