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NBA 2K15 Review: A Great Game on the Court Marred by Missteps Off Of It (PS4)

05:38 PM - October 13, 2014 by RaychelSnr

“How exactly does someone review a game like NBA 2K15?”

I spent almost a week wrestling with this question. I’m still not sure I know the answer, but I’m going to do my best to find it along the way.

NBA 2K15 plays the best basketball on the court of any video game I ever played.

This fact stands in a stark contrast to the experience of actually trying to play a game in many of the modes.

That part ranges from unplayable to — well, playable, but with a decent chance the game will freeze or drop or won’t count and you’ll have to replay it.

Let’s get into the meat of the review, or as I’ve been calling it in my head, “Treatise on Cognitive Dissonance on the Hardwood.”

Read More - NBA 2K15 Review: A Great Game on the Court Marred by Missteps Off Of It

Game: NBA 2K15Reader Score: 8/10 - Vote Now
Platform: iOS / PC / PS3 / PS4 / Xbox 360 / Xbox OneVotes for game: 64 - View All

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# 41 Finepanther @ 10/13/14 08:53 PM

If only 2K was half as good at making a solid online experience as they are at promoting their game they'd be getting 10's all over the place. The game literally has the same problems two years in a row with no solution in sight. Wish I could say I'm not falling for it next year but I probably will. There's an opportunity her for EA, hopefully they won't screw it up. Again.

# 42 StankonYa @ 10/13/14 10:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by "The Veal"


	I think the game can be summed up easily. Someone who plays offline, one-player-centric games (MyLEAGUE) and play the games versus the CPU (once finding a right balance) love it. People who play online hate it, and rightfully so. It's very divisive on the modes themselves, some are incredible, others are bad.

Your about 85% right about this when it comes to me. Since I mainly play offline, I usually wouldn't care too much about the online aspects of the game, but that's not the case here. When 2k decided to throw people like me (mostly an offline gamer) into a offline game that needs online servers to complete the package...I guess you can say It knocked me out of my comfort zone.

NBA2k14 ps4 would had been great if not for the servers, and I don't play online, nor did I try. Well I did try My team and that mode would be great IMO without online. I just love a challenge.

I feel NBA2k15 would be great offline if there wasn't a need to be online.
Seriously, play this game for 10 minutes without the internet connected and there is nothing but smoothness. No lagging at all to be found..anywhere.

# 43 bxphenom7 @ 10/13/14 10:13 PM

Fair score. Online sucks and the career mode isn't taking the right steps

# 44 ProStylez @ 10/13/14 10:26 PM

So this game is a 10 offline? That's all I care about......I play nothing online. Don't care about any of those modes.

# 45 Bornindamecca @ 10/13/14 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProStylez


	So this game is a 10 offline? That's all I care about......I play nothing online. Don't care about any of those modes.

On Superstar/Sim with slightly lowered CPU putback/shot contested sliders, it plays a phenomenal game of basketball. Exciting, fun, tons of detail and emotion. Great depth in the MyLeague/MyGM mode.

MyCareer is pretty frustrating, because your teammates are idiots, but it's still its own kind of fun.

# 46 VDusen04 @ 10/13/14 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StankonYa


	Your about 85% right about this when it comes to me. Since I mainly play offline, I usually wouldn't care too much about the online aspects of the game, but that's not the case here. When 2k decided to throw people like me (mostly an offline gamer) into a offline game that needs online servers to complete the package...I guess you can say It knocked me out of my comfort zone. NBA2k14 ps4 would had been great if not for the servers, and I don't play online, nor did I try. Well I did try My team and that mode would be great IMO without online. I just love a challenge. I feel NBA2k15 would be great offline if there wasn't a need to be online. Seriously, play this game for 10 minutes without the internet connected and there is nothing but smoothness. No lagging at all to be found..anywhere.

Right on. That's been one of my primary concerns with this game. Can I do all my offilne stuff without needing to be online? 2K15 seems to have made strides in that regard (MyLeague is entirely offline, and rosters can once again be tweaked offline) but I dare say that I believe any and every aspect of 2K that doesn't need to be offline, should be removed from requiring an online connection (MyCareer, for starters).

It seems we were stripped of a lot of freedom in 2K14 (and even some in 2K13 with the removal of manual save options) and we're now slowly getting some of it back. But there's still progress to be made.

# 47 ProStylez @ 10/13/14 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bornindamecca


	On Superstar/Sim with slightly lowered CPU putback/shot contested sliders, it plays a phenomenal game of basketball. Exciting, fun, tons of detail and emotion. Great depth in the MyLeague/MyGM mode. MyCareer is pretty frustrating, because your teammates are idiots, but it's still its own kind of fun.

I don't own the game yet but what you said is ALL I care about. If it's not a shooter or some game that's meant to be play online I don't even do it. Not worth my time. Sports games online with strangers are pointless to me.

# 48 23 @ 10/13/14 10:39 PM

I think these reviews are a shot at the online portion but nobody reads nowadays so the entire written review means little to nothing when the score is low.

