NBA 2K13 Review

I’ve been playing NBA video games since NBA Live 2003. Back in the good old days it was simple fun to just have a player created in your likeness who would have 99 over rating across all categories and allow you to dominate. But as time goes by and you start playing the game for real, you want a more realistic experience with your video game.

NBA 2K series is the king of basketball simulation. My conviction that NBA 2K is the king of all basketball games was laid down long before I found out that NBA 2K series has featured Allen Iverson on the cover for five consecutive years, and now it features Blake Griffin too. The game is a pure joy to play. Here’s my review of NBA 2K13.

Long timers will notice that the most striking new feature of NBA 2K13 is the crossover controls. Mercifully, the folks at 2K have changed the crossover controls from the left analog stick back to the right analog stick. Using the left stick for ankle breakers broke my patience more than ankles. The game is a lot more fluid now that you can exercise precise control over the player movements.

The movement animations just keep getting better and better every year. Each player has his own signature set of animations. Try shaking and baking with Jamal Crawford and Deron Williams – both players have their own distinct style of crossovers, and it is captured properly in the game. Jamal’s behind the back crossover is so perfectly replicated, it makes one forget that this is a video game. The way he cocks the ball to one side and whips it behind his back while sidestepping is emulated down to a T. Ditto for D-Will, and the impressive part is, even if those styles were mapped on some faceless rookie you could still recognize which player the style belongs to.

The jump-shot animations can get some getting used to, and I say that as a positive comment. All players have different releases, some are real quick and others a little delayed. Stephen Curry has the easiest release to get used to. But you can’t use the same shot release timing for someone like LaMarcus Aldridge. Its a good idea to take your players in freestyle practice to figure out their individual release points. Its a good thing that all players have their distinct styles, even though it makes for a bit of a learning curve for first timers.

The ‘My Player’ mode lets you live out your dream of becoming a NBA player for real. The entire journey is surreal and before being drafted, you play in the Elites versus Stars game where your performance dictates your draft spot. With a rating of B, you can make it to the 15th overall pick. My biggest gripe with NBA 2K, besides the transition defense, is the extra stuff which you have to go through in the My Player mode. After the rookie showcase game is over, you have to sit through interviews with team representatives and answer multiple choice questions. I play the game to get away from reality, not to take extra multiple choice questions. But little touches like that make the game incredibly addictive for those who have the time for it.

For first timers, you need to find a balance by tweaking the game sliders and difficulty to make it suit your preferences. Otherwise, you may just drop the controller in despair after a couple of infuriating possessions. For me, the speed of the game was more arcade like than simulation, and my team-mates were playing matador defense against all teams, and not just the Bulls. A guide to the optimum settings is coming soon. One fortunate relief is that you actually can convert on fast breaks without infuriating 3 on 1 stops by the defense while asses aren’t magnetically guided in the hands of the defense.

Last year, the USP of NBA 2K12 was the option to play as legends and live out memorable moments throughout their careers. That is something which has not been included this time around. What has been included, much to the relief of hundreds of artists who would mod the game to create him, is Allen Iverson and the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers team. ‘The Answer’ is finally in the game. Here are a few more answers about the different aspects of the game.

Graphics

The visuals are top notch. The detail is sharp and you can tell the players apart very well. The simulated rookies in ‘Association’ mode still look like aliens. But the existing players don’t. The same however can’t be said for Vinny Del Negro and a few coaches. It seems that they modelled the players with the leftover clay, and just threw together the coaches haphazardly. But I play with sideline characters off anyway to reduce lag. There’s nothing to complain about visually here.

Game play

Unparalleled. Well it would have to be unparalleled, since the NBA Live series, which was its direct competitor, has been discontinued. In no small part because NBA 2K drove it out of business. The game play of NBA 2K13 is as close as you can find it to real life today. Animations are butter smooth and the controls are very deep and intuitive. Casual gamers may give the advanced controls a miss and a game pad is needed to utilize the entire meat of the package, but the game has something for everyone. There are times when the opponent’s point guard just stands and dribbles the ball for untold seconds though, and the AI could stand some improvement here. But its a minor annoyance.

Game length

Unlike an adventure game where the game is ‘over’ after you murder the final boss, sports games never finish. Besides the My Player mode which will eat up untold hours as you take your rookie and mould him into a franchise player, the Association mode is also equally engaging. Managing and building a team is endlessly addictive. A chance to live out the fantasy of taking over those bumbling GMs and showing them what is what. And lets not forget the crux, the meat, the actual on-court action itself, which is endlessly entertaining.

Audio

Being produced by Jay Z, the influence is clear in the auditory delights of this package. A lot of classic songs find their way in the OST, going as far back as Half Way Crooks. There’s even a song by Jay Z, where the hook includes ‘Choli ke peeche kya hai’. The on-court sounds of the game are addictive and player chatter is well thought of. Hearing a player call out “Yo get up on T-Mac” made me applaud his defensive awareness. Your players talk to each other on defense, and the ball bounces and swishes to combine for an auditory delight.

Presentation

Again, Hova’s influence is felt. Sometimes intro videos of players are actually interspersed with music videos. That gives it a unique feeling of authenticity to your team. The menus have a feel of a sound studio visualized to the fullest on the game background. They are easy to navigate and let you move around with ease. The in game cameras also offer a multitude of options for you to select the perspective with which you want to play the game. Then you can tweak the zoom and height of the selected camera angle even further.

Overall, I’d give the game a solid 9 out of 10. The 1 would be earned if they streamlined the My Player mode more and improved the AI. But that’s just nitpicking. This game is a polished gem, one which every basketball fan should try to get their hands on.

Here’s where you can get your hands on it for your choice of platform:
http://store.sportskeeda.com/index.php?route=product/search&filter_name=nba%20