NBA 2K24 Review

ProPLAY is a real technical achievement. Instead of motion capturing an actor imitating a player, Visual Concepts pulls animation straight from NBA broadcast footage, so a signature step back or a specific gather looks like the real thing because it is the real thing. The lighting, sweat rendering and crowd work are the best in the genre by a wide margin, and the Mamba Moments tribute is assembled with obvious care, though all of it is layered onto a build that is otherwise last year's. Everything past the hardwood is a toll booth.

MyCareer opens on a rookie you cannot make competent without buying currency, its scripted story beats are thinner than ever, The City remains a traversal chore, MyTeam abandoned auction houses for a stiffer pack economy, and cosmetic progress now runs through paid season passes across multiple modes at once. When the most impressive sports simulation on the market is also the least respectful of your time and money, the overall grade has to say so.