Video Game Company 2K Games annually releases a collection of sports games ahead of the new year. NBA 2K25 was released Sept. 3, marking the 10th anniversary of NBA 2K15.
“2K25 is one of my favorite 2Ks so far,” junior Sajid Bakhit said.
In the Play Now mode, players can choose to play as an NBA team of choice with updated rosters that include rookies, trades and the characters’ “overall” skill out of 99. But many people find the Play Now game mode to be their least favorite saying it lacks thrill, which is part of the reason it is underplayed.
In the MyTeam mode, players can create a team of their own and get their favorite NBA players in the form of cards. They can play against other people and sell their cards in the newly returned Auction House. MyTeam is difficult because it takes a long time to collect good cards which is primarily what makes the game mode fun.
Most buyers purchase the game yearly for the MyCareer mode, allowing them to create their ideal “MyPlayer” with a position, height, weight and wingspan of their choice. 2K brought back memorable 2K15 features like “Basketball Godz” and “Old Town” to let players reminisce. Players can take their MyPlayer to the city to play online against others, to the NBA and even through high school in the new “Heart of a Dynasty” timeline. As usual, players must buy Virtual Currency to upgrade their “overall” for a better in-game experience.
“MyCareer is actually not that bad this year. The changes they made to the game make it more enjoyable than the previous 2Ks,” junior Matt Taberdo said.
This year, it takes around 189,000 VC just to get a MyPlayer to an 85 overall, which costs roughly $50. Many players spend a lot of time trying to create more MyPlayer builds and spending even more money, making MyCareer somewhat addictive.
Additions to the city in the updated version of the game include new stores that provide designer brands and the reintroduced MyCourt for the Next-Gen consoles like the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X|S. MyCourt is a personal basketball court that can be customized to the users’ liking and is used for practice or playing friendly pickup games with friends. Although it is exciting that all 2K players can have a personal court it shouldn’t be treated as a major milestone because there are tons of basketball courts placed around the city.
The in-game graphics this year are smoother and much different than previous 2Ks. This is a great addition because it makes the game look more realistic when playing. A downfall of the new graphics is that they take away from the performance aspect of the game.
“The graphics are so much tougher than 2K24 and they’re actually really satisfying,” sophomore Aiden Fowler said.
So far, NBA 2K25 seems worth its value compared to its recent predecessors such as NBA 2K24. The game should adjust minor problems, and if that can happen, the game will likely be known as one of the best 2K games.
