Telling a story is something video games have attempted to do since their inception. For years, people have worked tirelessly on providing a narrative through-line within their projects. However, one genre that has avoided this is sports. It has never seemed possible to integrate a story into a game so focused on athletic competition. This year, that has changed in NBA 2K16, which has been decreed a “Spike Lee joint.” The NBA 2K series has always been considered one of the best sports franchises, and this go-around 2K proved they are more than willing to take a few risks. True, these are replays and not standard gameplay, but the NBA 2K series has always been robust with its replay frequency and camera angles, so it's fair to say these are the kinds of things you'll get when NBA 2K16 launches in a month.

 

2K Sports has also played a game of cat-and-mouse over the years, dropping in hints and clues at what they've done to refine the gameplay in a best-in-class sports series. IGN gave NBA 2K16 a 9 out of 10 rating and said, "NBA 2K16 is a great representation of the sport of basketball, and it plays like a dream -- both online and off." Sporting News was even more generous in their review of NBA 2K16. They called it "the most impressive sports game ever assembled." "Our goal was simple, make NBA 2K16 the most playable, authentic basketball experience ever," said Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts. "The development team demonstrated tremendous dedication to recreating every nuance of the sport both on and off-court, which has been the driving force behind our early success." 

 

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the new MyCareer mode, directed by New York Knicks mega fan, Spike Lee. Before release, we were told how the story would feature 12 hours of “in-game drama” and that it would feel more like a real story akin to the Hollywood films that Spike has helmed in his career. Unfortunately, I found the story to be a little tedious, making you feel more of a spectator than the actual focus of it. There are no dialogue choices or different paths to proceed down and you kind of feel a little redundant in your own career. As for the acting, the ham-fisted performances and stereotypes took a lot away from the smart and engaging plot. On the whole though, the Spike Lee joint is a valiant effort to push into the fold of sports storytelling in video games, with lots to enjoy as you reach your goal of being the new Steph Curry or Lebron James.

 

Another impressive part of NBA 2K is the robust multiplayer options available. The Pro Am mode replaces Jordan Rec Center giving players the opportunity to band together under a created team with customizable options for jerseys and arenas. There’s still MyPark which allows players to take their MyCareer players to an online hub with more of a Rucker Park kind of vibe. Lastly, you still have the option to play in a more traditional online setting, pickings teams and playing one-off games. The Pro Am and MyPark modes can only be accessed after you’ve created a MyCareer player. So you’ll have to invest heavily in that experience before jumping in. But playing as part of a collective team is fun, though putting a game together in MyPark still isn’t as easy as you would hope. The multiplayer options are interesting, but they’re not the reason to pick up NBA 2K16.

 

NBA 2K16 isn’t a huge jump over NBA 2K15 in the graphics department, but it remains an incredible looking game. The commentary also continues to be the best of any sports game so far, and with the addition of the pre and post game shows to MyCareer, you get much more analysis of players and teams through the game. If you’re a basketball fan, then NBA 2K16 is definitely worth picking up. It has all the experiences you would want in a basketball game, and is easily one of the more entertaining sports games to pick up. However, the Livin Da Dream story from Spike Lee replacing a key part of MyCareer feels like a misstep, and I’d much rather have the full rookie season experience to hone my player’s skills. Overall though NBA 2K16 is a solid game that has great gameplay, and fantastic presentation.