That said im having little issue playing offline as Born has attested to, and thats where I want it to be.. a great experience for me when I come home or have a day off or when im chilling wanting to play basketball.

I do believe the servers should work though. Maybe they should outsource them I dont know, but I just hope in the future offline is not gimped in favor of online. That would be a huge mistake.

# 49 hokupguy @ 10/13/14 10:58 PM

I believe now of days it is always 50/50 scale if your offline old school type gameer then you feel that the game is great and almost set in stone. But if your more online play match up then any game the key online must have working serves . You would think with great expansion of the park the serves would be flawless. I don't play a lot online but when I can and get on I am enjoying the park. Have not had any issues the few times that I have play the park.

But I cant remember when 2k ever had good or decent serves. Even back in the day of the old sega net with nba 2k and nba 2k1. Its always been the achilles heel.

# 50 jcmreds @ 10/13/14 11:43 PM

I feel bad for the online players, and hope 2K gets everything working. Having said that I'm loving the out of box gameplay.

# 51 BBallcoach @ 10/13/14 11:44 PM

There should be two grades for the game online experience and offline. Cause I mainly play offline and it's better than a 7. This game is a masterpiece. But With all the online issues, I can see why to some people it should be downgraded. Not everyone plays online though.

# 52 JohnDoe8865 @ 10/14/14 12:27 AM

Not everyone plays online, the problem is that so many offline modes/features are tied to being able to connect to the online 2K servers. They need to separate them completely next year.

# 53 TheLetterZ @ 10/14/14 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 23


	I think these reviews are a shot at the online portion but nobody reads nowadays so the entire written review means little to nothing when the score is low.

I completely understand your perspective and I want to point out that no score on its own — either good, bad, or somewhere in between — can possibly describe the game accurately to everyone. It's why the review is written.

Of people who look at the score and don't read the review, roughly half were destined to be unhappy.

With the 7 score, some people will assume I'm suggesting the game plays a bad game of basketball, when the actual review clearly suggests nothing could be farther from the truth.

Had I scored the game a 9, a different group of people would have seen the score, assumed the game is excellent all-around, and bought the game only to discover large portions of the game they want to play simply don't work.

Again, people need to read the review to actually understand what's going on. I'm aware some people won't. It's their loss.

In writing the review, I understood and accepted this scenario would be the case.

# 54 23 @ 10/14/14 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLetterZ


	I completely understand your perspective and I want to point out that no score on its own — either good, bad, or somewhere in between — can possibly describe the game accurately to everyone. It's why the review is written. Of people who look at the score and don't read the review, roughly half were destined to be unhappy. With the 7 score, some people will assume I'm suggesting the game plays a bad game of basketball, when the actual review clearly suggests nothing could be farther from the truth. Had I scored the game a 9, a different group of people would have seen the score, assumed the game is excellent all-around, and bought the game only to discover large portions of the game they want to play simply don't work. Again, people need to read the review to actually understand what's going on. I'm aware some people won't. It's their loss. In writing the review, I understood and accepted this scenario would be the case.

Yep we agree... I was speaking more in general but people don't read in alot of ways these days sadly.

Either way im like you an offline player who is usually not affected by this. Last year was the worst for us though, but it should work regardless, if its there it should.. Its only been a week too and people have hammered this game.

I remember i couldnt pass 3 missions on BF4 offline last year without it not letting me continue and it needed how many patches to fix it but it still got nice all around scores.

# 55 thedream2k13 @ 10/14/14 01:48 AM

Man this forum has a lot of "I only play offline "people..there is no need to type his to respond to a game review. All games are graded on the total product so NO there shouldnt be 2 separate grades Lol. If half the game is in shambles then the scored should be lowered bottom line. Its like eveyone here don't subscribe to Xbox live or psn. But if offline modes need a major patch you would quickly be dependent on 2k servers like the majority of people that play the game and be in a uproar like the millions of people that enjoy human online interaction

# 56 Feldman011teen @ 10/14/14 03:22 AM

nba live for me this year.

# 57 kobe2theMAX @ 10/14/14 03:54 AM

7??? The Servers are already fixed. 7 is way too low. This game is more like a 9.5.

# 58 Number999 @ 10/14/14 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by "The Veal"


	I think the game can be summed up easily. Someone who plays offline, one-player-centric games (MyLEAGUE) and play the games versus the CPU (once finding a right balance) love it. People who play online hate it, and rightfully so. It's very divisive on the modes themselves, some are incredible, others are bad.

Yep... you pretty much nailed it for me, I play online occasionally and like MyTeam, but I'll never play MyPark or anything like that.

# 59 CujoMatty @ 10/14/14 04:37 AM

7 is pretty fair for the game being somewhat broken. I kinda wish the reviewer would have said "I probably would have given it a ______ if the online was working" would have probably appeased some people.

I myself am really enjoying the game and am most likely gonna stick witb it as my basketball game of choice for this year after everything ive seen but am I the only one that kinda wants NBA live to get a 7.1 strictly for the hilarity of the chaos that would ensue.

# 60 Battman @ 10/14/14 05:38 AM

Great review! And: Damn, I had exaxtly the same kind of best friend at university as you describe it.

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