NBA 2K18 – Evolution and Realism [Review]

The expert hands of Visual Concepts bring us a new sample of their good work with the annual delivery of their saga par excellence, NBA 2K18. A really exceptional simulator that, as we told you in your review for Nintendo Switch, also presents some other important novelty for the saga.

No one misses that NBA 2K is one of the most successful and acclaimed sports series of all that is seen every year in today's systems. A saga that has already left us several truly memorable games (like NBA 2K11) that have made millions of fans of the basketball around the world enjoy. Here we have the new episode of it, NBA 2K18, an issue that far from being inconsequential, the truth is that it offers us a vast amount of content, a level of extraordinary realism and, most importantly, very striking title.

It is noticeable from the first moment that Visual Concepts wanted to sit chair with its new delivery of the saga. And not because it supposes a revolution in itself (why change from one end to another something that has been working for many years?), But because they have wanted to polish those aspects less achieved (at a very high level of quality) of the previous delivery and, incidentally, add some innovations of weight. The result of all this, I can advance you, it is a great title, you look at it wherever you look, a real must-have that you should not try to taste little sports games in general. Moreover, it is for various reasons, such as the new modality that has been called El Barrio.

This unprecedented gameplay has many crumbs, so much that will keep you many hours glued to the screen and, I dare to assure you, will be imitated in the same way that it was the Career / History mode that this same saga established some years ago.

Fun and freedom

The neighborhood serves as a meeting point for fans of this sport, as a playground to spend dead hours between game and game, to improve the skills of our player created in Career mode ... It is the answer to many things and from there its great value, given that it offers us many ways to have fun beyond what is provided by a basketball court, an activity that of course is also part of the experience that gives us this modality.

The neighborhood invites us to enter an open and online environment with many possibilities.
This option allows us to travel a more or less wide area (several apples of extension) with total freedom. Moreover, for what? Well, basically, to do whatever we please. Practically every corner there is a shop or a place of interest that is possible to visit to entertain us in many different ways. The barbershop, for example, allows us to change the look of our character thanks to the corresponding haircut. Alley Oops Tattoo that is what the tattoo studio is called, is the place to go if you want to get a tattoo ... or whatever it takes. The NBA Store allows us to acquire various official equipment, in Foot Locker have a wide assortment of shoes with which to equip our protagonist ...

Do you think little? To add to this the possibility of exercising in a gym and thus improve our character's statistics, go through a recreation area to participate in a trivia Trivia related to the world of basketball in general, go through the urban tracks to challenge and relate to any follower of the game and enjoy the community ... Seriously, it is incredible the diversity of entertaining activities (some more than others) that is possible to play and enjoy in El Barrio, a modality that, I insist, I have found excellent.

A real and complete experience

As usual in this veteran saga, the immense amount of options and game modes among which it is possible to choose in NBA 2K18 is incredible (and maybe even intimidating at first). In addition to the above neighborhood mode, to be able to play online games up to 5 against 5, to enjoy exhibitions, to collect countless letters/players in My Computer or to recreate ourselves in the competitive experience Pro-Am are some of the options that can be enjoyed.

At the time of writing the most important thing is to find good launching positions and avoid making forced shots.

Even so, all of them continue to highlight several, such as the new History in which we can enter, and that invites us to create our own player (with many possibilities of editing, both their physical style and their game and features ) and see how he overcomes the different obstacles to become a star. Without wanting to reveal anything, before we are featured cracks of the NBA as well as representatives of half hair and larceny, very curious companions, fearsome opponents, coaches who give us their support ... Without being the best I have ever seen, the plot has enough interest in spite of the overaccumulation of some of its protagonists.

One option that has been greatly enhanced precisely by also including a joint story behind is MiGM. This modality, directed especially towards the public more fan as we confessed the own responsible ones of the game, has been graced by this innovation that adds a bit more of hook to all that it offers of itself. An ideal place for those who prefer to stay away from the courts but very close to statistics and offices.

In short, the offer that gives us NBA 2K18 is complete and very interesting and, of course, is backed by a gameplay as realistic and convincing as expected. Enjoying each game is a treat, that is as simple as that. A luxury that those who enjoy the NBA appreciate very much for how well recreated it is. Moreover, more after experiencing the news stories but transcendent that have been made in this regard.


The shooting system has been modified somewhat to make it more accessible and, above all, so that what is not so much the skill with the command as the fact of having a good knowledge of the game and to create good shots and situations of clear annotation for our players. The timing at the time of each launch is still vital, and it is necessary to release the ball at the high point of each suspension to make correct launches and high percentage. However, equally important is the presence (or absence, as you see) of intimidation, given that depending on that the odds of scoring or not vary greatly in the vast majority of cases and leaving aside players like Curry, for example, who can score perfectly with a defender in front.

There has also been much work in the physical game, something in which Visual Concepts has been impacting for several years. This is very noticeable when closing both the zone (and the penetration) and the rebounds, being almost impossible to overcome with small players (bases and escorts) the barriers formed by the centers and power forwards. It may be a detail-less "flashy" than other aspects of the game more striking, but from my point of view, this feature gives a greater degree of realism to the course of each game.

