NBA 2K14 (Xbox One)

NBA 2K14 (Xbox One)

BY JEFFREY L. WILSON
NBA 2K14 is the next-gen game that may entice people to purchase a Sony PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Boasting gorgeous skin tones, realistic physics, and a ton of new animations that run at 60 frames per second and 1080p resolution, NBA 2K14 is a beaut. Thankfully, 2K Games' latest basketball title is more than surface; NBA 2K14 is a wonderful recreation of American pro hoops that should keep basketball fans shooting, rebounding, and boxing out until the final days of the season.

NBA 2K14 contains a ton of modes and features designed to replicate the player and general manager experience, but three of my favorites are "The Park," "NBA Today," and "Dynamic Living Rosters." "The Park" is a massive playground where gamers can take their created players to hoop or simply socialize with other NBA fans. "NBA Today" gives you a live look at team standings and stat leaders, and is a great way to stay on top of big matches without exiting the game. "Dynamic Living Rosters" (powered by Stats, Inc.) translates real-world hot and cold streaks to the game, so when Melo slumps, digital Melo will be off his game, too. It's an effective way to bridge the gap between the actual sport and its video game representation. That said, there are lots of menus to slice through—so much so that navigation can prove a bit confusing until you get a hang of it.
Lace Up the Sneaks
NBA 2K14's gameplay is deep—in fact, there are so many offensive and defensive moves that you may want to play with an open instruction booklet. You'll need it for the Pro Stick that gives you incredible control over ball handling and shooting. Using it in conjunction with other buttons lets you pull off dunks, crossovers, layups, hop steps, runners, pump fakes, and many other moves. There are defensive moves aplenty, too; flops, wrap fouls, rebounds, lunges, and numerous other moves are available. The wide range of options creates a game that looks like one pulled directly from broadcast TV. If you understand basketball's intricacies, such as mastering and defending the pick-and-roll, you'll do well. If you don't, the computer will pick you apart as the A.I. is quite smart. Note: The computer thieves nilly-willy passes.

NBA 2K14 features not just the 30 regular teams, but 14 Euroleague teams, too. Unfortunately, last year's Dream Teams are no more; I'd rather have the U.S. Olympic squads over the Euroleague any day. Still, NBA 2k14 includes dozens of classic teams like the Bird-era Celtics and Ewing-led Knicks.

NBA 2K14 utilizes Xbox One's Kinect peripheral to let gamers call plays by, well, calling plays. Speak a specific play (like "Clear Out" or "Pick and Roll") and your squad will follow our command. You can also use it to sub players. The Kinect sometimes didn't recognize my vocal input, but overall it did. I preferred to audibly coach than to initiate plays using the Xbox One controller.


The Highlight Reel
NBA 2K14's next-gen graphics deftly recreate the NBA experience. The athlete's character models are well-designed for the most part (they tug at shorts when tired, wipe sweat away), and the skin tones are the best ever in a sports game. That said, players on historical teams (such as the Jordan-era Chicago Bulls) weren't given the same exquisite facial mapping and look like mannequin version of old school players. Ron Harper's character, with its bugged eyes, is particularly foul.

That said, the ballers' movement—be it running, rebounding, or shooting—is outstanding. There are tons of animations and they're all smooth, keeping the controls sharp. Players attack the basket and ball in a variety of ways and perform signature moves that look absolutely gorgeous. Many PCMag staffers who walked by as I played legitimately thought I was watching a real game.

The excellent mult-person commentary gives NBA 2K14 its soul. The play-calling is spot on—it doesn't lag behind the action—and there's plenty of ancillary commentary that keeps the audio fresh. Naturally, there' is some repetition in the color commentary, but it doesn't ruin the experience.


Winning the Ring
NBA 2K14 is an excellent pro hoops title designed with hardcore basketball fans in mind. The returning NBA Live franchise—which has been on hiatus for a number of years—will have a tough time topping this all-around excellent title. If you're a series fan who plans to purchase a Xbox One, consider this game a day-one purchase.