Like every year, the time has come to put hand to the controller and set out to discover the new 2K sportsman: NBA 2K22. This year more than ever, however, you have to go with lead feet, towards a title that has dominated the scene for years, but which, little by little, has let itself go a bit. The community’s disappointment for the previous chapter is still very palpable, especially for PC gamers. So many criticisms, many requests, several suggestions have been able to change the trend of the last period? Without being too influenced by the trend obtained, we analyzed the title on PlayStation 5 in its entirety, to try to understand on which road it was moving.
That air of pay-to-win that had strongly characterized the past disappears and a little pleasure returns. The gameplay is always fun, no one can question it, but maybe something is still missing. Let’s find out the details in our NBA 2K22 review.
NBA 2K22 review: good, not over the top
The first impactful thing we noticed during ours NBA 2K22 review is that the improvements over the previous chapter are almost nil. Not only from the point of view of the offer, but also from the technical one. The menu, which obviously changes the cover, actually offers us the the exact same modalities. From Quick Matches to simulate battles against the CPU or an online opponent, to Championship and Career to keep you busy a few more hours. There is also the section dedicated to My Team, but certainly nothing that we have not already seen “in the previous episodes”.
For whom yes juggles the NBA for several years there will be no problems moving around the interface, but I have noticed that, for a novice, it might be different. I’m not talking so much about “finding things”, but more about understanding the title. Starting, in fact, I took everything for granted (having played all the titles since 2014 at least), but a great overview of the rules and commands is not made. Anyone who approaches this title for the first time will certainly have to put in a little more effort.
At the level of commands, however, I did not find particular difficulties of use or some other problem. The responses have always been quick and smooth. From this point of view, there is absolutely no complain. Personally, however, I have not found a graphic improvement as sublime as I would have expected. We tested the title on PlayStation 5, with very high expectations, yet many defects of the past are still present, from very long loading times to frames that are not entirely constant.
Modes are not lacking, but not all that glitters is gold
In NBA 2K22 we find, as usual, different modes that will allow us to experience the game as we wish. On this front we have no news; NBA Today will show us the most popular games to relive to the fullest, the NBA Championship will offer us the opportunity to play a season with our favorite team, while My Team will allow us to also range online, thanks to the package system already seen in precedence.
The cornerstone, also in this chapter, is the Career mode. We will be overwhelmed by an adventure that will make us travel from college to the highest league. In order to live the experience to the fullest, we will be catapulted into a city in which to embark on an almost RPG experience. In fact, scattered around the game map, we will find missions and activities. A vast world, full of NPCs that will take us a lot of time. All very well thought out, from the scenery to the proposed details. You can move on foot or through accessories with which to show or compete. Our character, who will be 100% customizable, will also be able to take part in street basketball games.
Despite the basic story fits in well with modern times, players who must do well on the pitch, but who must also relate to the world of social media, there are some questions. For dubbing reasons, our character will be nicknamed MP and will be called as such during the course of the narrative. The choices we make will influence the course of history which, however, will not excel in storytelling.
The real downside, however, lies in the technical side of this mode. Although the title was tested on the next gen, with a respectable hardware, there are some problems. Frame drops, lag e late or even partial texture loading, make the experience unnerving at times. A detail that is certainly relevant and not exactly negligible.
NBA 2K22 review: the classic title for fans
At the end of our NBA 2K22 review I feel like saying that it is now a game designed to continue to catch fans who can’t stop. Net of the analyzes carried out, I certainly cannot say that this is the worst stock on the market, I would lie shamelessly. Unfortunately, however, I cannot even say with certainty that he is still the best sportsman on the scene. This is the result of multiple factors that influence not only the publication, but also the yield
Generating a new game every year and expecting it to truly differ from the previous one is sheer madness. Hoping, however, that compared to the past it feels like a next gen step, is not such a crazy request. It is certainly a fun game that does its job. Those who have not bought the NBA for several years will surely be able to benefit from every novelty. Those who buy it every time will certainly not find super news, but a product that has a lot, perhaps too much of the previous one. There is also a renewed story and always enjoyable gameplay, but, that’s not enough to recommend the switch with your eyes closed. Pay attention to the PC side: although the hardware is fully capable of facing the new generation (even earlier than the console), once again we do not find the next gen step, but an old generation configuration. The community will certainly not be very happy with it.