With NBA 2K18 we got the best and most realistic basketball simulation on the market. It is far from perfect, but it is definitely the best one in the offer.

The mechanics of the court gameplay has not changed much this year. The controls have largely kept the familiar configuration so the returnees to the NBA 2K will not have to adapt to something new. For players who are unfamiliar with the controls of this basketball game there is a tutorial in which everyone can learn absolutely every move with a clear video demonstration of what to do.

I am thrilled with the improved drive-in/crossover system with which the player now has a higher chance of entry under the basket next to the opponent who keeps it, so such situations are no longer ending with unrealistic blockages of slow-moving centers.

Some situations, like the ball bouncing off of the player’s hands or the player jumping for the ball, now seem more natural and realistic. But what reduces the progress of all these improved things is clipping. The player in collision with the opponent often enters it with his hand or another part of his body, and clipping is much more pronounced than in previous years, probably due to a new drive-in  system.

Basketball is indeed a complex game, and NBA 2K18 has its depth, both in the court and in the offer of different modes. Under the Play Now mode we find several types of matchmaking, whether it’s a classic match or a game that is scheduled in reality and retrieves stats from the real NBA league. As part of this mode, you can also play a quick online match and matchmaking is supporting this speed because it works without any difficulty.

2KU mode offers us freestyle on the field, playing with one NBA team divided into two teams, shooting at the basket and training coaching tactics. Blacktop mode is still there and gives us the ability to shoot hoops from one to one up to five to five players.  There you can choose whether to play across the entire court or the classic hoops on one basket. And finally, there is the aforementioned tutorial mode or 2KU Tips Glossary. There are also the standard MyCareer, MyTeam, MyLeague and MyGym modes in which every basketball fan can find something for themselves. In addition to the nicely decorated and styled menu, there is also NBA 2KTV with updated episodes.

MyCareer mode is for many the most important mode of the game where you create your own basketball player and lead him to the eternal NBA glory. Most of the controversy between the players was caused by micro-transactions, which were previously present in the NBA 2K games, but now they are just everywhere. Not only does the game passively-aggressively force you to spend real money on buying virtual shoes, clothing, and props you use to promote your NBA image,  but it also promotes the practice of purchasing attributes for your own player.

The game costs 60 euros, but for the additional 30 you can immediately perfect your character. Okay, that’s optional, but because of that the career progress has slowed down, which has offended a lot of the fans of this series. After all, that is not the only problem. You share a part of your career with other players in the online environment and occasionally you will want to play hoops with their avatars. Many of them have perfected their character with micro-transactions and that created a big gap between the players’ abilities which is unfair.

The biggest novelty of MyCareer mode this year is the NBA Neighborhood, a bit bigger neighborhood where, apart from staying on various terrains, playing various games, we have the opportunity to spend time like we’re playing The Sims. In the neighborhood, besides playing hoops, we can also shop.

Graphically, NBA 2K18 did not go far ahead of the previous release. That’s why the music background finally came in. The soundtrack brings some of the most popular songs as well as the return of some legendary stuff that we are used to hear in previous NBA 2K titles as well as those that have been forgotten a bit since the NBA Live series 15 years ago.

The commentary elite in the studio and the co-commentary force on the field are responsible for hours and hours of new conversations, comments, jokes and stories. The NBA 2K series has by far the best commentary team, without competition.

To conclude, the new gameplay elements refreshed the game so much that I did not get the feeling of playing a slightly upgraded version of the 2K17.  However, I do not intend to ignore a huge flaw that micro-transactions are. Let’s just hope the game developers learn the lesson and that micro-transactions do not become a staple of future NBA 2K games. Fortunately, if you have all the time in the world and you do not mind a bit of grinding, or if MyCareer mode is not really of interest to you, NBA 2K18 is still the king of basketball simulations.