Gamers love sports titles; just don’t get them started on which is the best. If you’re a fan of soccer, then the FIFA or Pro Evo franchises set the standard as the games to beat. Perhaps you prefer another type of football. Then anything with Madden in the title will get your vote. As you can imagine, lovers of the NHL haven’t been abandoned by the creators of Xbox games either. The best of the NHL games brings the speed and ferocity of ice hockey to the smooth and user-friendly controls of Xbox.
One sports gaming series that can hold its own against anything mentioned on this page is the NBA 2K Games titles. These are big sellers, netting developers millions in profits as the number of sales and online players continues to grow. There’s nothing more appealing to a basketball lover and gamer than the 2K series, but it is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success. We have witnessed some truly memorable NBA releases from 2K Games over the years, and it begs the question, can they keep improving or have we already seen the best it has to offer?
The NBA is the biggest in the United States, and that’s where most fans are based. It’s where the largest number of fixtures are televised and, since 2018, the nation responsible for the most gamblers who like to bet on NBA games and markets, including match winners, total points and handicaps. Canada ranks second, with the likes of the United Kingdom and other major European countries closely behind.
We must bide our time
It could be years before we have enough evidence to compare NBA 2K with the likes of EA Sports FIFA or those Madden favorites that continue to fly off the shelf the minute they are released. One way we can test the progress is to look at how the latest release measures up against the expectations of fans. Is the series going from strength to strength? Our unique review of NBA 2K23 will let fans know exactly where they stand.
The NBA is popular with sports fans and bettors due to its high energy, unpredictability and excitement. It’s for those reasons that the sport lends itself so well to gameplay, but NBA 2K23 was set a high standard by its predecessors. Fans of the series now know what’s possible, but they also want to see developers continually push boundaries, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. Thankfully, 2K23 manages to achieve this and then some. Fans of the title will be impressed, as will lovers of sports gaming who are trying out the 2K series of Xbox games for the first time.
The great thing about 2K23 is you don’t have to be a lover of professional basketball to appreciate this title. Even if you don’t follow the NBA, aren’t aware of any of the top players and have a basic idea of the teams involved, you’ll still enjoy this game. That’s because the play is smooth, uncomplicated and responsive. It’s more than quick enough to keep up with the demands of a free-flowing basketball match, swinging end to end and producing high scores and even more chances to net. You will marvel at the ease with which you can pass the ball around the court, and it won’t take long before you have mastered scoring or shooting from distance for those all-important three-pointers. Once you’ve nailed the basics, there are plenty of trick shots and skills to work on that will make the play even more spectacular.
One note of caution if you intend on purchasing this title, you’ll need more than 150GB to download it to your Xbox. But we know that means it’s going to be great. Professional basketball is a complicated and complex game, but 2K23 does a great job of keeping it as smooth as possible. With the FIFA soccer games, for example, the volume of moves, tackles and saves available to players can make the controls seem overbearing, but that’s not the case with NBA 2K23. Developers understand the need to make it as close to reality as possible, but you won’t need to be a skilled player to enjoy this game.
