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Review: NBA 2K12

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the biggest sports fan. In fact, it’s usually the last thing on my list of ‘things to do for leisure’ in all its forms – both digital and physical. That’s all changed with NBA 2K12; it’s definitely peaked my interest in basketball. Considering how well the game has been polished, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

NBA 2K12 is the 13th title in the award winning NBA 2K series developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K. This year’s release has three unique covers available to purchase representing some of the best players in the NBA over the years — one of the main themes of this NBA 2K release. Building on NBA 2K11’s “Michael Jordan Challenges”, Visual Concepts has provided players with 15 of the NBA’s greatest players and their teams from the past 40 years of NBA history. It’s a great addition to the game and every team you play as or against is unlockable for future use.

Gameplay is very similar to last year’s release; the games are still presented like those you would watch on TV, product advertisements, highly energetic commentators and all. Taking this one step further, game presentation is also contextual to the era you’re playing from. Some games for example are presented in black and white. Believe me when I say this: it’s an amazing feature to be able to experience games like this.

“My Player” returns this release with a more streamlined approach getting you into the thick of things much quicker than last year; it’s a much welcomed addition. The trade off however, is that now it takes longer to build your players stats once you’ve been drafted to a team. “My Player” isn’t for the impatient.

Online functionality is so ingrained in titles these days and NBA 2K12 is no different. On first boot up of the game, you’re asked to create a My2K account. 2K has been refining their online presence in NBA 2K with each release, and they’ve created a very social platform for players to interact on. Social media is perhaps one of the most impressive features this year, with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube integration all being options for players. Of course, these can also be simply ignored if you don’t want to make use of them. If that’s the case, it still provides access to countless player stats and news announcements direct from 2K.

Graphically, the game looks fantastic. From the courts, to the audience, to the players themselves, there’s a lot of detail that went into the game’s presentation. The animations are smooth and flow into each other, removing that jarring effect you often see with some titles. One bad thing that could be said of the presentation is how some faces and hair are rendered for some of the characters. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Why should I care about their hair?” For the most part I would agree with you, but when you have the camera cut from player to player in between plays and the hair of one particular character looks like a flat mop, it pulls you out of that immersive zone where you believe you’re watching an actual game.

NBA 2K12 continues to raise the bar in NBA 2K series. There’s more than enough here to justify a purchase for fans who own previous versions, and newcomers to the series aren’t going to be disappointed. That being said, if you’re not a basketball fan, there’s no real reason to pick this up. It is a simulation of the sport after all.

 

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About the author

Trent Watherston

A Sydneysider with a penchant for gaming and trophy collecting. Known to strum the guitar in both plastic and wooden forms.