NBA 2K24 continues the nostalgia field trip from NBA 2K23, honoring Lakers' Legend Kobe Bryant this year around. Does NBA 2K24 bring the same experience fans have come to know and love? Let's find out in this NBA 2K24 Review.

NBA 2K24 Review: What Is NBA 2K24?

NBA 2K24 marks twenty-five years of 2K Basketball games. This year, the newest installment drops for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. The latest NBA game from Visual Concepts honors late L.A. Lakers and Basketball legend Kobe Bryant. In 20 seasons, he won five NBA Championships while earning 2 Finals MVP Awards, earning 18-AllStar nods along the way.

Not only is The Black Mamba the cover athlete, but he also get his own dedicated mode in the game similar to the Jordan Challenge. But for now, let's discuss the new gameplay changes in 2K24.

Gameplay

The classic gameplay experience we've come to expect from NBA 2K returns in its latest installment. Allow me to just say right away that ProPLAY is NOT a gameplay gimmick. NBA 2K24 has never looked more authentic to the real experience. Player models look incredibly accurate, and animations are much more crisp that standard motion capture.

Outside of the brand new animations, the next biggest thing is takeover, which returns in 2K24 in a different way. Like before, playing well and dominating your opponent gives your team a boost across several areas of your play. You can fill up the bar twice to activate Double Takeover, which only just increases the advantage you receive over your opponent. Unlocking Mamba Mentality essentially acts as a triple takeover. However, you receive boosts across all categories.

The controls feel much better now, with improved timings for layups, shots, dunks, and three-pointers. My only gripe is that sometimes my player moves a bit too quickly into the paint without me really even doing anything. I”ll press forward with just a light flick of the stick, only to see my player turnover the ball because he got too close to the defender. Now, this issue didn't occur too much, but

Additionally, NBA 2K24 improves gameplay across several other areas, including coaching, substitutions, Freelance, and the return of directional steals. There's so many different moves you can pull off that you don't get bored. It's not like in other sports games, where 3-4 tactics seem to work better than most, while the rest of the plays and moves never get touched. NBA 2K24 also offers extensive tutorials and control options to help get you comfortable and set up.

The key to NBA 2K24's gameplay is presentation. You enjoy the commentary because it flows well and gets you in the mood. You appreciate interviews, post-game or in-game, which add more personality to the players. The Halftime show gives you an actual breakdown of the game, as well as other games going on.

Overall, the gameplay in NBA 2K24 feels great. It's easy to pick up and play for casual players, while offering a suite of flashy moves for hardcore veterans. While it may not feel like the most drastic change, there's nothing wrong with that. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and Visual Concepts didn't change any fundamental or core gameplay experiences to

Lastly, I need to mention NBA 2K24 had some serious glitches that hindered my experience at some rare moments. Some practice drills would freeze up, and sometimes the game crashed for no reason. This required me restarting multiple games, which kinda bummed me out. I won't let it affect my review score too much, because I'm sure future patches will fix it up. However, I do want to warn players that these issues did occur for me.

NBA 2K24 hosts several modes, many which fans have come to know and love over the years. Let's check them out one by and one and see what we think.

MyCAREER (New-Gen)

MyCAREER in 2K24 is probably the best it's been in some time. I like the storyline of you being the biggest prospect since LeBron James. You're also the son and grandson of former NBA players, continuing to carry the legacy of your family name. So there's a lot more pressure this time around in terms and motivation for you to do well.

The first thing you'll notice in MyCAREER is how much more simpler it is than previous years. Your experience is split into both The Arena and The City. In the former, you do your pre-game practices, play your games, meet with your manager, endorsement, rep, and other characters who give you additional bonus objectives before your game.In the latter, you can visit the Gym, Art of Shooting Facility, or Gatorade Training Facility to improve some of your skills. Additionally, you're free to join any affiliation, which gives you a boost to specific stats to your MyPLAYER.

The City also offers a ton of other locations like Sunset Park, The Point, and The Yard, where you can ball out in 3v3 courts. So there's no shortage of things to do in MyCAREER alone. Honestly, MyCAREER feels like its own game sometimes. When I back out of the menus I almost completely forget about everything else the game offers.

What I really enjoyed perhaps the most was playing as my father (& grandfather) in Family Flashbacks. These games take you out of your MyPLAYER and into the shoes of those who came before him. It's moments like these that help shape the best MyCAREER experience I've ever had.

I won't spoil the rest of the story, as I didn't even come close to finishing MyCAREER, but plenty other surprises come your way. The story makes for a pretty solid experience and one worth checking out.At times, the dialogue does get pretty cheesy, but it's nothing seriously cringeworthy. Not all of them are bad. The conversations with your dad and manager aren't too bad, but the Jake From State Farm Quest was a little too much.

