In the eyes of many basketball loving gamers, 2K Sports and the team at Visual Concepts have produced the NBA 2K series to be the reigning king of the court for years. With the release of NBA 2K16, the franchise looks to continue its dynasty run even as EA Sports’ NBA Live series attempts to mount a comeback. Armed with more than a few improvements over last year’s entry, NBA 2K16 can bear the franchise name proudly but there are also more than a few shortcomings this year that may have just opened the door just enough to get a few fans looking at the game across town. Player models are lifelike, arenas are buzzing with life, and there’s phenomenal attention to detail. In all, the screens captured via Share do no justice to the beauty of this game. 2KTV is a smart addition as a video channel on the main menu which houses a weekly show filled with interviews and matches.
 
My only dislike on the aesthetic side is with the UI change which now makes some menus too obscured or cluttered. Musical selections will obviously boil down to personal preference, but I don’t rate NBA 2K16’s tracklist as highly as past iterations. Commentary is still superb and continues to set an unreachable standard for the genre, providing such natural and informative conversation. Super sound effects in the arena add another layer to the faux reality you can’t help but be immersed in - especially towards the tense finale of big games crowd atmosphere ramps up well. One addition for 2K16 is a mini Shaq & Ernie pre-game show (shown below) to disguise the load screens. NBA legend O’Neal provides his typically understated voice acting but his opinion on current players works well to complete the broadcast experience.
 
MyGM is probably the most in depth mode in terms of team management in the game. Consider it similar to any management title you may have played with the addition of having the choice to play each game yourself. You choose which franchise you wish to manage and then work with the owner to reach goals, like qualifying for the play-offs, managing the budget of the team, scouting for new talent, interacting with players to get the best performance out of them, and sorting out your team’s tactics. You essentially control every bit of the club and can style it to your own preferences.
 
As well the as graphics being top notch, thankfully gameplay matches it in almost every way. For the first time in a long while for this series, it is now possible to run successful fast break plays with ease. These often end in spectacular dunks, which by the way get automatically saved to your video clips, saving you the hassle of pressing the share button on your controller when you finish off a breathtaking play. Physics have also been vastly improved, battles in the paint now look far more natural, and it is very rare to see any clipping of players limbs and bodies. Other thing’s like the spacing on the court to get a open shot, and the lack of players just barging their way though their opponents to the hoop also help add to the experience of a game, that is getting as close to real basketball as a video game possibly can be.
 
I don't say this often if at all about sports games, but 2K16's defense may actually be more fun to play than offense. The game does a great job of telling me who I should be covering with tiny blue arrows pointing to that player, and sticking with that player is a simple matter of patience just like the real thing. Press a button to steal the ball before I should and I give up a foul, or if I get fooled on a pump fake the opponent is running around me and scoring an easy two. It's on me to dictate how my defenses perform, and that's exactly how the game should be.
 
It all adds up to another effective outing from NBA 2K16. Slight issues remain; the visuals haven’t really taken a step forward (although crowds seem more animated and a few little things will catch your eye), and there those mismatch issues. And at times, tiny text will be a pain to read, even on a 50-inch TV. But this is still scores points as a solid brand of video game hoops.