With the end of the year approaching, there are always questions and rumors about what games are coming out next year, but there is one thing that is guaranteed: the annual NBA 2K drop. While the franchise continues to hold itsranking as the pinnacle of basketball games, every year brings a newentryinto the franchise that comprises newimprovements and a slew of fan-based opinions.
RELATED: 10 Best Basketball Video Games, Ranked By Metacritic
Withtwo decades of releases under their belt, the 2K franchise has gathered many loyal fans and many who have jumped ship. The game will be bought and played, there is no doubt about that, but basketball and, specifically,2K fanatics on Reddit have a plethora of controversial opinions on the subreddit r/NBA2k.
The Game Is On A Rapid Decline
Year in and year out since 1999, the 2K franchise has undergone multiple changes ranging from gameplay, graphics, additional features/locations and many more. Some of these changes were for the better and some for worse and under the discussion thread of unpopular 2K opinions, one particular response was rather untouched and that was that “2K has been declining since 2K12,” made by user KRIMSONKHIN.
There’s alwaysdissent when it comes to what people consider their best version of the game, especially considering the duration of the franchise. But looking at the last five years, there’s a particular love onRedditfor 2K16 and other years that have amplified aspects of the game. And while some of these changes have earned complaints, for many long-term fans, there’s no shortage of positivity when it comes to subsequentgames since 2012.
2K22 Is The Last Some Will Buy
Although the 2K franchise has been selling the game at the rate of millions since 2003, with no main competition in the basketball video game realm, Reddit user DimensionOne9323 says that after being bored by this past years edition, they have “decided to move away from 2K,” making 2K22 the last one they buy.
After 2K21 showed traits like a lack of improvement to MyLeague and a clunky AI,some fans will have a hard time continuing to support the franchise in the new year. This user, however, seems to have more issues with the worldbuilding aspect of the game, like its fashion and music - which is really just a sign of the times. Ultimately though, 2K22 has the potential to be better than 2K21, but it will need some changes and improvementsto hold fans in their grips.
Playing Center Is Too Difficult
Every true 2K fan has their favorite methods, teams/players, and positions to play and every good 2K player can switch it up from time to time. While some positions prove to be harder than others, Redditor CaptainFalcon24 believes that “the center position is one of the hardest in 2k.”
RELATED:10 Best Basketball Video Games, Ranked By Metacritic
While the center can hold a lot of power around how the game could go, many players with less skill tend tolike the position because it’s one of few where you can make an impact withlittle skill. Overall, it’s going to come down to how much weight you want to put on a center in regards to having them be all-around solid or sit him in the corner.
2K19 Is The Worst 2K Game
There are certain elements of 2K19 that many people didn’t like (the increase in micro-transactions, for one), The mainthing that made 2K19 the worst version of 2K for Reddit user mvpleo23was the fact that “the gameplay (zig zag, shot contest, stuck on spot, inside scoring, etc) is not that hard to fix on 19, however, 2k makes it seems like this game is hard and it’s not."
Although 2K19 doesn’t rank in the top 15 iterations of NBA 2K, any attempt to saywhich is “best” and “worst” with over 20 games is ultimately a matter of preference and experience. The 2K community will always find issues with certain games without considering how they have evolved.
2K = Madden
As far as popular sports games go, the top-ratedalways include 2K, Madden and Fifa, even though it's apples and oranges. Although user coleachieking believes that Madden isn’t even good, they feel that the 2K franchise has “become money hungry and... ruined yet another game.”
But the issues revolving around 2K don’t begin tocompete with the issues revolving around Madden, and the advancements made with 2K's gameplay and story mode make it hard to believe that both the NBA and Madden franchises have been releasing games for the same amount of time, making this, no doubt, an unpopular opinion for many.
2K21 Is The Best 2K Game
2K17 held a lot of weight for the 2K franchise amongst younger and newer players, allowing it to hold a solid ranking as one of the best 2Kgames of the last few years, but there’s always someone who disagrees. Again, the “best” and “worst” debate is subjective, at best, considering how many factors come into play, but Redditor Billymandy2911 holds the opinion that 2K21was “the most skilled based 2k ever.”
Coming onto the scene as a game with a $70 price tag, there were high expectations for 2K21’s delivery, and for many, they were seemingly satisfied. With a lack of lateral quickness and a practically nonexistent interior defense, however, 2K21 has its own backlog of issues that, if fixed for 22, could put it in the runningas thenew favorite.
Defense Is More Fun Than Offense
While the best defense is a good offense, sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Outside of the “dribble gods” that exist in the Park, Reddit user CaptainFalcon24 says that, “defense is more fun than offense on 2K,” because there’s no better feeling than “having people waste all that money and time on cheesy builds” just to run into unbeatable defense.
RELATED:The 15 Best NBA 2K Games, Ranked By Metacritic
While everyone has their own preference of how they like to play, it boils down to a matter of how balanced and important one finds good defense and/or offense impacts the outcome. A balance of both is ideal, but depending on how the game goes, one becomes more required than the other, at some point.
The Graphics Are Horrible
One of the biggest improvements year by year for the 2K franchise isthe graphics and face scans, not only with each game rendition but with overall console technological advancements. Speaking about 2K19, Redditor XZTALVENARNZEGOMSAYT feels like the game “looks like cardboard” and holds the characteristics of “PS2 graphics.”
Although some of the yearly renditions carry outdated graphics, that’s usually one of thesmallest complaints, with visual strifes relating more to AI and buggy animation. The graphics of sports games, in general, have continued to advance, and while they occasionally could do better, 2K does a better job than not only its other competitors butannually against itself, as well.
Sports Games Are Never Realistic
Not every basketball player sits down to play 2K, but the casual 2K fan has, at least, some knowledge of the sport and its logistics. With this in mind, Reddit user jacobroos believes that “sports games, especially 2K, do not simulate real-life sports in any way.”
Playing 2K offline is relatively the closest it gets to reality, outside certain aspects of shooting that always seem to have fans in a fuss.But if some fans don't think NBA 2K is realistic, there are a number of other similar basketball video games that may fit the criteria.
The 2K Community Is Spoiled
20 years of games, a new rendition every year with bug fixes, improvements and new features and still, the 2K community find something to complain about. At least that's howTeflonDapperDonsees it. They claim that "The game is good and this community is spoiled by the fact it's good."
With a franchise as popular as 2K,there isan abundance of loyal and dedicated fans that spend their time and money on the games despite their problems with each version. And while noteveryone can be pleased, there will always be opinions, popular or not, about the game and its pros and cons.
NEXT:Metacritic's 10 Best Extreme Sports Video Games (That Aren't Tony Hawk Or SSX)
