NBA 2K23 review: Jordan Challenge and MyNBA Eras vs. microtransactions

No doubt that NBA 2K23 This is either the best work of the entire series or in sports videogaming in general. What percentage of the incredible depth it offers will most gamers ever experience?

It only took about 20 minutes — none of that spent in a game — to amaze me. All I did was go into MyNBA Eras, which is the new historical mode/franchise simulator hybrid that allows players to rewrite history in ways I didn’t anticipate. The only thing I wanted was to find out what the Kings did in Kansas City when they left in 1985 for Sacramento. Evidently, I was aware that franchises could be prevented from moving; 2K Sports made sure to highlight this crowd-pleasing fact earlier in the summer.

What I didn’t expect was everything else that happened at the offseason league meetings — mostly because I haven’t played MyNBA that much since the mode was overhauled two years ago. Overriding ownership’s vetoes for a 45 second shot clock and a seven team tournament to decide draft order, I saw them all year. The best way to rewrite history is to take the 1984 MVP award from Larry Bird and give it Moses Malone.

This is in addition to all of the standard things I could have done as the Kings’ general manager, but chose to simply automate for the sake of seeing how the not-Sacramento Kings looked in 1986. Somehow I ended up with NBA Hall-of-Famers John Stockton and Patrick Ewing — that’s what a draft tournament can do for you! — facing Ralph Sampson and Michael Jordan The Houston Rockets opening day.

Even Jordan’s boyhood idol — N.C. State legend David Thompson — was still in the league, with Golden State, rated 83. MyNBA Eras allows you to start a franchise starting from today (the 2022/23 season), or at three historic points (1992-92, 2002-03 or 1983-84). Thompson missed the entire 1983-84 season due to his addiction. By age 29, he had retired from professional basketball. This tragedy is rare in MyNBA Eras.

Image: Visual Concepts/2K sports

This is a level of historical revision I’d expect to find in a PC management simulation, not a console game, and certainly not one that also packs in the museum showpiece of the Jordan Challenge and a full WNBA career mode, now in its third year, for both individual players and clubs. Since the Jordan Challenge last appeared in 2010, the NBA 2K series has been what I call a “desert island” game — as in, with it and a console (and power), you could ride out isolation for a year. NBA 2K23 It is a game that aims to get you from Mars. You can go back.

And yet, all of that value — which you get in the base game — feels threatened by the enormous audiences for MyCareer and MyTeam, and the game’s own relentless calls to spend extra money in both of those modes. Don’t get me wrong; I play them along with millions of others, and particularly enjoy MyCareer’s immersive lifestyle elements. I also have spent time with MyCareer. It is shameful amount of money on my created characters’ progression and costuming. MyTeam and MyCareer offer fast highs because of their smaller playing environments and instant rewards. And though I’ve so far managed to resist the siren’s song to top up my Virtual Currency, the review copy 2K Sports provided me is the $99.99 Michael Jordan Edition, which starts players with 100,000 VC.

Visual Concepts realized that many people in the City may not be seeing the full game. There’s a huge landmark where players are told about the Jordan Challenge (and can even launch right into it from MyCareer), for example, and there are in-world rewards galore if you can complete 40 of the mode’s 45 objectives.

Image: Visual Concepts/2K sports

The Jordan Challenge offers a small taste of MyNBA Eras immersion. The showcase, which we’ve already previewed in great detail, is a period-perfect presentation of 15 games in his career, complete with a broadcast TV look and feel that includes old-school chyrons, CRT and scan-line filters, and even commentary from one of the actual announcers who followed most of Jordan’s career, NBC’s Mike Fratello. You’ll get all of these features for your games in MyNBA Eras, too. What you won’t get are the breathtaking — I mean, virtuoso — cutscene reproductions of Jordan’s biggest highlights when you three-star a game.

You will be able to see the different gameplay settings that Visual Concepts used for each Era. It is almost like the studio was building four distinct games. Example: While playing the Bad Boys Detroit Pistons 1989 team with Jordan, I was able to get a step up against Jordan on a drive that I could finish in my sleep without the help of my MyCareer player. But 6-10 Rick Mahorn stepped over and absolutely clotheslined me with a tangle of arms and legs that I’ve not seen before. In those days the NBA was more athletic than it is today. NBA 2K23 really made me feel the bullseye that Jordan had on his back — which made me appreciate all of his feats, despite the physicality, even more.

