Monday Tip-Off: How NBA 2K23 Would Win Me Over

We’re at midcourt, and the ball is about to go up…it’s Monday Tip-Off! Join me as I begin the week here at the NLSC with my opinions and commentary on basketball gaming topics, as well as tales of the fun I’ve been having on the virtual hardwood. This week, I’m tipping things off with an outline of how NBA 2K23 would win me over.

Let’s be clear about this. In the grand scheme of things, NBA 2K23 doesn’t need to win me over. I’m just one person, and I’m not one of their big name influencers. The game won’t need my stamp of approval in order to sell at least ten million copies. Furthermore, given that I am a collector and still a content creator, I’ll be contributing to those sales figures anyway. In that respect, you could argue that it makes me part of the problem, but hey, like I said, I’m just one person. In short, I acknowledge that whether or not NBA 2K23 wins me over, it will be a success by almost every metric.

That goes without saying, but that’s not the issue here. This isn’t about what NBA 2K23 must do to be successful, but what it would take to get someone who has greatly preferred to play NBA 2K14 over NBA 2K21 and NBA 2K22 to get hooked on a new game once again. It’s an uphill battle, because some of the changes I’d love to see will never happen, due to business reasons. I’m obviously also very enthusiastic about this retro kick with NBA 2K14. However, I do aim to approach every new game with an open mind, and a willingness to keep playing if I’m enjoying myself. To that end, with the right changes and improvements, I could definitely be won over by NBA 2K23.

I’ll begin with the likeliest of changes, which involve gameplay. To be honest, the gameplay in NBA 2K21 and NBA 2K22 Next Gen has felt sluggish, with the prior gen/PC version not feeling much better. That feeling of running in mud that has plagued NBA 2K at various times throughout the series has returned the last couple of years, bringing about frustration that I didn’t have with NBA 2K19 or NBA 2K20. CPU players feel two or three steps quicker, and capable of being more explosive. There’s a clunkiness that extends to the dribbling controls and shooting mechanics, both of which have undergone some contrived changes. Simply put, it isn’t fun.

And no, it isn’t a case of “get good”, or turning down the difficulty, or anything like that. It’s not that I can’t wrap my head around how the game works and make the necessary adjustments, but rather that I don’t enjoy the approach and implementation of certain ideas. I’m bothered by the legacy issues that have survived through at least three generations and multiple game engines. For a game that’s been “built from the ground up” on Next Gen, it feels a lot like the Current Gen version that’s running on fumes and is no longer a priority. I’m experiencing major NBA 2K fatigue, and Next Gen hasn’t been a revolutionary improvement to gameplay that needs freshening up.

Stamping out those legacy issues, those canned and contrived moments, would go a long way towards NBA 2K23 winning me over. That means rebounds not warping into an opponent’s hands when I clearly should’ve grabbed it. It means no eyes in the back of AI players’ heads, leading to cheap and improbable interceptions. It means more fluidity in player movement instead of feeling like running in mud, or trying to make a sharp turn with a Mack truck. AI opponents can’t be a few steps quicker, with plodding bigs matching pace with my fastest ballhandlers. Shooting mechanics need to be balanced when it comes to the success rate of contested shots against the CPU.

Dribbling controls need to be intuitive again, with simple moves requiring the most simple stick movement. There should be no gimmicky garbage like a half-baked shot aiming mechanic, or shot timing on dunks, layups, and especially alley-oops. The sprint meter needs to deplete at a reasonable rate compared to how often we need to move at top speed and utilise advanced moves. The online scene shouldn’t interfere with offline gameplay, such as not having the option of rumble feedback on shooting, or switching off dunk/alley-oop timing. Realistic strategy should be rewarded, and the gameplay should be overall fluid, balanced, and free of any contrived gimmicks.

If I had to choose a game I’d prefer NBA 2K23 to play like, then I’d suggest that the series peaked from NBA 2K15 to NBA 2K17, with NBA 2K14 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One ranking up there as well. The mechanics, AI, movement, and balance in the gameplay made those four titles fun, and they still hold up extremely well as a result. That’s not to say they were perfect, but compared to the direction the series has gone in since, they were a much better base and blueprint. If nothing else, they’re far closer to the style and feel of gameplay that I’d prefer to have in NBA 2K23. If I can warm up to the gameplay in NBA 2K23, then it can absolutely win me over later this year.

