NBA 2K16 – Xbox One

Just to consider for your buying decision: My two star rating has a lot to do with how I feel it compares to 2k15. It seems to miss only by inches, needing only slight adjustments that may come down the road with updates. Just taking 2K16 by itself, it’s still mostly a very well made game and for people who play more online with friends than MyCareer season games, the improvements to player animations and the more realistic physics might make this worth it to you. This game is much more enjoyable when you have to rely less on the AI and more on you and your friends’ actual playing ability. You might still have a steeper learning curve than previous games, but the way the movements and styles look in 2K16, I can see how someone who is new to this franchise or hadn’t upgraded in years could really enjoy this.

I finally just stopped caring. I had a rule that I only buy a sports sim every other year. I liked 2K15 so much that I went ahead and got ’16. I wish I had stuck to that rule.

It’s not that this game is broken. The animations are more detailed. The defense is better. I just didn’t find it to be fun at all. After playing close to two full seasons, I’m convinced that 2K wants players to play basketball "the right way" while calling it realism.

My favorite mode is MyCareer and it’s just not worth the effort this year. I don’t care about the story because it doesn’t impact anything so you can just skip all the cut scenes. That’s fine. My issue is the fact after all the grinding for VC to level up my player attributes I don’t feel like it really matters to the gameplay. It’s true that the AI defense is much better, and that’s would be good, except there is no way anyone can convince me that Chris Kaman can lock down a 2-guard with maxed out athleticism on the perimeter in isolation. On top of the fact that it’s next to impossible to get a step on a defender unless you can run him into a screen, losing the ball is just too frequent. Everyone is just turning the ball over left and right and I don’t drive to the basket because that’s just asking to be stripped. I suspect all that is intentional to force you to pass more, along with the fact that the game is quicker to penalize you for holding the ball too long.

The controls have taken a step back in my opinion. The game feels slower and the controls aren’t as responsive. Whenever I try to go behind the back with the ball, my player only does some dopey hesitation move. When I post up and go for the fade-away, half the time the guy tries to go into the defender. Overall play is just slow and ugly now when it was fast and free-flowing before.

Transition defense for my teams are basically them letting the AI opponent run a lay-up drill. Can anyone besides me get back on D?
Teammate AI is also dumber. They sometimes don’t immediately make the pass when I’ve got a clear break to the basket and I’m calling for the ball. I had to watch Chris Paul heave up 30 footer off the inbounds pass without taking a dribble with 6.5 seconds left in the game. There are way too many blocked shots.

And the flopping! There are defenders that just go down without the ballhandler going near them. I don’t even know how to react to it most of the time.

The shot meter is useless. 2K15 took some time to get used to, but after a while I got it. In 2k16, it doesn’t seem to matter. I watch one shot after another rattle in and out and realize that’s by design. For the sake of realism, shots just won’t go in no matter how good your timing is. That would be okay except the AI opponent’s entire team shoots at least well over 50%. Now that shooting is so random, I personally feel like any skill I have doesn’t factor into the results anymore, and that’s a deal-breaker for any game. What’s the point of the shot meter if the shot misses, even on an A+ release, especially on free throws? And after all the games I’ve played, not once have I gotten a perfect release on a three-pointer.

I get that they want the games to feel as real as possible but 2K16 tries so hard that the games I’ve played feel fake and scripted because too many things happen that shouldn’t on both offense and defense. And even though I’m putting up numbers, the play is so grinding and unexciting that it’s not even satisfying and I hardly pay attention when I’m playing now.

Lastly: I think 2K makes enough money that they shouldn’t feel the need to put up an ad advertising a sale on VC during a game I’m playing. It’s just tacky. Besides, what am I going to buy with it besides a bunch of dunks I’m never going to see because I my player can’t hold on to the ball when the wind is too high?

Hmmm. I don’t know where to start. For starters, Spike Lee had no business involving himself in this game. "What type of name is Frequency Vibrations?" The story has no impact on the game and is more of a gimmick to increase game sales. There isn’t many colleges to choose from, so why put that in the game if we’re limited on where we could play? The story line in general is so cliché. You’re from a low income household in the hood, you dominate high school in your senior year, college in your senior year, and you go to the NBA. What an awesome story!! It’s like the Lifetime Movie Network decided to make an urban movie, but failed drastically. It also sucks for consumers that aren’t black. For example, if you’re Asian, you’ll still have the same exact black urban family that’s locked into the story. In your rookie season, you only play a total of 8 games, while sitting on the bench. Why?….Nobody knows. Every time you touch the basketball, the announcers and broadcasters call you "Freq" (freak) which is short for Frequency Vibrations. It’s pretty ridiculous, and you’ll get tired of it very fast Why do I have to be called Freq? I even changed my on-court nickname in the options menu, but i’m still called Freq. It’s Freq(ing) annoying. The only thing i’m satisfied with is the fact that you could request a trade if you highly dislike your team and your trade will be granted. You’ll have to suffer through a few more games with your current squad before you’re moved.

The computer A.I. is so broken that’s it’s ridiculous. I’m a point guard (88 overall) with maxed out stats and awesome ball handling skills, and 4th string players are ripping the ball from me with ease. On fast breaks, there are centers and power forwards that run a lot faster than you to get the block or steal even though your player is a point guard or shooting guard and that’s pathetic. Every other pass is a steal for the opposing team, but your teammates rarely ever do the same when the opposing team is passing the ball. Also, if you reach for the ball you’re going to get hit with a foul, but the computer A.I. is guaranteed to steal the ball even if they’re a center and you’re a point guard. The opposing team NEVER miss shots. For example, Kyrie Irving (starting point guard) on the Cleveland Cavaliers could throw up 35 shots for the entire game, but will miss a grand total of maybe 4. The 4th quarter cheese is also out of this world. Your team could be up by 14 points with 4:16 left in the game, but the possibility of you losing increases to 70%. The game becomes rigged and your teammates will miss EVERY single shot, but the computer A.I. will make every single basket, while going to he foul line 5 times. As stated, you were up by 14 points, but now you’re losing by 7 with 1:09 left in the game. To add insult to injury, your team will hit maybe 1 freethrow out of 5 attempts which includes you having a great shot release. HOW???? I understand that this game needed a huge turnaround in terms of the computer A.I. playing up to speed and adding realism to the game, but this isn’t realism. This is a broken product that 2K threw out on the market, and now us 2K veterans have to suffer in hopes of 2K17 being toned down. If you’re having an awesome day, DON’T play this game. You will rage, scream at your television, and try your hardest to not throw your + dollar controller at the wall. Will I sell this game? Probably not, because I won’t get much for it and I play against my cousins when they come over.

I play all NBA games mainly for the myLeague franchise and bases off this I give it 4-stars as it did not improve much other than the current roster and introduced a way to relocate your team to a different state/city. There were some other minor features like putting targets on players or setting up a trading block but they didn’t really make an impact on the game.

MyCareer mode with the spike lee story was disappointing. At no point during the 5-10 minute cutscenes were you ever given a chance to make any decisions (besides which college team you want to play for) that would alter the storyline you had to follow.

Graphics are awesome, there are some bugs that I’ve noticed in regards to showing incorrect replays at times but it doesn’t take away the fun factor of the game. MyLeague alone is worth purchasing this game for me IMO. If your purchasing for the MyCareer and dont mind having a story laid out for you no matter how many times you replay it, then this is your game. I understand after the rookie year you can go anywhere you want but by that time the main storyline is over and its just very repetitive from there.