Another nice inclusion to MyCAREER includes the return of REP, which is a way to boost your player's clout throughout his career. Overall, there's just so much to do and experience in MyCAREER that no one article or review could do it justice. But between the story, the streamlined experience, and the attention to detail in the presentation, MyCAREER still remains the number one game mode in 2K24 for a reason.

MyTEAM

Perhaps one of the biggest changes to MyTEAM includes the addition of a Player Market. The Auction House is now gone, meaning you no longer have to worry about buying high and selling low. Now, players are sold on the market for a fixed rate, with some players on discount via the Deal Of The Day.

Other than that, MyTEAM remains mostly the same, but with some all-new collections for Season 1. So if you like the mode, you should feel right at home with what NBA 2K24 offers

Overall, I like the player market. It makes it easier to find the players you want. Additionally, getting more MTP per quick sell with more chances to grade cards help players get more value out of their items. While I miss being able to get some good deals off the Auction House, it didn't really feel fair for players who didn't understand the system.

With MyTEAM and MyCAREER sharing progression in the season rewards path, I really like how you have the choice to play what you want. So if you prefer one mode over the other, but still want the Season rewards, you no longer have to worry about playing both modes.

I like the concept of building a fantasy team via player cards, but the execution in NBA 2K (and other sports games like Madden, NHL, and FC) never really got me hooked. If you like MyTEAM, I'm sure you'll like it in NBA 2K24. However, with the insane prices of VC in the marketplace, it's hard to get into both this mode and MyCAREER.

And that's another thing. While NBA 2K24 doesn't have any major flaws, VC prices and other Microtransactions are an issue that Visual Concepts and 2K needs to address at some point. Being able to buy MTP outright just screams “pay-to-win”. I understand that microtransactions bring 2K a lot of money, and there's no way to get rid of them at this point. However, we hope the developers can come up with some solutions or adjustments to make it more player friendly.

Other changes to MyTEAM include the Pack Market more options for guaranteed pulls, more value from holo cards, and a brand new Salary Cap mode. Each season holds three, two-week rounds with salary limits for lineups. You can get various MyTEAM rewards from playing the mode, including some Ruby and Amethyst Cards.

Each season, salary cap gets split into three, two-week rounds. Each round includes a new leaderboard, salary limit for lineups, and new rewards. The games themselves having their own unique set of rules. The first half is a regular six minute game, but whoever has the lead by halftime gets additional points. From there, both teams need to reach a fixed score to end the game. It's pretty fun to check out, and I like how it limits teams from being too overpowered.

Nevertheless, there's other ways to earn VC for free in every mode in the game, and even by watching 2KTV every week. So this issue did not really affect my final score.

MyNBA

While maybe not as popular as MyCAREER or MyTEAM, MyNBA offers the best franchise mode out of any sports game. Firstly, five different eras from the 1980s to the modern day make this a dream come true for sports history buffs. Whether you're playing in the Jordan Era, or the brand new LeBron Era, you notice all the differences in terms of presentation, rules, uniforms, rosters, and of course, all the new teams that entered over time.

While Eras didn't start in 2K24, it feels much more complete now with each era representing a new generation from the 1980s to the 2020s. Visual Concepts really puts in attention to detail when it comes to every aspect of 2K.

What I love most about MyNBA is the amount of control. No matter which Era you start you have so many options when customizing your league. Besides your typical settings like Fantasy Drafts or Salary Cap rules, you have a wide variety of advanced CBA Rules to play around with. Anything is possible in MyNBA.

Another cool about Eras is the age transformation you see on players. You'll see all the big changes like Kobe going bald and LeBron's jersey number going from 23, to 6, back to 23, and once again back to 6. And not only do players change, but the way everything is presented to. You get a cool filter when playing in the 80s or 90s (which you can turn off), scoreboards and player celebrations change as well.

If you don't like that, then MyNBA Lite offers a much more simplified version of franchise mode. If you just like the drafting, trading, and basketball aspect of MyNBA, then the Lite offers that experience. Overall, MyNBA has been a hidden gem in the NBA 2K series for some time. But with a new era, more advanced settings, and a friendly version for new players to the series, MyNBA in 2K24 might just be the best yet.

Lastly, for Online Players, MyNBA Online offers a much more expansive experience. If you want your friends to all share the power over the league, you can assign different roles such as admin, appearance editor, Gameplay Tuner, Time Manager, and much more.

MyNBA in 2K24 brings the best franchise experience yet.

