It might be a improvement from NBA 2K18’s, but that’s not saying much as its implementation of microtransactions is one of the worst in the industry. Despite the numerous ways you can earn VC, the progression system in NBA 2K19’s M圜areer still feels sluggish. In NBA 2K19’s The Neighborhood, you no longer have to jog a few minutes or enter a loading screen to reach your desired location.Īside from playing MyPark matches, other diversions in The Neighborhood include the Cages for some trampoline ball matches and timed activities such as trivia and a dodgeball contest. Additionally, each attraction in The Neighborhood is much more accessible due to its streamlined design. There’s even a Daily Rewards system where you can earn a set amount of VC for accomplishing the challenge and a Daily Spin wheel of fortune where you can test your luck on daily rewards. Diversions in The Neighborhood and other game modes also provide a decent amount of VCs. Reaching a certain number of fans will also pave the way for instantaneous VC earnings through endorsements. Based on your negotiated contract, you can earn a fixed sum of VC per match alongside credits multipliers for teammate grade and difficulty setting. This VC-based progression system is annoying at best, but at least credits can be earned faster this time around. Obtainable in-game or purchasable with real-life money, VC is needed for purchasing clothes and upgrading your M圜areer character’s abilities. When you’re done with The Way Back, you can choose any team of your liking and negotiate a contract, with the terms for each team varying from one another based on their interest in your character.Īt its core, VC is still the central currency for majority of NBA 2K19’s game modes. A few notable actors even shared their talent to make The Way Back more memorable, including Anthony Mackie (Avengers), Aldis Hodge (Straight Outta Compton), Rob Huebel (Transparent), Blake Jenner (Glee), Mo McRae (Sons of Anarchy) and Ginger Gonzaga (Mixology). While in-game performance does not have an impact on the story outcome in any way, it definitely gives a good illusion that you’re tailoring your character’s journey. The Way Back also does a good job of motivating players to perform well in matches, setting some rivalries and placing some stakes on the line. However, The Way Back is definitely worth trudging through the corny dialogue and story at least once to see it to its conclusion. It’s also pleasant to see that Visual Concepts finally allows for cutscene skipping, and you can even skip the entire Prelude story. While it might not win any Oscar awards, its cliched story coupled with a well-thought out narrative is decent enough for a video game sports title. The Way Back is a B-movie sports film at its finest, featuring your custom player named A.I. NBA 2K19 rectifies this by isolating the story to its three to four hour-long story.
Lengthy cutscenes with nonsense chatter permeated the entire experience from NBA 2K16 to NBA 2K18, where going to a match or entering the gym will oftentimes interrupt players with lengthy dialogue. This is greatly evident in its M圜areer Prelude arc, dubbed The Way Back. Some tweaks and additional features even feel apologetic. Upon playing each game mode in NBA 2K19, you can tell that developer Visual Concepts listened to fan feedback, making it feel like a labor of love at times.
#Nba 2k16 reviews ps4 series
However, the latest entry in the annual basketball series boasts a massive refinement in every major game mode and brings some notable on-court improvements that make it more rewarding and enjoyable overall. Sadly, NBA 2K19 is still laden with Virtual Credits (VC) and only introduces minor tweaks to its progression system. I myself liked NBA 2K18 at first, but I ended my basketball season after a month or two due to the game’s unsatisfying and unrewarding microtransaction-driven progression system.
However, it was met with mixed reception, with many critics and gamers loving the on-court improvements while despising the money-grabbing microtransaction fest that affected gameplay progression. NBA 2K18 built a decent foundation and made some bold changes with its introduction of The Neighborhood social hub and story-driven MyGM.