NBA 2k13 Review (PS3)

NBA 2K13 Review (Sorry it's a little late guys, been having some issues)

2K Sports is back with the newest installment of their critically acclaimed NBA simulation series, NBA 2K13.  Widely considered the top franchise for sports simulation, NBA 2K is sure not to disappoint.  This year’s installment includes a very special guest on the creative staff, Brooklyn Nets partial owner and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, who takes on the role of Executive Producer.  For the first time in 2 years, “His Airness” himself, Michael Jordan is not featured on the cover, but the Chicago Bulls are still represented with former MVP Derrick Rose sharing cover duty with Los Angeles Clippers’ forward Blake Griffin and the 2 time reigning NBA Scoring Champion Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder.  This changing of the cover coupled with Jay-Z’s involvement points to a game that takes a step away from the tradition of your father’s NBA and into the modern day league.  However, if you are a basketball purist who longs for the days before “super teams,” there are more than 30 classic NBA teams to choose from in addition to the 1992 Team USA squad, more commonly known as “The Dream Team.”  Also included is the 2012 Team USA version of the Olympics from the London Games so you can settle once and for all which team was truly the better group of stars.

NBA 2K13 keeps gameplay relatively the same as in previous installations with a few minor tweaks.  This year not only does the right analog stick control shooting, but it can also control dribbling at the same time.  This is a major change in the gameplay experience because in previous years the stick could dribble or shoot.  Now you still have a wide range of dribble moves and fake outs that can be performed with various gyrations of the stick but once you hold down L2, the shot stick is activated allowing the user to execute many advanced shots not available by simply pressing square (although that is still an option).  Another addition to gameplay is “Signature Abilities” that certain stars and role players can posses.  These are things such as Kendrick Perkins being a “brick wall” and making it tougher for the opposition to drive to the hoop when he is in the paint or “floor general” that is attributed to many point guards that increases the offensive skills of teammates in the game with him.  There is even an ability possessed by players like Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant that allows their game to become elevated in the fourth quarter.  These abilities are a welcomed addition to the way the game plays as it gives a more authentic feel to what you are accustomed to watching.

The popular My Player Mode from years past remains but is vastly different.  In addition to My Player, there is now a My Career that goes hand in hand with it.  These modes no longer focus simply on your player’s career on the court, but off the court as well.  Money has been replaced with Virtual Currency, or VC for short, which takes away some from the authenticity of the mode.  VC can also be earned from playing exhibition mode games and can be used in My Player, which again makes the whole experience less realistic.  The VC is used to purchase things such as game arrival suits, clothes to wear during Blacktop Mode, and gameday accessories (yes, if you want something as small as a headband you are going to have to fork out VC for it).  New features in this mode include having to choose between a sponsorship from Nike or Air Jordan (granted this happens after a mere 5 games) as well as meetings with the organization’s General Manager as frequently as you would like to discuss an array of topics.  This adds a sense of realism to the mode that it desperately needs.  The realism of the mode has sadly not been improved on otherwise.  As a mid-first round pick you are still gracing the cover of magazines and billboards before you even rack up time as a starter and you are idolized as the savior of a franchise even though you are a rookie bench player (think if Tim Tebow played basketball).  In keeping with EA Sports’ Madden NFL 13 which has Twitter in its career mode, NBA 2K13 has “social media,” an off brand Twitter that allows you to accrue a plethora of followers from current NBA players and legends to celebrities such as Pauly D and Justin Bieber (yes, the Beibs found a way into the game and can even be played as on the Celebrity Team).  These followers are gained by performing various tasks during your career.  For instance, if you nail a certain number of 3 pointers in a single game, Steve Kerr will follow you or if you dish out enough dimes, Magic Johnson will become a fan.  Overall the My Player/ My Career experience is fun, if not completely realistic.

I had an open mind about presentation going in with Jay-Z on board.  The 2K series is well known as one of the best, if not the best, sports simulation game available.  I was curious as to what Jay-Z would bring to the table.  The presentation definitely has a hip-hop flair to it with the visual designs that include volume bars and speakers.  There are stylistic lines during the Sprint Halftime Report and even on the score in the lower right hand of the games.  While this gives the game a more modern, youthful feel, it takes away from the authenticity of the experience.  It has no effect on the gameplay, but the television style graphics were a nice touch in years past.  The commentating crew returns this year and is once again top-notch.  If you were to close your eyes (while someone else is playing, I wouldn’t suggest doing this during one of your games) it sounds as if the game is a television broadcast with the laughter and jokes as well as statistics that are spewed out when necessary.  The in game audio is arguably the best for any sports game out.  The soundtrack has a definite Brooklyn feel to it with many songs referencing the borough and the numerous Jay-Z tracks present.  The soundtrack is not bad, but it is not what I expect with a basketball game.  One minute you are listening to Run This Town by Jay-Z and the next you are hit with Viva La Vida by Coldplay.  Some of the tracks left me scratching my head, but overall, you get used to it.

My experience with NBA 2K13 was overall positive.  The gameplay and commentating are once again this year unrivaled for any sports game on the market and are improving with every new installation.   My Player and My Career are enjoyable if not entirely realistic.  And with Jay-Z on board the 2K Team swaps out television style visuals for a more modern look and a soundtrack that could be slightly biased towards the new look Nets.  Overall the game was well worth the buy.  I gave it an 8.5/10.