Gone is the NBA draft and instead you are an undrafted free agent that will fight your way onto a team. This is a cool concept that allows you to control your destiny a bit more as you now will go to a team’s workout and have to perform to a certain Grade in order to make their team. The better the team the higher the grade you will need to make the cut so don’t expect to make your favorite team off the bat. Also expect, if you do make a team, to be relegated to a 10 day contract and still have to battle to stay and have your contract renewed.

 

You can also play a version of this mode using any player in the league, be he superstar or scrub. However, it's way more interesting to craft your own superstar and put him through the paces of the league. If you want to be a diva, demanding trades and generally invoking the wrath of the fans for financial gain, you can do so. If you're a total team player that doesn't mind giving up minutes for a solid sixth-man status, you can do that too. It's detailed in all the right ways, and feels far less sterile than nearly all other attempts to do anything like this.

 

This doesn't really impact gameplay or happen too frequently. It's more of a small aesthetic issue. As negatives go, that's all I found as it relates to gameplay. There's been a plethora of functionality added to the strategy side as well. Gamers can again adjust defensive strategies for each player on the opposing team. Point of Emphasis is back, but it's placed in the proper perspective as a team wide strategy. Last year, it was just about the only coaching angle a gamer could take, and it left the defense without enough options against big-time scorers.

 

Jayson Young took a good look at MyCareer mode, which features a rewritten story, putting you as an undrafted rookie trying to claw your way into the NBA. I enjoy NBA 2K16’s fresh take on this story and I expect to continue playing this mode throughout the next year - when the servers permit, of course. I particularly like how improving your player’s attributes now comes down to investing in different “buckets” of skills, such as playmaking, inside scoring, and defending. It feels more intuitive than being bombarded with dozens of different ratings that need improving.

 

Likewise, attributes affecting defense, play-making, inside shooting, and athleticism can all be upgraded in groups, thus making it simpler to create an all-around superstar. A significant amount of game experience is still necessary to obtain the credits necessary for significant progression, but this easier-to-understand system allows players to grasp NBA 2K16’s role-playing mechanics at a quicker pace. MyPark mode is another nice addition to the series where you can join up with friends and form a squad with their created players. If everyone has used the face scanner, you may actually recognize the faces you are playing with.

 

Your MyPark Rep is your overall grade from MyPark games and rates not only rates your skills as a shooter, but also includes how well you play as a teammate. Taking a tough, inside shot might be worth less rep points than a pass to an unguarded guy on the outside. Team work should be key to a successful game plan and execution, and 2K16 rewards you accordingly. On the hardwood, NBA 2K16's outlook brightens. The gameplay is largely improved thanks to a refined A.I. system. Players move with purpose across the court, setting up off-ball screens, spacing to open up isolation plays, and effectively defending pick and rolls. To help newcomers better understand the shooting styles of the various NBA players, Visual Concepts added a new shot meter that visualizes the right time to release the ball.

 

While some may find this helpful, I found it distracting and eventually turned it off because my eyes were locking on the meter instead of watching the court. The other ground-breaking feature in 2K16 is the new “face scan” capabilities on the next-gen consoles. The idea is to use the camera on the PS4 and Xbox One to, well, scan your face into the game. When done correctly, it actually works very well. Overall, the verdict is in. Despite a few hiccups, which were bound to happen with fresh release, NBA 2K16 does not disappoint. All the improvements from 2K14, already a good game in itself, just brings 2K16 over the edge of awesome NBA goodness that 2K games fans have come to expect and love.