MAMBA MOMENTS

NBA 2K23 featured a Jordan Challenge that took you through fifteen different games of Michael Jordan's career. NBA 2K24 brings it back in a different way with the brand new MAMBA MOMENTS mode. The mode challenges you to replicate some of Kobe Bryant's biggest achievements throughout his NBA career.

In each game there are three objectives. Completing one earns you a star, and collecting stars nets you certain rewards. Some of the best items include a 99 OVR Kobe Bryant Free Agent Card, a Kobe Armband with +1 Driving Dunk, and an Amethyst Kobe Bryant Coach Card.

Unfortunately, MAMBA MOMENTS includes seven levels as opposed to the fifteen from the year before. At the time of writing this, there's no MAMBA MOMENT currently for Kobe's 81-point game against the Raptors in '06. Seems kinda strange, but once you complete all the missions you likely won't come back to the mode anyway.

Overall, MAMBA MOMENTS is still a nice nod to the game's cover athlete, albeit a quick nod. It's still fun to play as Kobe and see all the teammates he's played with over the years.

The W

Like NBA 2K23, the W sort of feels like an afterthought and not much more. The new features and improvements aren't bad, but overall it just didn't have a lasting impression on me. I'll give Visual Concepts the benefit of the doubt, as they've only recently started experimenting with this concept. At the very least, you're able to play with all official WNBA teams and play in a franchise mode with them.

However, if you're not a fan of the WNBA, you're probably not missing out either. However, the developers really didn't need to add this modem, yet they did anyway. Overall, it's another nice addition to the game that helps warrant the $70 price tag. While the experience is much more shallow than MyTEAM, it's very easy to pick up and play just for fun.

I feel like NBA 2K24 shows the mode is taking the right steps to become better, but it needs some time. I think it'll be a couple more years until The W finally becomes a series staple.

Graphics

As mentioned earlier, ProPLAY technology makes NBA 2K24 look like the best sports game on the market. Between the player model, jerseys, stadiums, mascots, locker rooms, and the City, everything looks great.

I also like the two different looks of the Affiliations, RISE and ELITE. It just adds extra flare to The City, which also looks spectacular. Speaking of the City, I recommend checking it out at night time. The views and lighting look spectacular, and it's always fun to shoot some hoops in the city under street lamps.

And The Arena is always looking fresh. I personally enjoy walking out to the stadium before a game begins and seeing all the camera flashes while the audience cheers you on. Additionally, there's so many people walking around. Both the Arena and the City feel alive and brimming with people, giving a very life-like feeling. And although the City isn't big, you have a nice beachfront, some cool looking courts, and more buildings to come as the year progresses.

There's not much more to say about NBA 2K24's graphics that haven't already been said. Overall, the game offers a visually pleasing experience that's just as good as its gameplay.

Music

Firstly, putting Kobe Bryant by Lil' Wayne in the game is a 9000 IQ move and whoever put it in needs a raise. Jokes aside, the NBA 2K24 soundtrack is fine. You've got some good songs like Walk from Kodak Black, and I Just Wanna Rock by Lil Uzi Vert.

The soundtrack features a mostly rap dominated track-list with some alternative rock and a mix of other genres. Additionally, the developers add more tracks throughout the game's lifespan, so keep on the lookout for your favorite songs. Overall, NBA 2K24 hosts an fairly decent collection of songs. It fits the culture and rhythm of the sport well.

There's not much more to say, but speaking of music, it was cool to see Quavo give MyPLAYER a shoutout after his NBA debut.

Verdict: Is NBA 2K24 Worth Your Time and Money?

If you're a big hoops fan playing on new-gen systems (PS5, and Xbox Series X|S), then I highly recommend you check out this game. NBA 2K24 offers the same Hall-Of-Fame worthy experience we've come to expect from Visual Concepts over the years. MyCAREER's storyline is great, MyNBA is better than ever, and the gameplay is so much more polished with ProPLAY technology.

NBA 2K24 sets the precedent on how a sports game should be made. Between the gameplay, presentation, and in-depth customization across all modes, there's just so much to experience. The future of the NBA 2K series is strong if they continue with more awesome titles like this one.

Side Note: I caution both PC and current-gen players to actually check out some gameplay of MyCAREER before you decide to pick it up. The old-gen versions aren't terrible, but the MyCAREER experience isn't the same its next-gen counterpart. The castle setting on current-gen is fine, but I prefer the look and feel of the city better. However, The Neighborhood still serves as a much better hub than The GOAT Boat.

We hope next year's installment on PC receives a next-gen port.

Score: 9.5/10

Editor’s Note: ClutchPoints received a PS5 review copy to allow us to cover this game. These copies did not, in any way, affect this NBA 2K24 Review’s final score and verdict.

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