There are many modifications in the shooting, defense and other player behaviors in the current (and main) game. I see developers moving closer to authenticity in an never ending pursuit. Still, I don’t feel that I’ve truly “gotten” them yet, so judging their effectiveness is hard. From what I have heard on social media, and read from others, there’s broad consensus that shooting is more difficult this year, even as the game gives players new menu options to give themselves a greater window on their release point.

It’s hard to explain, but shooting with the shot meter in past editions (as opposed to just using a player’s ratings and a background dice roll) has seemed either inscrutably tough or overpowered (particularly in the hands of skilled users online). 2K Sports seems to want people to focus more on watching their player’s animation, as opposed to a meter, and release either the shot stick or the X/Square button when they see him at the top of their jumper. You have four options. They range from Very Early release to Very Late.

Image: Visual Concepts/2K sports

I still haven’t figured out which ones are really for me, though. Some days I think I’m an early guy, then I’m rebounding my shot meter back into late territory, so I swap over to that. I then get shot feedback that says I have an early or slightly earlier release for a mid-range jumper I should be able to nail quickly. I sometimes can’t tell if my ratings are taking over (my MyCareer player, where I’m having the most trouble, is a 76 overall) or if I’m not focusing on my technique properly. Without a clearer tutorial than those provided, I’m likely to just shoot percentages again and ignore the meter.

On the flip side, there’s off-the-ball player behavior that had my created center dishing out three assists in his first game for the Charlotte Hornets — for reference, I went half a season before I got that many in a game in NBA 2K22. Standing 15 feet from the basket at the baseline was refreshing. I could see my AI teammate blink behind me when the shot clock reached 5. This allowed for an easy back-to-back pass, which resulted in two points. My teammates did not follow the play plan, unless I called for pick-and-rolls last year.

There’s a new “get open” pass that I need to spend some more time in the game’s practice mode learning how to wing-off, though. It resembles the “lead to basket pass,” introduced in NBA 2K21 But which I often forget to use. The passes I completed above were all initiated by the AI — which is great — but “player get open” requires holding down B/Circle, waiting for the AI player to recognize the call (signified by a basketball icon under him), and then hitting A/X at the right moment. I had some situations where teammates didn’t seem to pick up the get-open command. That’s probably because it can be counter-intuitive to flick the left stick at the guy you want to get open an instant before holding down the button.

A new shading system for on-ball defence is a significant improvement to defense. However, it may be difficult at first. The left stick button will allow the defender adjust to the most effective area against the ballhandler by pressing it. If an opponent does move in that direction (and the defender follows), they’re going to be a lot less effective, either getting to the basket or taking their shot. It’s a lot to understand in the moment, and it’s tough to grasp how I can use the shading to force turnovers, as opposed to just reacting to someone’s movement and attempting an on-ball steal. It feels like a more visual callout of last year’s system, in which correctly guessing a ball-handler’s step would place them at greater risk of a steal or picking up their dribble. However, this is combined with a decrease in power on blocks or straight steals. NBA 2K23 It is better to emphasize fundamental on-theball defense than dramatic attempts to stop a game.

Image: Visual Concepts/2K sports

It is possible to do a lot with this information NBA 2K23 Its restive community, influencers and others like me are still able to provide much of the evaluation. But NBA 2K23’s appeal and value, for once in a very long time, far outweighs its raw and constant calls to spend money, and the guilt and icky feelings that brings. Visual Concepts didn’t do anything for the franchise program, which I mentioned back in August. You can also go to MyNBA Eras for a free rewrite of 40 years worth of history if you really find microtransactions bothersome.

NBA 2K23 Launched September 9, 2009. PlayStation 5And Xbox Series XAlso, versions that lack many of the features mentioned in this review have been launched. Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, WindowsPC and Xbox One. This game was tested on Xbox Series X with a pre-release code supplied by 2K Sports. Vox Media also has affiliate relationships. They do not affect editorial content. However, Vox Media might earn commissions for products bought via affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.