NBA 2K18

NBA 2K18 is yet another astonishingly good basketball game that delivers on the hardwood and in the suite of inviting modes on offer. Resist the urge to shell out for Virtual Currency and you'll be fine. Just focus on the great game at NBA 2K18's core, because it really is at its best this year.

Now, if you don’t care about playing online, don’t care about optional microtransactions, and can stand the ups and downs of bugs that will be patched, NBA 2K18 is the best basketball game of the year and probably of the past decade. It’s a shame that some polish and poor business choices weigh it down.

NBA 2K18 is another step forward on the court, improving on the series’ already great gameplay. You’re rewarded for smart, controlled basketball when dribbling, driving, and playing defense in ways that make sense for the players you’re controlling. In the side modes, results are mixed: the new fusion of Career mode elements into The Neighborhood gives it some new life, but the same can’t be said for the meaningless story elements within MyGM, and microtransactions now have too much of an impact on gameplay. There’s far more good than bad, though, and NBA 2K18 deserves credit for taking chance...

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Almost a slam-dunk.

Basketball may not quite match soccer, football, and baseball when it comes to real-world popularity, but the sport is champion when it comes to video games. For years now the NBA 2K franchise has been pushing the entire sports genre forward with its cutting-edge AI, wide array of modes, and new concepts. NBA 2K may not sell quite as well as EA’s Madden or FIFA games, but it sets the quality bar.

We tell you, it’s a good game! It’s not average! It might have some problems here and there, but you have to admit it is a “Good” game.

NBA 2K18 is the biggest departure that the series has had in recent years, which is both good and bad. Elements such as MyPlayer feel like they have the potential to be fantastic, but are still too mired by microtransactions and bugs in its current form to truly be the experience that I was hoping for. Gameplay continues to be the reason to pick up any NBA 2K game however, and NBA 2K18 doesn't miss the mark when it comes to putting forth the most realistic basketball sim on the market. With a few patches over the course of the next year, I'm hoping NBA 2K18 can continue to improve and fix many...

Nintendo console owners who enjoy sports sims have rarely had the chance to scratch that itch on the company’s recent platforms. Outside of some first-party arcade sports games, options on the Wii and Wii U ranged between subpar to nonexistent. Prospects are looking up for the fledgling Switch judging by what Visual Concepts pulled off with NBA 2K18.

It’s too bad, then, that The Neighborhood is covered in ads and persistent microtransaction begging. The growing push to spend real dollars on VC impacts those looking to build even the most basic of player avatars. It’s too much in NBA 2K18, holding back nearly every mode and customization option. VC is an unavoidable truth. But on the court — especially in the excellent franchise mode, free from the grasp of microtransactions — NBA 2K18 lives up to its predecessors and at times even bests them.