NBA 2K15 Review: A New Standard

Gameplay

"NBA 2K15 presents 2KU allowing for videos to show and tell a little bit about how to use each variation of use for the shot stick and the buttons around it."

The replays show this amount of contact happening steadily.

NBA 2K15 is really smooth on the court. The new controls take some getting used to as they focus a bit less on triggers to impact shooting. The right stick is still your dribble and shot stick, but it does not need the left trigger to activate which one it is. Occasionally this may cause an issue where you are moving too quickly with the stick to pull off a dribble move properly or you may hold it a bit too long and end up shooting when you don’t want to. For the most part though, I found the controls extremely responsive when you know exactly what moves you want to do and execute them at proper intervals. For instance, if you use the right stick from ball hand to off hand and then half circle back to the other hand, you’ve just executed a crossover to spin move and if you add in a hop step, you’ve now created good separation for a jump shot or a pump fake to draw the defender into the air if they’re overzealous.

Ever more helpful than past NBA 2K games, NBA 2K15 presents 2KU allowing for videos to show and tell a little bit about how to use each variation of use for the shot stick and the buttons around it. The tutorials focus a bit on shooting, passing, and defending amongst other things. These things helped me out a lot in terms of understanding how to use the shot meter and the shot stick in conjunction although I am still getting used to shooting with many of the players in the game. There are slow and quick releases, so each players meter will fill up differently alongside the additional information constantly being taken in on their shooting ability in given areas. This type of thing is awesome, especially for newcomers to the NBA 2K brand of basketball.

The little things make NBA 2K15 stand out in terms of gameplay. Each player has a mind of his own on the floor and plays up to what their corresponding instincts are more than ever before. On top of those systems at work, NBA 2K15 has some of the NBA’s free flowing offenses being executed in the game. If you play as the Knicks, you can actually play in the Triangle Offense. If you play against the Spurs, it is an absolute nightmare to cover all of their shooters just like in real life. Don’t think it is nearly enough to just shut down Tony Parker or the first entry pass, the computer counters your defense and takes advantage of your aggression.

"For some of an idea of how hard this game gets, finishing at the rim becomes an exercise in pulling out the better rim protectors and getting the ball in before they can recover. This is real basketball…"

On offense, a couple things have been mapped a bit differently in the default control scheme. As I said above, the left trigger is now re-worked and is the passing indicator. The Square button, X for Xbox One owners, has become the hop step button alongside its shot responsibilities. So if you want to go into a spin in the lane before pulling an up and under finish, it is as simple as a quick double tap headed towards the rim followed by aiming the right stick in the proper configuration depending on the camera you’re playing on. The Circle button, B for Xbox One, has become a pick button allowing for you to call for a screen from anyone on the team, not just the nearest big man. This allows for you to call repeatedly on the almost unguardable Westbrook-Durant pick and roll combo that I’m pretty sure Scott Brooks doesn’t know exists but once a game in real life.

On defense, they’ve added new features to help you put the lockdown on a ballhandler. You can take pre-emptive steps to counter an attacking dribble to force him to pick up the ball or at the very least back up instead of attacking. This also makes you more susceptible to being blown by however, so you should use it only when your instincts are really good, especially on harder difficulties where players can drive by you easy enough as it is.

For some of an idea of how hard this game gets, finishing at the rim becomes an exercise in pulling out the better rim protectors and getting the ball in before they can recover. This is real basketball, but sometimes it’s a bit over the top when a guy misses a dunk just because a player is near or they’ll miss a bunny a ton of times in a row even without a defender around them. There’s almost too much humanity present in the game at that point. I want reality, but I want it subverted to the point where I’m not worried about a player missing a fast break dunk or a bucket because a defender was nearby. Not to mention, guys normally known for finishing pretty much anything will miss layups or dunks as I did with Lebron James multiple times in one game.

MyLeague

"The control you have over these single player, offline modes is insane and it’s likely to be the new standard going forward in basketball, if not all sports games, to allow for this kind of customizable offline experience if you want it"

Taking the place of the throwback season and franchise modes of videogames past, MyLeague in NBA 2K15 is a highly thorough mode available to play as a franchise or as a team for one season or for many whether by yourself or with others in your household. It features the ability to adjust pretty much anything. Do you want to do a fantasy draft? If so, do you want to use the current draft order or do you want to create your own? How often bot franchises should trade with each other? You can set it. How often should players get injured? The control you have over these single player, offline modes is insane and it’s likely to be the new standard going forward in basketball, if not all sports games, to allow for this kind of customizable offline experience if you want it.

As an aside, in a world of games where being a single person playing against others online is becoming more of the norm it is always good to know that sports video games still acknowledge the idea of couch play alongside games like Super Smash Bros., Super Mario 3D World, and SportsFriends. Consoles specialize in these kinds of experiences and it seems outside of sports titles they are becoming rare with time.

Up Next… MyGM and MyCareer Mode