Review: ‘NBA 2K16’

David A. Bumpus ’18 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

If you have ever wanted to go through the life of a true NBA player, growing from a young high school basketball prospect to a superstar in the big leagues, NBA 2K16 is the perfect game to live that dream.

Featuring a movie directed by Spike Lee entitled Livin’ Da’ Dream, players have the chance to be the star in a full film in the MyCareer mode about their player’s basketball life. Expanding on the usual story that focused solely on the court and endorsements, the 2K team has now added in the family, friends, and love aspects for a more well-rounded experience of what a real star goes through.

In MyCareer, not only are all the new features in the game close to what happens to real players, the game’s graphics look as good as they have ever looked in the franchise, creating a feeling that you are actually playing in the TD Garden or the Staples Center. With new pregame, halftime, and postgame shows featuring TNT’s Kenny “The Jet” Smith, Ernie Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal, the player can see an almost exact replica of what happens on TV during real-life games, creating a jaw-dropping, realistic experience.

The customization aspects of the game have also greatly improved, giving you the chance to create your own court, use whatever color ball you’d like, and pick what clothes your player wears throughout the story mode. It gives the player a chance to create their own game and truly have a home court advantage.

The usual fan favorite game modes MyTeam and MyGM also returned, giving you two different ways to create a lineup that can win online or win championships over multiple seasons against the computer. Whether you’re collecting cards in MyTeam or making moves to sign free agents or trade for superstars in MyGM, the game covers all of the possibilities to provide fans with a wide variety of choices for what they want to do with the game.

For those looking for the perfect basketball experience that will give them endless playing time, NBA 2K16 is just that. While there isn’t much competition for the 2K team as far as basketball games, the game keeps improving and is slowly becoming one of the best sports franchises in the gaming community today.