NBA 2K24 Review

NBA 2K24 reviewed on Xbox Series X by Ben Vollmer. Also available on PlayStation 5. Narrated by Ryan McCaffrey. (Note: the PS4/Xbox One/PC versions are based on the previous-generation version and are not covered by this review.)

"The old adage “a tale of two halves” really encapsulates the NBA 2K24 experience. On one hand, the hardcourt experience is as good as it ever has been (as we should demand from a game that iterates annually), and there are a handful of game modes that allow all of that to be enjoyed without interruption. On the other, much more nefarious hand, MyCareer is nearly unplayable unless you open your wallet or endure an absurd grind. Even worse, mechanics like badge regression reinforce the worst parts of the microtransaction scheme. Beneath those issues, NBA 2K24 still offers a solid basketball experience, but it requires looking in the right places. Clearly, there is a love for the game of basketball on display in modes like MyNBA and Mamba Moments. But a lot of that love is lost the moment we’re asked to pay an absurd amount of money to compete in the main multiplayer mode."