Thursday, October 7, 2010

NBA 2K11 Review


Though I would love to say that the NBA is dead to me after moving my beloved Super Sonics to, of all places, Oklahoma City, I just can’t quit it. Luckily, not living in Seattle any more I have adopted the Phoenix Suns as my new team and all is right with the world. NBA 2k11 is the latest installment in the brilliant 2k basketball series. The main feature of this game is the focus around Michael Jordan and reliving the moments that defined his career.



The Good:
This game starts off forcing you to play one of the Jordan challenges (Bull vs Lakers finals in 91’), so you are immediately immersed in nostalgia. The idea to not only bring back the greatest basketball players of time but almost all of the other players and teams that were involved was epic. Most importantly, one of the teams brought back was the 96’ Super Sonics! That’s right, Kemp, Payton, Hawkins and Schrempf. The graphics get sharper and more life like every year and this year is no exception. This year also brings dynamic commentary that is updated to keep it fresh game in and game out. They have improved the GM AI logic, so if you are used to Madden-like rip off trades, you will be disappointed. But I feel it a good thing because computer controlled teams will make realistic roster moves.



The Bad:
The online mode is a bit frustrating, having to deal lag and slow downs through out a game. Anytime you have a game that plays so smooth offline and then is choppy online, it can make the problem seem worse than it really is. The only other negative I could find was the passing in the game, lots of times the pass doesn’t go to who you want it to go to and instead you end up throwing the ball right to the other team. This could be remedied by using the right bumper and selecting who to pass to, but I guess my skills aren’t mad enough.



Overall:
Anytime you play a game and have to look for things to complain about, it’s a good thing. This is a game that you will look forward to playing over and over.

I give NBA 2K11 9 out of 10.

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