NBA 2K24 Review: 2K Dribbles One Off Its Foot

NBA 2K24 is a very hard game to give a single review score to. Like many sports games, there are several different modes to play, all of which have their fans, but the 2K series feels like the game where all of those modes are so different from each other that putting them all in the same bucket is nearly impossible. An NBA 2K24 review simply can't be all things to all people, so I think it's important to explain what I look for from the series before digging into the review. If you want the same things as me, this review will probably be very helpful. And if you want to know how to become a Park dribble god, you're better off looking somewhere else.

I put in around 1,200 hours into NBA 2K23. The bulk of that time was spent in either MyTeam or MyGM. I did play through about a season of MyCareer, but 2K's player-locked modes don't really appeal to what I like about basketball. I want to play as the full team, not just sit in the corner waiting for my chance to brick a three in The City. 

NBA 2K24's Gameplay Improvements Are Welcome

Before we get into modes though, it makes sense to talk about the actual on-court gameplay. Things will likely change over the next few weeks as 2K updates the game with patches (another reason sports game reviews can only help your purchasing decision so much), but I quite like what I've been playing so far.

Sure, there's nothing game-changing in NBA 2K24, but the addition of Pro Play has led to less "floaty" gameplay. Because 2K is taking animations directly from real-world NBA games, I haven't seen nearly as many players sliding into position so far this year. On top of that, shooting is much more forgiving. Even on Superstar difficulty, I was routinely draining shots I probably would've missed last year. 

This goes the opposite way too though. If you search for clips on Reddit or Twitter, you'll see players routinely drilling half-court shots if they have the Limitless Range badge in Park. 2K may nerf that a bit in the coming days as "in the gym" range really isn't supposed to mean you can hit shots from halfcourt at a 50% or higher success rate. 2K24 is supposed to be fun, but that's getting a little ridiculous. 

All of that said, the differences between 2K24's gameplay and 2K23 are pretty small. For example, the AI guards Triangle cuts more effectively, but most casual players are barely going to notice. If you're looking for 2K24 to take a big step forward on the court, this isn't the year.

MyCareer Gets You into Games Faster But at a Steeper Cost

While I've tried out every mode in NBA 2K24, I wouldn't put too much stock into my opinions on MyCareer or The City. Simply said, I don't play either enough to be able to explain to you the intricacies that make the modes what they are. That said, I do think 2K has done a good job in cutting out a lot of the fluff in MyCareer to get you into NBA games quickly. You're no longer running around The City between games completing quests. You can do that if you want, but if you just want to hoop, you can.

Of course, one of MyCareer and The City's biggest problems remains how full of microtransactions it is. I think the issue is far more egregious in other modes, which I'll speak about below, but to get my character from 60 OVR to 85 would cost me around $50. Maxing him would likely cost $100 or more for a single build. You can earn the Virtual Currency needed to boost your player by playing NBA 2K24, but it's going to take a long time before you're competitive without spending extra money. In a $70 game, it continues to feel very close to a scam.

On top of that, the mode can feel unpolished at times, particularly in regards to the "story" you're crafting in MyCareer. As you play through NBA games, you'll often be sent videos from other players and celebrities commenting on the game you just played. After each of my first three games, Mark Cuban sent me a video saying how incredible my debut game was. It's like they prepped three videos based on whether you completed separate objectives, and because I completed them all in the first game, they just kept sending me Cuban videos. It's a small thing, but stuff like that added up to a product that feels like developer Visual Concepts did enough to say they changed things while still getting your money.

Microtransactions Are King in NBA 2K24 MyTeam

That feels even more true in MyTeam where microtransactions are king. The mode is supposed to let you build your own dream team of NBA stars from the past and present, but if you aren't paying hundreds of dollars, your team is going to look more like the United States 2004 Olympics team instead. 

Whether or not that's a bad thing is largely up to what you like to do. Because of my, at times, spotty internet connection and need to pause games without ruining someone else's day, I spend the bulk of my time offline in MyTeam. Even without spending money, I'm dominating Superstar and Hall of Fame AI relatively easily, but the second I hop online against players who are spending money, I'm going to get creamed.

Personally, that doesn't really bug me. The way I play means I don't feel like I need to spend money to win games, though it's perfectly valid to feel that way if you're an online player. NBA 2K24 has also gotten rid of the Auction House in favor of a 2K-controlled Player Market, and anyone trying to compete on a budget is going to struggle unless they're very good at the game. MyTeam is still fun to play, but it could quickly come off the rails as we progress through the year and players become more expensive. If you're a MyTeam player, I would definitely suggest hopping in now and getting your fill before you're priced out of the competition.

NBA 2K24's Secondary Modes Have Room to Grow

The last two modes most players are interested in are Mamba Moments and MyGM. The Kobe Bryant-centric mode is fun to go through once, but there's no reason to dive back in. At best, you're looking at a few hours where you get to play through the Mamba's illustrious career. Like the Jordan Challenge, it's neat to see 2K incorporate history into the mode, and the Mamba Moments has several exclusive animations that really bring the story to life. 

On the MyGM side, there aren't too many changes worth mentioning. Having the option to play MyGM Lite and take out a lot of intricacies of the NBA's complex trade and contract rules is great for more casual players, but it really does feel like 2K is missing out on the chance to blow out the mode from a historical context. Being able to jump back into the league's history and relive the 80s, 90s, 00s, and 10s is incredible, but Visual Concepts only added one new era this year. I would love to see them dig even deeper and let players check out the 60s and 70s. After all, who doesn't want to add Steph Curry to the 1975 Warriors and see how he performs without a three-point line? Or drop Victor Wembenyama back in the 60s to see how he stacks up against Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell? Last year, the mode felt so refreshing, but now we need 2K to give us even more to play with.

And that's the thing with NBA 2K24 as a whole. I really like the on-court action and think most of the modes have cool ideas, but everything is being brought down by an abundance of microtransactions. Sure, they've been there for years, but this year something feels different. I'm not saying you should skip NBA 2K24, just go in with your eyes fully open. If you're someone who can't control their purchasing decisions, 2K will use every trick in the book to tempt you. For me, that's not really an issue, and I'm a fan of 2K24 because of it, but it's absolutely something everyone needs to ask themselves before diving in.

Grade: 3 out of 5

NBA 2K24 was reviewed on a PlayStation 5 console courtesy of a review copy provided by the publisher. The game was released on September 8 across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms.