We take stock with you on NBA 2K17, a basketball simulation developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. Without further ado here is the test!
I have a confession to make: I'm extremely bad at NBA 2K. At least I was in years past. A little after the release of the game, I tested every year what everyone described as "the ultimate basketball simulation" trying to win stuff but unfortunately nothing to do: I always chained defeat after loss. This year, 2K promised a 2KU mode that would serve as a good basis for learning how to play, ideal for a draw like me! And then good at some point, you have to get started so I take my courage in both hands, and I put myself in the playable demo "the prelude", the opportunity to start the scripted career placing you in the shoes of the greatest national hope of basketball, and this as soon as he leaves high school. And given the number of game modes that are present in the full version, there is definitely something to do. So suspense, will I finally succeed in playing? Will I overcome my past frustration? Will the absence of Spike Lee this year be beneficial to the script? All the answers and much more in the NBA 2K17 test!
Impeccable!
If I wanted to be extremely demanding, I would say that I was able to observe once or twice the ball pass through the controlled player in the defense phase, or that some videos of my career mode take a little time to get started, but that would be quite abused on my part. In truth, NBA 2K17 's graphics are impeccable, and that's nothing compared to its animations. The ball circulation is fluid, we chain the dribbles naturally, the ball circulates well and the physics is very well respected. A little special mention that I noted on the realism brought to the players' clothes: whether it's their texture or their physique in motion, it feels like it! We will not dwell too much on this aspect well known to the fans, we will simply remember that the atmosphere in the stadiums is still good. Everything is extremely realistic and tends to prove that NBA 2K17 is, once again, the ultimate basketball simulation.
There is better, but…
On the gameplay side, we will already place ourselves from the point of view of a noob (mine, suddenly). We will directly forget the 2KU mode that puts you in a tutorial match. There was a serious idea, but hey, just interrupting the action to display "press A to make a pass" thank you it's nice, but it will surely not help me to become a basketball pro and overcome my past frustration. We would have hoped for something that does a little more justice to this complete and technical gameplay (maybe in the genre of some fighting games?). In short, let's move on, let's say we'll manage. In the end, the gameplay is a little more accessible. Defensive coverages are more effective, and rebounding phases are more contested than ever, and fouls are triggered a little less systematically than in the past. In attack, there is a shooting gauge that will allow you to better calculate the timing of your shots. On paper, that's fine, but sometimes, during a contested move under the basket, you'll have a hard time seeing that gauge in the middle of three defenders. Inevitably, real basketball players do not have an interface! On the other hand, you will end up chaining the 3 points like pearls. Everything is still accessible but still technical, especially with dribbling which can be very useful but can also cause you many losses of ball if they are misused. So I stop the suspense: yes, I can play NBA 2K17. It would have been a shame to do the test otherwise. On the other hand, let the big fans of the license be reassured: even if noobs like me can win in rookie, the higher difficulties always offer an extremely high challenge.
Pathetic orange
The big annual piece is of course the "my career" mode completely scripted. You will play as a young rookie from his draft (the university period could have been played in the playable demo "the prelude") and this until the hall of fame! Finally, hopefully, since I do not know if it is me who is struggling or if it is expected that your champion will be seen as a naze, but the comments of the fans are rarely complimentary in case of defeat (even in case of victory by the way). Well let's say that it comes from me and my lack of natural skill. However, the narrative has been rethought since the story imagined by Spike Lee last year. It had been judged by many fans as quite cliché and very little rhythmic. This time, no VIP to direct, but a big name in "acting" since Michael B. Jordan, charismatic actor seen in Creed or in the very good series On Wiretap, or The Wire in VO, embodies terribly well Justice Young, a teammate with whom you will form an explosive duo called … orange juice (yes because the Bulls' defensive pressing on an old VHS inspired them to play on muddy puns about freshly squeezed orange juice). Yes, so I have to talk about it because if the characters (and the commentators of the matches for that matter) did not spend their time saying that your duo is great and that this name is super classy, you would not have believed it, for several reasons. Already because many "private joke" will be organized around the lexical field of orange juice (yes I know, it's thug), but also because at the beginning you are not (well, I was not at least) holder, and Justice either, So from time to time we find ourselves by chance at the same time as him on the field. On the other hand, joking aside, the training phases are long, repetitive and unrealistic, because apart from the team training scheduled once a week at most (the club in my neighborhood trains more often than the Utah Jazz, it does not seem violent the NBA in the end) you can, And even you'll need to practice as often as possible organizing your agenda. You will meet teammates who, like you, had nothing to do today and will offer you two-on-two, three-on-three, mini-shooting games… Let's put aside the fact that it's not very realistic (not because two against two, that's what we do with friends on the citystadium of the neighborhood), it is also quite repetitive since it will farm a lot of training phases that are certainly optional, but nevertheless essential for progress. But if we remove this small defect (and the loose of oranges), we will still notice that the My Career mode is extremely engaging, well thought out, with immersive phases of planning management and frenzied sms conversations with your mom or your agent. We really want to see how far our two favorite citrus fruits will go (!!!).
There's really plenty to do
Well, here it is… It's over, thank you, kiss? Well, no! We are far from having done the rounds. In reality, My Career mode is only one part of the game. My Team will offer you to set up your own franchise by collecting cards symbolizing players, jerseys, patches, contract extension times, and so on. The principle is already known, but remains as pleasant as ever. We may regret the presence of micro-transactions but which will only be useful for the most hurried players. In reality, you can use the virtual currency accumulated in other modes (my Career too) to buy boosters. Moreover, the other modes will have something to keep you busy. You will be able to don the costume of a GM and create from scratch your fictitious team and manage the smallest parameters. You can also start a league by adding fictional teams in the new "season extension" mode, as well as participate in the Playoffs. If you like to play online, you will be able to participate in online leagues, but also play with your avatar in My Park mode to compete against other players on street fields. The number of playable teams is also rather significant because between the NBA teams, the European teams, the national team of the United States (with Coach K anyway) and the historical selections, if you do not find your team it is because you are very difficult! The possibilities are so numerous that it would take me 5 more paragraphs to detail everything. Honestly, you have plenty to do, at least until next year!
NBA 2K17 is a little more accessible. It would just lack a tutorial a little more detailed as well as training phases to advance the most neophytes and we would definitely stop taxing the series of elitist. When you love basketball, there's plenty to do. Whether you want to put yourself in the shoes of a star who was probably a producer of freshly squeezed orange juice in a previous life (I know, I was traumatized) or you want to create a realistic team, assemble a fanciful one with current players and legends, Frequent online street games or lead a season, or a whole dynasty with your favorite franchise, so jump in with both feet in NBA 2K17. With that, I shorten the conclusion because I have to lead the Baltimore Barons to victory (well what? this fictional team makes me laugh)
