Over the past few years, developer Visual Concepts’ focus on updating online features and adding more microtransactions has left the meat of its annualized basketball series a forgettable merry-go-round of rehashed ideas and uninspired modes. But after spending about a dozen hours with NBA 2K25 so far, it already feels like a grizzled league veteran instead, and the definition of a perennial starter—there are still gaps in its game, but solid fundamentals and a willingness to adapt help make it a reliable part of any rotation. Or, in this case, right now it seems like a novel and innovative entry that can win new fans and bring back oldheads alike.Make no mistake, you still can’t teach a long-running basketball sim new tricks. But that doesn’t mean you can’t polish it until it becomes as smooth as Steph Curry’s buttery jumper. This is where the return of ProPLAY technology shines. Although it was initially brought on board as part of 2K24, this year’s iteration is much better. It produces more lifelike player animations and motions, so Paul George’s fluid jump shot and Jayson Tatum’s upper body heave look like the actual thing.What we said about NBA 2K24The old adage “a tale of two halves” really encapsulates the NBA 2K24 experience. On one hand, the hardcourt experience is as good as it ever has been (as we should demand from a game that iterates annually), and there are a handful of game modes that allow all of that to be enjoyed without interruption. On the other, much more nefarious hand, MyCareer is nearly unplayable unless you open your wallet or endure an absurd grind. Even worse, mechanics like badge regression reinforce the worst parts of the microtransaction scheme. Beneath those issues, NBA 2K24 still offers a solid basketball experience, but it requires looking in the right places. Clearly, there is a love for the game of basketball on display in modes like MyNBA and Mamba Moments. But a lot of that love is lost the moment we’re asked to pay an absurd amount of money to compete in the main multiplayer mode. – Ben Vollmer, September 11, 2023Score: 6Read the full NBA 2K24 review.Visual Concepts’ introduction of Go-To Moves further emphasizes NBA 2K25’s focus on realistic player movement. With it, you can recreate your favorite player’s iconic signature move, whether it’s Nikola Jokic’s one-legged sidestep jumper or Donovan Mitchell’s bump-and-stepback shot. I especially enjoy using (and abusing) these go-to moves whenever my play gets broken up or the clock is running down. After all, most of them, like KD’s crossover hesi pull-up, guarantee space creation and an open shot each time.My only issue with it is the lack of variety. Yes, spamming the same, near-unstoppable go-to shot is nice, but I wish each superstar had more than one signature skill they could turn to. I was especially disappointed to see that go-to post moves were non-existent; a one-dribble pull-up fadeaway should not replace Joel Embiid’s real-life arsenal of dream shakes and shimmy fakes.Rhythm and BluesAnother interesting new addition is Rhythm Shooting—a completely different and more complex way of scoring middies and threes. But I’ll be honest: as someone who’s tapped-and-released square all these years, I initially found it pointless. It just didn’t feel like there was an incentive to learn its trickier down-up Pro Stick motion. But after repeatedly trying both it and the classic shooting method with different jump shot animations, I started preferring Rhythm Shooting more—not only because it’s more forgiving toward imperfect releases, but also because you can seamlessly transition into dribble moves after faking a shot.Of course, with revamped animations comes a new shot meter, which I was admittedly frustrated by the first time I played a full match with it. Can you blame me for getting angry after bricking three open shots in a row? Clearly, it was the shot meter’s fault and definitely not a skill issue. But even though I was dangerously close to hurling both hurtful insults and a controller at my TV, cooler heads prevailed, and I eventually learned about the new Shot Timing Profiles feature.NBA 2K25: Top 10 Players at LaunchBy default, NBA 2K25’s Shot Timing Profile is set to Difficulty-Based, meaning your current difficulty heavily influences your jump shot timings. So, if you’re playing on All-Pro, like me, your release needs to be near-perfect for your shots to go in. Or, if you’re on Hall of Fame for some reason, you might as well not even try. Thankfully, this isn’t your only choice, and there are four other profiles you can try out: Real Player %, Low Risk-Reward, Normal Risk-Reward, and High Risk-Reward.After switching to Normal Risk-Reward, the setting “most similar” to the previous 2K timing, getting