NBA2K13

I’m not a real big Basketball fan, probably because I suck at playing it in real life.  Not that I’m good at any particular sport in real life, but at least with soccer, I can just pick up the controller and play.  Basketball is a lot harder.  And NBA 2K13 just made it more complicated.  But in a good way.

First however you have to navigate NBA2K13’s horrible menu system.  Most sports games have mastered the art of creating a menu system that helps you feel like you part of a televised sporting event.  2K Sports seem content on focussing on making the game-play the best they can, and leaving the menus as an after thought.  This approach certainly pay off when you’re on court, but makes getting there a tad frustrating.

But lest be honest, it’s the court time that counts, so I’ll stop my bitching.

The ‘made it more complicated’ comment I began this review with is what gives the game more depth.  The main new control feature – from what I can tell – is the dribble stick. It takes some getting used to, but in the end rewards you with that extra layer of control that you have over your player.  of course any extra layer can lead to disaster if you forget to use the controls properly and end up missing an easy shot.  Not that I’v ever done THAT!

The down side to any new controls is the game doesn’t seem to want to tell you about them or teach you how to use them.  Not that I normally spend much time in tutorials, but some people do, right?

So NBA2K13 takes a fair bit of investment to master, but it’s worth it in the long run.  Launching your career without putting in the hard yards will have you on the loosing team.  But once you master the moves, the game just comes alive, with the pacing of the game giving you enough court time without making the game drag.

The inclusion of Brooklyn Nets owner, and Rap superstar Jay-Z as ‘executive producer’ may smell slightly gimmicky, but his soundtrack, whilst possibly not everyones cup o tea, suits the game well, and helps build up the excitement of the games.

All in all, NBZ2K13 is a nice package that will appeal to the more serious sports game fans out there.  If you’re scared having to learn new controls,stay away, but if you want to immerse yourself into the game, grab a copy and set aside some serious time to play.

Related

NBA2K13

I’m not a real big Basketball fan, probably because I suck at playing it in real life.  Not that I’m good at any particular sport in real life, but at least with soccer, I can just pick up the controller and play.  Basketball is a lot harder.  And NBA 2K13 just made it more complicated.  But in a good way.

First however you have to navigate NBA2K13’s horrible menu system.  Most sports games have mastered the art of creating a menu system that helps you feel like you part of a televised sporting event.  2K Sports seem content on focussing on making the game-play the best they can, and leaving the menus as an after thought.  This approach certainly pay off when you’re on court, but makes getting there a tad frustrating.

But lest be honest, it’s the court time that counts, so I’ll stop my bitching.

The ‘made it more complicated’ comment I began this review with is what gives the game more depth.  The main new control feature – from what I can tell – is the dribble stick. It takes some getting used to, but in the end rewards you with that extra layer of control that you have over your player.  of course any extra layer can lead to disaster if you forget to use the controls properly and end up missing an easy shot.  Not that I’v ever done THAT!

The down side to any new controls is the game doesn’t seem to want to tell you about them or teach you how to use them.  Not that I normally spend much time in tutorials, but some people do, right?

So NBA2K13 takes a fair bit of investment to master, but it’s worth it in the long run.  Launching your career without putting in the hard yards will have you on the loosing team.  But once you master the moves, the game just comes alive, with the pacing of the game giving you enough court time without making the game drag.

The inclusion of Brooklyn Nets owner, and Rap superstar Jay-Z as ‘executive producer’ may smell slightly gimmicky, but his soundtrack, whilst possibly not everyones cup o tea, suits the game well, and helps build up the excitement of the games.

All in all, NBZ2K13 is a nice package that will appeal to the more serious sports game fans out there.  If you’re scared having to learn new controls,stay away, but if you want to immerse yourself into the game, grab a copy and set aside some serious time to play.

You may also like...