NBA 2K23 test, a dark copy on PC

For a player NBA 2K since the edition 2K9 and big fan of the NBA, it is with great impatience each year that the arrival of the new opus of the franchise is awaited. And yet this time this enthusiasm was dampened even before the game was released. Reason for our disappointment? 2K’s announcement to keep the PC version in current-gen! So don’t be surprised if this point is at the heart of our test of NBA 2K23.

This NBA 2K23 game review was conducted with a retail version of the PC game.

The PC version still shelved

For the past two years, the PC version has been considered by 2K to be a byproduct of its NBA 2K franchise. While it is true that other sports games are experiencing the same situation (Madden NFL 23 for example), the fact that EA decided to grant the next-gen to FIFA 23 suggested that NBA 2K23 could also have benefited from the same treatment. Worse, the developers seem extremely vague and unmotivated to change this situation, leaving some doubt about the presence of the next-gen next year.

The result is simple: NBA 2K23 is basically a copy of the previous edition. It wouldn’t be a big deal if NBA 2K22 was already not a slightly retouched version of NBA 2K21. We are therefore here in the presence of a game that is a few years late, which does not bring any real novelty both in terms of graphics and gameplay. We add a layer to the fact that the content does not really evolve either. In short, the cup is full and PC gamers clearly don’t deserve this treatment.

NBA 2K23, nothing new?

We would have liked to be able to say the opposite but even after several days of play, the content presented no real novelty. Whether it’s in MyTeam, My career or in the online aspect of your player, fans will basically find the same game as last year. Note that by evoking a copy of the previous opus, the developers have even gone so far as to leave elements of the game in the same visual state as last year. An example: the shoe creation mode is exactly the same as that of the 2K21 edition.

Are you wondering if the story in MyCareer mode is different from last year? It is true that your player’s story has changed. Badly. No, we are not kidding! The intro is definitely the worst in years, with your NBA team selection as the welcome screen. Yes, you read that right, after taking us through an entire season in NCAA in 2021 and by March Madness last year, 2K is confined to a direct arrival in the NBA. Your character therefore ends up in the NBA Draft without having played a single game.

So even if we like the novelty and some will say that at least we get straight to the heart of the matter, this low-end solution gives us a feeling of shortcuts. Explanations: if having an option to skip the High School/University part can be interesting for those who would like to play in the Park after 5 minutes, more casual players will certainly be disappointed. Removing the initial part of a future pro’s career makes your arrival in the NBA particularly bland, inconsistent. Even if the cutscenes are linked on a ” pseudo rivalry with another rookie, they struggle to make a real impact. With your character brand new and catapulted into the NBA, this existing rivalry has no real inking.

Conversely, the mode MyTeam will benefit from the regular content of the different seasons, since it is modeled on the next-gen version. For those who prefer this game mode, the gap between current and next-gen will therefore be more limited. However, this is clearly not the heart of the franchise and the majority of players will stick with their MyCareer character.

Remains the Jordan Challenge mode. Having played at NBA 2K11, the concept of replaying the legendary moments of the GOAT is therefore not new, but the realization is successful. Being a fan of MJ, we quickly get caught up in the game on the different challenges, especially since the introductions really place the players at the heart of the matches. This is the only really strong point of the game compared to the two previous games.

My Career, another strong point for the 2K series?

When we talk about NBA 2K, the vast majority of players will go to its My Career mode. Where FIFA lives and dies around its FUT mode, the Basketball franchise is clearly focused on the career part. Unlike many sports games (FIFA and Madden in the front line), NBA 2K23’s career mode has a lot of cutscenes with a real story. So the first few hours of play (read, the first 20 NBA games) are littered with little scenes from your character’s new NBA life. In addition, the presence of former NBA players (Tracy McGrady, Kendrick Perkins to name a few) brings a more than pleasant touch of novelty. In addition, your performances have a slight impact on the story, although we would have liked a little more flexibility at this level. Understand, if you win, some scenes will be changed, but if you plant 100 points per game, the coach will still ask you to prove your worth the next game.

However, this formula, which has been around for years, is not enough to compensate for the other problems of this game mode. We start with the choice (mentioned above) to remove the High School/University part. If some players will probably prefer to go directly to My Park, the more casual ones will regret the much more developed story of NBA 2K21 or even 2K22. Add to that a gameplay that hasn’t changed much and a still frustrating match scoring system.

So where a Madden NFL 23 probably levels your player up too quickly, almost immediately making him a star, NBA 2K23 continues to play on the grind aspect to give the illusion of life to the game. find yourself in the usual situation where you will spend 30 games suffering on certain aspects of basketball, the time to improve your character, to then fly over the meetings and lose a lot of interest in your player.

This formula seems to us more and more outdated and from year to year, the grind aspect is running out of steam. If farming in the video game universe is interesting because it allows you to play at a high level afterwards, NBA 2K23 is relatively limited at this level since it only concerns players looking to face other players online. . As part of a casual, the online competitive universe is clearly not attractive, especially because of gameplay and a Meta diametrically opposed to the NBA universe.

Morality, if you are a player not looking for performance at all costs, NBA 2K23’s career mode is a step back from previous games. In view of the obvious lack of evolution on the content, we clearly advise you to buy one of the previous titles of the franchise if you want to start on 2K.

The results of the NBA 2K23 test on PC

Prefer without hesitation to pay less for NBA 2K21 or NBA 2K22.

If the Challenge Jordan mode is clearly a success, the rest remains a dark copy of the previous opuses with even a return to certain aspects of the game. As long as the PC version is a copy/paste of the previous edition, impossible to recommend this title to players.

The strong points

• A career mode with lots of cutscenes and a real story
• A relatively easy and quick start
• A really well done Challenge Jordan mode

The weak spots

• No major content changes
• The same game for two years, graphically and gameplay
• A MyCareer mode featuring the franchise’s worst story and intro
• Bugs on next-gen present for two years

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