used to the new shot meter was much easier because an imperfect release had less impact on a shot (and thus, my TV was saved). But Shot Timing Profiles can only do so much to mask that this year’s arrow shot meter, along with the ring and dial alternatives, are still difficult to time, and I wish there was an option that would let me use last year’s easier-to-master classic bar design instead.After experimenting in the new tutorial hub, Learn2K, I was eager to see what the rest of NBA 2K25 had to offer. So, I went into MyNBA Eras to check out the new Steph Era, which, confusingly enough, begins in 2016, two years after the Warriors’ first championship and the true beginning of Curry’s reign of terror. Or, should I say, three-rror? Get it? Although the Steph Era makes the 2010s uncomfortably congested (the LeBron Era takes place in the first half of the decade), it’s an addition that I can fully get behind, commemorating Steph and co’s near-unstoppable dynasty the way it deserves to be.RPGeez, Really?Since this was the only new feature in Eras, I immediately turned my attention to the return of MyGM, which, to my surprise, has almost turned into an RPG. I emphasize the word almost because its RPG elements feel patchy and incomplete. Upon selecting a pre-made character, you’re given a choice between six different backstories, which grant different attributes and perks depending on your preference. I enjoy that this allowed me to imagine a unique rags-to-riches tale for my up-and-coming general manager (for the record, I chose Ex-Scout because I wanted an Erik Spoelstra-like story), but the problems with this new RPG direction began once I finished creating my character and got thrust into bizarre conversations with some of my team’s staff members.Every line of dialogue with these NPCs feels unnatural and forced, thrown together just to serve as a way of handing out in-season tasks. In my first conversation with the team governor, he immediately asked me to trade away our oldest (and best) player because of a dream he had. Frustrated, I almost handed in my resignation letter then and there. But Mama didn’t raise no quitter. So, after finishing my strange water cooler chat with the governor, I went on my way, exploring the rest of the new MyGM building.Unfortunately, like the previous conversation’s idle and unrealistic tone, the MyGM building appears equally empty, barely filled with expensive equipment you can’t touch, as if it were a barebones museum. Instead of mirroring a bustling business hub for a multi-million dollar NBA team, the weirdly designed, single-floor space feels more like an expensive penthouse apartment you share with four strangers.In it, NPC interactions are confusingly kept to a minimum; you can only speak with your team’s governor, scout, head coach, or best player if they have an exclamation point above their head. Otherwise, they’ll give you the cold shoulder. Outside of these rare conversations, the rest of your managerial responsibilities are conducted in the Nav menu, turning the MyGM building and the people within into even more of an afterthought.Don’t Call It a ComebackWith the new features in MyNBA Eras being slightly underwhelming, I was preparing myself for disappointment before diving into the refreshed MyCareer mode. Oh, how wrong I was. As soon as I started it up for the first time, I was immediately placed into every hooper’s childhood fantasy: it’s overtime in game seven of the NBA Finals, my team’s in the lead, and (after choosing my preferred position, team, and appearance) I got to play out the rest of the match for a chance at history.Although only a short snippet of my player’s potential storyline to kick things off, this immediate thrust into a high-stakes scenario is the sudden revitalizing jolt MyCareer needed following last year’s disappointment. That said, after finishing the match (spoiler alert: we won), I’ve admittedly spent most of my time in the mode so far trying out different Pro-Tuned Builds and NBA Template Builds because I couldn’t decide on one. That’s been fun in its own right, but I still have to dive back in and make that intro a reality before my final review.So, having only spent a few days with NBA 2K25 as of yet, I still have a lot more to play before reaching a verdict. I’ve only had a limited amount of time to check out its shiny new online features, for example, but I’m at least cautiously optimistic about what I’ve seen overall after enduring 2K24’s glaring shortcomings and its disastrous lack of a single-player storyline. Here’s hoping my optimism isn’t smothered by an inevitable wave of microtransaction ads in MyTeam. Either way, I’ll be back with a score next week.
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