NBA 2k13 review

NBA 2k13 review 2012-10-20

We have a go at the latest and greatest NBA game produced by multi-platinum recording artist JAY Z. Firstly I have to add a large disclaimer to this review. As a South African gamer I have little to no idea when it comes to the intricacies of basketball. In fact out of all American sports, …

We have a go at the latest and greatest NBA game produced by multi-platinum recording artist JAY Z.

Firstly I have to add a large disclaimer to this review. As a South African gamer I have little to no idea when it comes to the intricacies of basketball. In fact out of all American sports, the one that I know least about, this would be it. So when I inserted the NBA 2k13 disc into my Xbox I was totally unprepared for what was to come.

Presentation

So you are aware that JAY Z was involved in the production of the game, but it’s not just the soundtrack, he influenced the presentation and overall style of the game. This is quite apparent when you boot it up for the first time, it feels like you are trapped within a JAY Z music video. Dont get me wrong the gangster feel to the game and the integration of the tracks is great, but it does lack variety and feels a bit over the top JAY Z centric. Before each game you get an intro with some JAY Z music and live action shots to get you hyped up for the game, which actually works really well.

When my first game fired up I was very impressed with the graphics and movement of the players. The game felt natural (as far as I can tell not having actually watched a full NBA game before) and the AI movement off the ball was good.

Gameplay

After 10 minutes of getting destroyed on the court I decided that I needed to take a step back and go through the tutorial. I had no idea there were so many variations on shooting! As far as I was concerned there were three types of shots, a long 3-pointer, a standard 2-pointer and a slam dunk. NBA 2k13 however, provides a multitude of variations when shooting, bringing a massive amount of depth to the gameplay that NBA veterans will love.

They have also added a new feature called the Dynamic SHot Generator which makes use of a control stick when shooting to provide a far more realistic shot variety. NBA 2k13 provides oodles of hardcore basketball realism which makes for a brilliant basketball experience but it is not a title that is very noobie friendly. The tutorials focus more on the advanced techniques and not so much on how to get to grips with the general gameplay. This makes it a tough game to get into unless you have played a lot of NBA titles before.

Story

There is a fair amount of content within NBA 2k13 that will keep you playing for quite some time. The career mode features the ability to create a custom MyPlayer and equip him with Signature Skills and unique animations. As you play through you will unlock new endorsement paths as well as all new casual clothing and equipment. NBA 2k13 also takes a dive into the history books with the ability to play as Michael Jordans 1992 dream team as well as many other historical teams and players.

Its probably worth a mention that the game also features the unlikely figure of Justin Bieber. Yeah you just read that. The teen pop star leads a 2K13 Celebrity team that includes JB Smoove, Bow Wow, and others. This does provide you with a once in a lifetime chance to elbow JB in the face…

NBA 2k13 was developed by Visual Concepts and published 2K Games. Our review is based on the Xbox 360 version. It is also available for the PC & PlayStation 3.

NBA 2k13 review 2012-10-20

We have a go at the latest and greatest NBA game produced by multi-platinum recording artist JAY Z. Firstly I have to add a large disclaimer to this review. As a South African gamer I have little to no idea when it comes to the intricacies of basketball. In fact out of all American sports, …