That’s because for the most part, NBA 2K does provide deep and engaging modes. I know the debate over the importance of great gameplay vs. in-depth modes is eternal, but the fact of the matter is that the best games always have both. Although I have my criticisms to certain approaches and issues in NBA 2K’s modes, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into, and there’s a mode for everyone. As long as NBA 2K23 doesn’t lose any depth or take its modes in a bewildering direction, there are multiple options to keep me hooked if I’m enjoying the gameplay. With that being said, there are a few potential improvements that would make NBA 2K23 a fixture in my rotation.

I’d like to return to my roots as a franchise gamer – and how long have I been saying that? – and that’s a viable option thanks to the depth of MyNBA on Next Gen, and even MyLEAGUE on Current Gen. Those modes would be even more impressive if they cleaned up lingering bugs however, such as the art assets of re-branded teams randomly disappearing. The historical Draft Classes are in pretty sorry shape too, and there are other legacy issues involving stat tracking, menus displaying incorrect info, and other quirks that do detract from the overall franchise experience. They’re not all deal breakers, but enhancements to the franchise modes would absolutely impress me.

When it comes to MyCAREER and MyTEAM, I’m a harsher judge and critic. Those are both modes that I’ve sunk hours into in recent years, and as such, I’ve grown quite weary of the annual grind. Going back and having a great experience with the offline version of NBA 2K14’s MyCAREER has only reinforced how a focus on recurrent revenue has sucked the fun out of the journey in more recent releases. That’s made me unwilling to repeat the process again in NBA 2K23, and I’m damn sure not paying to speed up my progress! Unfortunately, I don’t think the approach will be any kinder. If I’m ever to return to MyCAREER in a new game, I’d be resigning myself to grinding.

I might be able to see my way to doing that, but the need to involve myself with the non-basketball nonsense of The City and Neighborhood will likely remain a turn-off. Again, I don’t see anything changing there, so NBA 2K23’s MyCAREER likely won’t draw me in. If there’s an intrusive story as NBA 2K22’s tale seemed to be, and the mode will once again be unavailable upon the deactivation of the servers, I’ll have even less incentive to opt for the MyCAREER experience. As for the connected online modes, if nothing has changed as far as the matchmaking, toxicity, and competitive balance, I imagine I’ll continue to avoid Park, Pro-Am, and The Rec.

Still, I like having the option of such a deep mode to dabble with, if I so choose. The same goes for MyTEAM, which is easier to enjoy with No Money Spent – if you play offline, anyway – and has great variety in its submodes. I lose interest in the Season rewards fairly quickly though, and like all modes with live service content, they’ll soon be superseded by whatever’s in the pipeline. I don’t expect much to change here either as that wouldn’t be conducive to maximising profits, but MyTEAM can still be enjoyable regardless. If I’m of a mind to spend time with NBA 2K23 and the mode isn’t too greedy, I expect that I’ll give MyTEAM a look, if only for a change of pace.

Other improvements that would impress me include more attention to detail with the classic teams, striking deals to include missing players, and an expansion of roster editing functions (custom teams, All-Star team editing, full access to bio data, and so on). Borrowing ideas from NBA Live such as atmosphere settings, or a full, well-made All-Star Weekend mode, would be welcome bonuses. My overall impressions of NBA 2K23 would be more positive if such additions were made, but ultimately it’s the gameplay that has to win me over. As I said, I didn’t enjoy NBA 2K21 or NBA 2K22 on the sticks, making it impossible to appreciate their modes and features.

Will NBA 2K23 win me over? I’d like it to, but I’m also not getting my hopes up too much. NBA 2K has a virtual monopoly over the genre, selling millions of copies and raking in millions of dollars through VC sales. It gets positive reviews – more so from critics than basketball gamers, admittedly – and many people enjoyed NBA 2K21 and NBA 2K22 well enough to keep playing them. I don’t see the game adopting a brand new engine, drastically changing direction, or magically fixing all of the bugs and quirks that have plagued the series for years. In an era where MyPLAYER cosmetic items are heavily promoted, there’s no guarantee that my concerns will be addressed.

At the same time, there’s a chance that they will be. I’m not the only one that has expressed disappointment in recent games, and the removal of shot aiming in NBA 2K22 demonstrates that the developers are listening (if not always to the right voices). I have no unrealistic expectations of perfection, and it’s not as though NBA 2K is in the same rough shape as NBA Live. Still, I’m tempering my expectations as we head into another preview season. I’m lucky that I can go back to old favourites, and have a huge collection at my disposal. I’d like to be won over by NBA 2K23 though, and be delighted by a new game once again. We’ll see if that happens come September.

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