Every year, I sit down with my computer in hand ready to write a list of things down I'd want added to a game's franchise mode. Whether that be Madden, MLB: The Show, FIFA or even NBA 2K. There has always been a handful of things that I'd like to see added -- even if a few of them are a bit trivial. This year, NBA 2K16 has me stumped.

It is hard not to feel totally immersed in both MyGM and MyLeague. You can toy with just about any setting that you'd like, from the league's economic standards to its trade rate. If you aren't happy with the way something is by default, there's a really good chance NBA 2K gives you the ability to change it for yourself. Why isn't that more celebrated?

In a time in gaming where customization has been ripped out of the hands of gamers, NBA 2K serves it up on a silver platter. Not everything is perfect -- not by default, at least -- but it gives you the opportunity to perfect it yourself. For sports gaming in particular, this is a vital attribute and something that is hard to find anywhere else. On top of all of this, NBA 2K continues to give users the ability to control as many teams as you would like. So even if at the end of the day the sliders aren't doing it for you, NBA 2K16 gives you the opportunity for total omnipotence. It is hard to look at a game and ask for any more than that.

Though, the game doesn't stop there. If you aren't happy with the NBA in its current form, you can shake things up just about however you please. NBA 2K16 introduces a new team relocation feature that essentially allows you to re-create a basketball team from the ground up. As is custom for the series, there are nearly infinite options including building your own brand and arena.

So what is it that makes all of this so unique? No other major sports title allows you to create the experience you want. Instead, if you don't like the mode as its given to you, you're stuck with it. NBA 2K16 brings with it a refreshing idea: not everything they have designed is perfect for each individual person, so why not give them the tools to make it the experience they want?

It isn't that the game doesn't have things it could include or improve upon. For instance, the fantastic pregame show leaves so much to be desired for a weekly show with the same cast of characters. Yet, with the state of sports gaming being the way it is, there's already so much icing on the cake that is NBA 2K16's MyLeague and MyGM modes that it's easy to give Visual Concepts the benefit of the doubt. For the first time in a long time, a game's franchise mode(s) have more good things included within that deserve being talked about over the things that haven't been added.

The game can still be a little rough around the edges at time,s but those rough edges are simply a result of Visual Concepts taking risks. In a period of gaming where everyone wants to avoid change and instead stick with a subset of things that have traditionally worked in the past, sports gamers continue to be able to rely on NBA 2K to push the boundaries. And for that, it is indeed still the king of customization. Something that should be celebrated by those who are still searching for their own perfect experience.