Another improvement has to do with the artificial intelligence of the players, one of the eternal concerns of the developers. There is a clear progress in this field, especially in attack, since it is easy to distinguish the basic game schemes of each of the teams depending on what they offer us in a real sport. The joyful game of the Rockets based on the open shots of all players, whether indoors or outdoors; the versatility of the Warriors, who can score from anywhere on the field literally or the classic game of the Cavs based on attracting the defenses (something that almost always is LeBron) to close the area for, when that occurs, open the game to the outer note takers.

To this are added the convenient game readings that can perform (although not always happen this way) the players when they appreciate an obvious mismatch when they are in full counterattack with superiority and other specific situations. Moreover, in defense? As well they are made to notice the adjustments that make on our game the rivals, but only to a certain point and sometimes they take more of the account in closing the triples or to allow the pick and roll, for example, action that in me gambling game to practice with the San Antonio Spurs between Parker and Gasol / LaMarcus well into the game. There is still room for improvement, but the evolution is noticeable.

It is difficult to find any inconvenience to the development of each party. What I did not expect, at least not until a few months ago, was to find myself with the suppression of Euroleague teams. Something that I did not understand because of how much work (and well) had been worked on in that aspect, to the point of dreaming of the integration of this competition in future installments of the saga.

However, it seems that 2K Sports has cut through the healthy and has eliminated that feature, which I know was highly appreciated by a large group of users, who will have to settle for what there is. True, to "make up," developers have increased the number of classic NBA teams (the offer is tremendous in this case), but come on, it is no consolation.
Show on the parquet

As for the level of graphic realism that has been achieved in this saga, just take a look at some screen or video accompanying this analysis to know the magnitude of the work done by Visual Concepts. Obviously and because it is an annual series, the qualitative leap that has been made in this delivery in relation to what is exhibited in NBA 2K17 is not at all brutal, but perceptible.

What stands out in terms of the evolution experienced has to do with the use of a technology called New Motion Engine, which significantly improves the transitions between the various animations of players. This is noticeable with certain players especially, perhaps with the most skilled with the ball in the hands and able to perform dribblings and crossovers with ease as Curry, Irving, Paul, Wall, Durant and so many others. The feeling of control over the player is more solid and reliable than ever, and although sometimes I still have the feeling that something more could be polished, especially when the time comes to maneuver in one of the two corners of attack, it is an improvement very evident, and that has some impact on the gameplay.

As for the recreation of the players, once again the vast majority of them enjoy an incredible modeling, highlighting stars like Durant, LeBron, Harden, Leonard or Wall. Others look a little less accomplished (like Pau, Love, and others), but the fact is that the vast majority of the members of the roster of each of the teams are perfectly recognizable. A work that is well capped by the ever more spectacular aspect of the pavilions as well as by the previous ones that are shown before the parties in which Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith participate among others, quite livening up the loading times of the meetings.


The sound, to finish, is still sensational. The licensed soundtrack is not the one I like most of the whole saga (it lacks some variety in my opinion), but of course, it is full of well-known themes. The original dubbing in English is exceptional, simply superb, offering an unprecedented display in other titles.

Nintendo Switch Baskets

All this that we just comment is perfectly valid for the version of Nintendo Switch ... with some other important objection. The first has to do with the MyCarrer mode, which is quite "bugged", something that 2K Sports knows perfectly and that, as they have commented recently, will launch a patch very soon to solve those errors.

Well, but what problems are we talking about? Because of the fact of watching how the game freezes when contemplating certain models of T-shirts in some of the stores that we can visit in the Neighborhood, the fact to undergo important slowdowns when they find some fields of this discipline occupied, problems with the machine throwables, problems with the audio ... Many problems that quite annoy the fact of being able to enjoy this great modality, which by the way to be enjoyed in all its dimension needs an online connection. That is, if we are in a place without Wi-Fi, we will lose part of its charm and all its social component, which is very remarkable.

It is also necessary to comment that the graphics section has suffered an sharp decrease in several senses. The most important thing in my view is the animation frame rate, which goes from the always soft 60 to the middle. Moreover, sometimes, even below 30 FPS (but only in counted, yes). This is compounded by sensitive cuts in aspects such as modeling of player faces, lighting effects of pavilions, quality of textures in general and other details that simply do not reach the same level shown in the rest of versions. Is this an ugly game? For nothing, rather the opposite, especially if we play in portable mode: it is amazing to be able to play a game like that anywhere.

Everything else is the same game that we have been able to taste in the other formats, from game modes to comments in Spanish. A title that, although it does not reach the same level as that embodied in those versions, becomes long one of the best sports games of the ones designed now for Switch.

This new installment of the NBA 2K franchise has left us some very striking developments, such as the new modality the neighborhood that will surely be imitated by other sports titles in the coming years. An even more complete video game, dynamic, realistic and attractive than the one we enjoyed just a year ago.

An evolution not too surprising but remarkable that places this production of 2K Sports at the top of sports simulators in general. The absence of teams from Eurobasket and occasional slight more than it is possible to face this title hardly make a dent in an outstanding set for all fans of the NBA and basketball.

-Zardoz-

9.0