NBA 2K17 follows the highly commended NBA 2K16, which sets the bar pretty high for the last title in the series, and we made a roundup of reviews so you know what to expect.
Pros
NBA 2K17's reviewers agree on a couple of points, such as authenticity, outstanding visuals and a smooth and immersive experience.
Action scenes got revamped, and the added realism makes the game a feast for the eyes.
"The action is quicker and boosted by even more fluidity," Forbes notes.
Speaking of action, the game now portrays the contact part of defending more accurately.
"Players no longer just slide around each other like an amoeba in a dish," observes Fox Sports.
This means that attack strategies need to be carefully calibrated, as simply charging madly toward the hoop will no longer yield results.
Multiple reviewers commended Visual Concepts for the way in which it incorporated various offensive strategies and freelance sets.
Fox Sports notes another detail that is so good that it becomes eerie: the level of player realism.
"Curry's jumper is his jumper on a molecular level," Fox Sports affirms. Players who witness it live will agree that this level of cool is really close to scary.
The title delivers a myriad of different play modes and brings gameplay refinements that prove that the gaming company did more than just change one digit in the title of an existing game. You can choose to tackle the game in single player, My Career or My Team modes.
"NBA 2K's MyCareer mode is where the majority of updates happen," Polygon reports.
Those who want even more control than what My Career offers can take on the My GM mode, which is only available in single-player.
"Player personnel, staff, team finances, are all under the control of the player," says Attack of the Fanboy.
Cons
Not all visuals are top-notch in 2K17, however.
"Players like Kevin Durant look abnormally skinny," according to Forbes.
Some players will find it disappointing that the Draft Mode is missing in MyTeam mode.
Player customization is almost at its peak, unless we are talking about the Create a Player suite, which some find to be lackluster.
Another downside resides with the deeper modes, such as My Team and My Career, which can bring on a lot of frustration due to the bane of all modern gaming: microtransactions. This is because not investing real money in these modes can give players a really hard time making it anywhere in the game.
"It would cost you either hundreds of dollars or hundreds of hours to fully level a character in My Career," Attack of the Fanboy observes.
Conclusion
As a complete installment, NBA 2K17 is a subtle upgrade to an already extensive, even exhaustive, sports simulator, but this does not take away the level of enjoyment basketball fans will feel when engaging in it.
NBA 2K17 rolled out on both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Sept. 19, after initial rumors touted that the game will land on Sept. 27.
