It has now been four years since I was able to test my first “big” title at ntower, NBA 2K20. Since then, I have been the team’s special representative for the game series and am allowed to work on the latest version every year. That’s why you’ll get my unabridged opinion on NBA 2K24 today, where I want to break away from my classic approach. The anger and especially the frustration that I now associate with the once great basketball implementation is too great.
Original film footage makes the experiences surrounding Kobe Bryant the highlight of the game
© Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
Basically, NBA 2K24 offers the same package as last year when it comes to game modes. This time the focus is on Kobe Bryant instead of Michael Jordan with a separate mode. Beyond that, there’s nothing worth mentioning in terms of new content that can lead to a purchase. Therefore, please read our previous tests to see what the NBA 2K series offers.
Rather, today I would like to focus on what simply no longer works in 2K24 and what annoys me as an ambitious basketball and video game fan. This starts with a very interesting bug. On the Nintendo Switch, an update means that a connection to the 2K servers can no longer be established. Instead of addressing the problem, a workaround was thankfully released, which consists of restarting the console and possibly further steps. I’ve already been served as a player here because it’s frustrating to be confronted with such an error immediately after a purchase. The reason for this is that, among other things, Career and MyTeam mode require a constant connection to the Internet. Accordingly, I couldn’t play these two at first until I found the solution to the problem.
When I was finally able to make a connection, I was wide-eyed as I started my own career, and not in a positive way at all. The story mode was radically shortened. There is no longer a story being told about the emerging talent. Instead, you will find yourself directly in the open neighborhood, from which you can play the games with your selected team. I don’t understand why the story was deleted. It was precisely the stories surrounding the rising star with his rough edges that defined this mode. Instead, we’re just any random player that no rooster crows for. As a result, upgrading and constant improvement clearly takes a back seat.
If you are online, you can be prepared for servers going on strike and opponents missing
© Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
The Neighborhood itself still feels like a cheap knock-off compared to what’s on offer on next-gen consoles. Technically this is perhaps understandable. But there is no incentive to live it all out here. Boring NPCs and a lack of real players make the neighborhood almost a post-apocalyptic The Walking Dead scenario, as the environments simply seem empty and without love in the design. In NBA 2K20, I met up with my real and virtual friends here to hit the court together. We are now a long way from this.
To make matters worse, there are also technical difficulties. When you start the game, the initial sequence is jerky and the endlessly long loading times are still part of the game. As a result, it sometimes takes many minutes before the first ball can even be picked up. If the internet connection is lost, the process starts again depending on the game mode. The fun of the game then becomes a long way off. NBA 2K24 is only convincing on the court itself, because what is shown looks good and plays that way. In the end, that’s probably what annoys me the most, because at its core we actually have a great game, but the framework that was spun around it just creates so many negative feelings.
And then finally we come back to virtual currency. This year you can also invest a lot of real money in order to make pleasant progress. Otherwise, you will face many tedious hours, in which bad luck and frustration repeatedly ensure that the fun of the game is spoiled. In the end, unfortunately, I don’t know what else to say other than that you should pick up an earlier part if you want a good basketball experience. NBA 2K24 is essentially a good game, but it can’t keep up with its predecessors by any means.
2023-10-15 13:34:30
#Test #NBA #2K24 #Kobe #BryantEdition #Nintendo #Switch #ntower
