The most anticipated basketball game at the end of the year has appeared, namely NBA 2K22. This game made by Visual Concepts is the best basketball game this year, even though it's not perfect.
However, it must be admitted that NBA 2K22 is the single most realistic basketball game ever. Especially with the new stamina feature, it feels like playing real basketball.
We tested this game on PlayStation4 for about two weeks. Many differences are felt compared to the NBA 2K21 game which was released last year. Here are some notes.
First, stamina. This feature is an important part that makes this game more realistic. In the NBA 2K21 game, our players can run from end to end of the court, dribble past opposing players, then shoot the ball smoothly without getting tired.
Now in NBA 2K22, we can still do that but there is stamina that is a measure. If the stamina runs out, don't expect to be able to move agile again or shoot the ball smoothly.
The more tired our players are, the more they lose focus, the harder it is to move fast and the harder it is to shoot accurately. So do not carelessly run here and there on the field, pay attention to the stamina of the players!
Another change is the improvement in stealing the ball, which in NBA 2K21 only hits an opposing player, the ball can get out of hand. Visual Concepts seems to have done its homework.
Now to steal the opponent's ball, you must also use tactics and use momentum, no longer carelessly. Indeed, sometimes the issue of hitting the loose ball still occurs, but not as often as in the previous game. Great job Visual Concepts team!
Back again and more interesting. There are more and more interesting things that can be done in MyCAREER mode, starting from walking around the city of The City, completing quests, interacting with NPCs (non-playable characters), and others.
You can also walk around on a skateboard or inline skate, go to the gym to play minigames, or compete against other players. If you're tired of playing basketball all the time, this mode can be used as a refresher for a while, think of it like playing GTA but without anyone having to die in the game.
The story in MyCAREER is also no longer linear like last year, but there are several choices that can be taken first or later, similar to playing an RPG game.
You just have to choose whether you want to go to college or play in the G League and the NBA, it all depends on the choices we make. Just like in the real world, we are also active on social media to support career interests.
Not only a career as a basketball player, but we can also develop skills in other areas such as fashion to singing rap. A lot of time can be spent here, also a lot of things to cultivate.
The Neighborhood is also back for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC players. This year, players can explore "Cancha del Mar"; from the lobby to the top deck, where each deck of the ship is designed with a wide selection of activities.
Admittedly this is the best basketball game at the moment, but not perfect. Why? There are some notes that we found when trying this game.
First, the connection to the 2K server is sometimes unstable. So there are several times when the connection is lost while playing online, as a result, you have to go back to the initial menu and start over.
Hopefully in the next patch the Visual Concepts team can fix this so that not many players get frustrated just because they often disconnect.
Second, in terms of gameplay, when playing defense and we fight enemies who pick and roll, it becomes very difficult to withstand the opponent's attacks.
Our defenders don't automatically change and chase enemies who roll, whether it's an up or down pass. As a result, this pick and roll attack strategy is almost certain to penetrate the defense.
Indeed, the way AI survives in NBA 2K22 is better than the previous year, but if this pick and roll is not improved, many players will use this strategy continuously to win. So please fix it, guys.
Third, microtransactions (of course) are back again. Micro-transactions like this are common among game developers, the goal is of course so that players can stay competitive and developers can still get paid.
Indeed, this year's game is made more balanced between the amount of money that needs to be spent with the amount of playing time needed to get VC (virtual currency).
If we have the principle that good VC is a free VC, we can just ignore buying VC with real money and keep playing to get VC. But of course, if you are lazy to play for a long time and want the player to be great in the near future, please do microtransactions.
Overall, NBA 2K22 is the best basketball game out there this year. The changes that have been made are also towards a better direction than before. The graphics are also great, especially when played on a next generation console like the PS5.
Currently NBA 2K22 is available for older console players such as Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC. Not only that, a number of other game consoles such as Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 can sample this game.
