A truly impressive basketball game that doesn't quite live up to the excellence of the previous games in the series.
ESPN NBA 2K4 was pure genius; the gameplay flowed beautifully, the graphics were revolutionary, and the different mode selections were innovative indeed. It was a perfect jump from the excellence of 2K3. 2K5 seems to have achieved a less substantial leap than its predecessor. Don't get me wrong, it's still just as addictive, and the graphics have improved as expected. However, the gameplay has gone a bit backward.
Graphics: 9/10
I give the graphics of this particular game a nine for two distinct reasons. Firstly, there's nothing particularly "wrong" with them. In relation to Live and any other NBA game series' out on the market, they reign supreme. Second, if any category was improved upon most from 2K4, it is graphics. They look good, smooth, and realistic as any sports game out there and truly amazing for how many players need be animated. The audience has become even more detailed than before, and the players on the bench look nearly as good as the players on the court (though that may be partially due to the far away camera angle.)
Sound: 6/10
In the category of sound, 2K5 lacks any particular greatness. The announcing is fairly coherent, but lacking in any real emotion. The real let down in sound is music, which under most circumstances is so horrible I’m forced to turn off the sound. Honestly. The mindless, idiotic rap that is housed in nearly every menu song will drive you bananas, so I suggest you do the same. Thankfully, it doesn’t really affect the entirety of the game.
Gameplay: 9/10
Know now that the gameplay in this game isn’t “bad” per say. In fact, it’s quite, quite good. However, in relation to the elite greatness of the previous games and the expectance of an even greater gameplay system, the gameplay is quite a let down. The flowing feeling of the last game is lost, and replaced with more choppy movement. The ability to drive in the lane, which was a bit too easy in the last game, is now ridiculously too hard, to the point that Kobe gets the ball stolen from him with ease by Bonzi Wells. Not realistic whatsoever.
Still, the gameplay is impressive in quite a few ways, and remains excellent overall. It’s just a bit disappointing.
I could go on ranting/raving about the good/bad of ESPN NBA 2K5, but I’ll just wrap it up here. It’s a great game, despite whatever qualms I may still have with it. For $20, it’s the biggest retail steal on the gaming market.
8.7/10