The NBA 2K series is regarded by fans, casual gamers, and experts alike as the pinnacle in sports video games. IGN rated it a 9.5/10; this is a superb score for a service that does not hand out such lofty reviews particularly easily. Anyone who has played this game, though, knows that it is entirely deserving.
The hallmarks of the NBA 2K series are quality graphics, an intuitive and easy gameplay experience, superior online play, and a 'My Player' mode that is wildly addictive and now has an imitator in nearly every sports game that hits the market. I could dwell for hours on these features and how many hours I have poured into each, but most who read this have a sense for these features already. Trust that each is no departure from previous versions, but are improved subtly across the board.
The feature that I will highlight in particular, and that is new to this year's game, is Legends mode. Last year, 2K debuted Jordan Challenge, a gameplay mode in which the user can play as Michael Jordan and attempt to recreate his greatest performances. 'Legends' expands on that theme, and this year includes fifteen NBA legends (Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are all featured) and the opportunity to unlock their championship teams. The result is incredibly fun and challenging, addictive to a borderline unhealthy degree, and a major drain on one's free time and impediment to one's social life. Any player whose idol was never Jordan is appeased by this game; it includes all of the greats. In particular, I got goosebumps playing with Larry Bird and donning Celtic green. Jordan challenge was fun; Legends is a blast.
Also new to this year's game are Total Shot Control and Post Game gameplay features, which lend another aspect of realism to the game and provide the player with more specific influence on the offensive side of the ball. These are more difficult to master and are fairly complex for the novice gamer (I rank among those), but are extremely useful once one gets the hang of them.
Perhaps I do not tend enough towards criticism to be an excellent critic, but I rank NBA 2K12 a 10 out of 10. I have no complaints. Each gameplay mode is excellent in its own right, there is no better online gaming experience, and the gameplay is impeccable. I have no idea how I would have made it through the lockout without this game, or if it was the direct cause of my senioritis; I do know this much-- the game is a lot of fun.
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