NBA 2K19 Reviews

Is NBA 2K19 more than the sum of its microtransactions? Our full review.

As you can imagine, it’s really easy to run low on the in-game currency, and that’s where microtransactions take shape in 2K19. If you want to stay on top of every mode in the game, it starts to feel over reliant on spending real money for the in-game currency. To be fair, there’s plenty of ways to earn currency in the game, but that means having to play a lot of basketball to be able to incur enough digital money to stay afloat. It’s up to every individual how much they want to buy in to 2K19’s microtransactions. But it starts to feel grimy to me when not spending a single dollar means I could miss out on some of the higher tier items in each of the game’s modes.

NBA 2K19 is a fun basketball game held back by unnecessary bells and whistles alongside intrusive microtransactions. The basketball is second-to-none and the players feel and look incredible. It is a true shame the game is shackled by microtransactions which make progression a grind both for MyTeam and your player.

In short, save for the ever-encroaching reach for players' wallets with the Virtual Currency system, the sheer breadth of content alone in NBA 2K19 will be plenty to satisfy newbies and long-time fans of the franchise looking for a complete basketball sim experience. And fortunately enough, Visual Concepts' dedication to nailing practically every important detail related to gameplay and presentation shows that the developer went the extra mile to make worthwhile improvements where it could. All told, despite the loot box backlash the game incurred prior to launch, NBA 2K19 will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable and enjoyable entries in the series yet.

Whatever viewpoint you’re coming from, NBA 2K19 is both slightly better and a bit more competent than its predecessor, but there are still issues that need to be addressed. It is still clearly designed so there is an underlying temptation to invest in some VC just to get to the good bits, instead of spending days, weeks, months slowly building up your player or your team. That said, whatever score it’s given really won’t matter since the NBA 2K series will remain dominant when the competition isn’t as strong as it could be. While NBA 2K19 is competent it has also, for me at least, continued down the road of not feeling as fun or exciting as previous NBA 2K titles. This year, the feeling isn’t so much of outcry as it is fatigue at having seen the gradual changes take place over the last several years.

I don’t see myself ever really going hard for that 99, because the ability to do that requires the use of my wallet just to get started, because grinding for VC for free is insanely slow and I think they made it that way on purpose to push microtransactions.

A decent basketball game marred by high learning curve, lousy tutorials, and poor microtransaction implementation leading to excessive grinding.

Purchasing NBA 2K19 for yourself just depends on what you plan to play within its larger package. If you were already put off by MyCareer last year, then not much has changed to win you over this season. If you're looking for the best basketball sim on the market though to just play with friends or play by yourself in some of the more team-based game modes, you cannot do better than NBA 2K19. Despite there being so many fundamental changes that I want to see from this series moving forward in regards to many of its abrasive practices, at least the actual basketball has continued to be phenomenal without skipping a beat.

Another superlative iteration of video game basketball with very few flaws, NBA 2K19's biggest problem remains in its implementation of those pesky microtransactions that threaten to eclipse everything the game does right. Look past that, and NBA 2K19 is still unsurpassed.

A few hiccups along the way, especially in relation to some pretty serious online multiplayer instabilities, definitely bring down the experience in 2K19. Thankfully though, these quibbles don't tarnish what is definitely the best option for your basketball fix this year.

2K had little choice but to listen to its community following the damage done last year but they’ve rebounded with possibly their best-ever title.

NBA 2K19's on-court disappointments are somewhat remedied by the hugely entertaining off-the-court shenanigans, but a steep learning curve may leave less experienced players a little overwhelmed.

There is a lot to like about NBA 2K19, but it's hard to come away from it without a bad taste in your mouth. Its pay-to-win nature and occasional hiccups are hard to swallow.

There still isn't a better alternative when it comes to video game basketball.

We got a chance to try out the latest edition of the 2K series with NBA 2K19. Join us as we explore all the improvements (and step backs) the critically acclaimed franchise has taken with their release of the 20th-anniversary edition of 2K.

Over the last couple of decades, the NBA 2K series steadily emerged out of the niche sports game genre and solidified its place in mainstream pop culture. These days, pro players eagerly announce their ratings on social media, hip-hop icons like Jay-Z and Pharrell Williams lend their talents for soundtrack curation, and the game stays high on the sales charts year round. The accolades are well deserved, because each year the development team at Visual Concepts improves all the game modes, tightens the on-court action in all the right ways, and takes risks to move the genre forward. NBA 2K19 continues this positive trajectory.

NBA 2K19 captures the essence of basketball perfectly. Going up for a thunderous slam dunk fires me up, draining that last second three to win a big game exhilarates and winning a hard-earned NBA championship feels like an accomplishment. The problem with NBA 2K19 lies everywhere else, the game constantly trying to take more money out of my pocket via the in-game currency. Playing NBA 2K19 impresses me big time, but the insidious undertones really dishearten me.

For many, basketball is more than just a game, and NBA 2K19 doesn’t take that lightly. It throws every resource it has into the theatrics of the sport, creating charismatic presentation, a well-written story mode, and strong core gameplay. The series’ persistent weaknesses are still apparent in areas like the transition game and ludicrous microtransactions, but there’s so much variety to how its extensive MyLeague mode plays out that there’s always a reason to look forward to the next game of basketball.

NBA 2K9's game is strong, but most of its new features won't be appreciated by the average Joe.