After a somewhat underwhelming outing last year, NBA 2K is back with a much stronger iteration in NBA 2K22. 2K22 shines the most on the court, which is the essential part, but it also suffers from unnecessarily bloated hubs in its most popular mode of MyCareer. The W also feels like more of an afterthought than a full-fledged mode, but at least with both the graphic and gameplay improvements, the mode still feels enjoyable to play. Thankfully, there are many things for fans to do in MyCareer, MyTeam, and the in-depth League and GM modes that make up for the negatives in The City on current-gen consoles and The Neighborhood on last-gen.
At the core, the question of how good any entry in the NBA 2K franchise is lies with how good it feels to play a basketball game. Fortunately, despite the long wait for the gameplay reveal, whether it’s an NBA game in MyCareer, a pickup game in the hubs, or a match of Domination in MyTeam, the gameplay in 2K22 feels more detailed and enjoyable than its predecessors. From subtle tweaks in stamina drain, to shot meter adjustments, to new badges in MyCareer and MyTeam, it all blends with the stunning visuals with which 2K has become known to create something memorable.
As with previous entries, NBA 2K22 looked for new additions to improve the player experience, such as introducing new events in MyTeam, adding a new Seasonal Quest feature to MyCareer, and introducing new activities for players to expand their brand in The City. Not all the new features hit their mark, and even with the additions to the MyCareer hubs, they still feel overly large and empty at times. Despite this, there is still enough variety to this outing of 2K to keep busy for hours on end.
NBA 2K22’s Gameplay Improvements
The 2K series has steadily added more non-basketball elements like the Gatorade training facility, riding around on skateboards, or grabbing a cup of coffee in The City. No matter how much extraneous elements get added, though, it always comes back to the court first and foremost. NBA 2K22 brings some very impressive improvements on that front in a variety of ways. Dribble moves now drain stamina more quickly, so players who tried to break down defenders with slick handles every trip down the floor are going to see themselves running out of steam much quicker. While this may be frustrating to fans who want to run dribble iso every play, it makes for a much more realistic gameplay experience.
There’s certainly no shortage of highlights from Curry, Kyrie, or Harden, but the majority of the plays in a given game, they’re making quick moves, shooting in rhythm, and playing in flow with the rest of the players and the pacing of the matchup. In this sense, 2k22‘s gameplay creates a more natural feel where running a pick and roll or motion offense creates more open spacing and easy buckets. This pairs well with the new badges in MyCareer, MyTeam, and across the league roster for more intuitive gameplay. While fans can still build their player to be a premium ball handler, they still have to work within the flow of the offense to excel. This, along with less sticky movement on defense, more accurate animations for steals, and better blocking and rebounding mechanics, make the battle between offense and defense more enjoyable.
That becomes especially true in online play. Whether it’s head-to-head modes in MyTeam, pickup games in The City, or some 5-on-5 at the Rec, NBA 2K22 rewards players who can work in concert with one another on both sides of the ball. Properly setting up picks and correctly swapping assignments or fighting through screens can be the difference between a monster jam and a missed basket. It holds well against AI opponents, but at times with these changes, the AI can be virtually unguardable on their first step. It’s not a common occurrence, but when the moment comes, it can be infuriating.
NBA 2K22’s MyCareer Mode
It’s impossible to review a 2K game without a particular focus on MyCareer, as it is by far the most popular mode in many past iterations. NBA 2K22 brings several changes, with less emphasis on character backstory, new ways to interact with The City, and new opportunities to build a brand. Players won’t go through a lengthy story build-up of a football player turned basketball star, and instead get thrust right into playing their college games. The story instead carries over into the League with drama between the brass, the coach, and the player. While it may not have a great depth of character, it is a narrative to which anyone could relate, and regardless of the story, players can still be starting within 10-12 games if they turn the minutes up and play well.
In the NBA storyline of MyCareer, players will have to navigate the world of modern sports, deciding whether to keep their hand down about internal team issues or air them out on social media. This goes along with new features for building a brand off the court, from establishing a rap career to hanging out with Jake from State Farm to create an oddly immersive sim. The amount of product placement with NBA 2K has always been substantial, and 2K22 has so much it’s comical at times. Oddly enough, though, this feels even more naturally reflective of the league today. Professional sports are filled with pre-game shows sponsored by one company, half-time shows sponsored by another, and post-game shows by a completely different one. It feels weirdly on-brand to have an NBA video game with the same treatment, though it would still be better without.
Most of the on-court improvements and off-court activities in NBA 2K22 make for great fun and replayability, especially the new seasonal quest features, which give players ample incentive to play the various modes, particularly head-to-head matches. The one drawback is the sheer size of the two hubs. Both The City on current-gen and The Neighborhood (a giant cruise ship) on previous-gen are filled with activities. Still, those activities are also stretched over an entirely unnecessarily large area. Even with the use of a bike or skateboard, players will spend almost as much time navigating around The City as they do playing basketball, and while the two hubs at least feature attractive art styles, it still feels like a bit of a waste of time.
MyTeam, Other Modes, And, As Always, Microtransactions
The fun in NBA 2K22 doesn’t stop with MyCareer. There are new tweaks to MyTeam, with a badge system to be used on cards similar to the badges within the other modes of 2K to make an even greater variety of lineups and play styles. There are also changes to Unlimited and Limited competitive modes, a new Draft mode, and a revamped mode, The 100. Sadly, these modes all feel underdeveloped and don’t bring any new fun to the competitive table. It’s also mainly in these modes that the microtransactions that are laden within NBA 2K22 really show.
While trying to jump into pickup games in MyCareer without spending money can be daunting, the NBA games and practice can at least give a quick boost to that endeavor when done right. In MyTeam, the lack of depth in competitive modes makes going up against other players who have spent money on packs that much more difficult, and it makes the single-player modes far more appealing. It’s almost impossible to play any mode in a recent NBA 2K game without running into microtransactions, and 2K22 is no different. However, the franchise has done it so much now that it has almost become background noise for consistent players, evidence that 2K has just trained people to expect them.
Aside from the unfortunate microtransactions and bloated hubs, the only fundamental low points are lackluster developments for MyLeague, MyGM, and The W. Each of these modes still plays well, but it’s clear they aren’t a prime focus. 2K22 doesn’t offer much over last year’s game for players who enjoy these modes aside from improved gameplay should they hit the court. Despite its flaws, NBA 2K22 still lands as a success for its on-court display, if nothing else. The game feels smoother, more intuitive, and really shines with the haptic feedback on PS5, which makes every move feel engaging. There may still be wrinkles to iron out, but the NBA 2K ship is heading full-steam ahead in the right direction with the release of NBA 2K22.
NBA 2K22 is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided access on PS5 & PS4 for the purpose of this review.
