Next Gen's first attempt at basketball greatness...
One day, I stumbled across ESPN NBA 2K5 - I havent looked back since.
Although the gameplay isnt perfect on 2K, it is as good as it gets. The models even on current gen looked a lot more realistic than Live, the game played more fluently and players actually felt like players, rather than superhuman ghosts. But this isnt current gen, how did next gen play?
My first impressions, even on a non HD tv, were WOW. This looks and feels real graphically for the most of it. The presentation at the start was refreshing, the quarterly reports were awesome, and the half time replays showed the entire play instead of just a photo. Needless to say, I though this was it - the pinnacle of basketball.
However, after playing a few games, the bad elements crept into it. The computer AI for instance would be the biggest let down. They do nothing to help you out on defence, but when against you it can be made really difficult to score (even with a wide open 10 ft shot and perfect release, it would miss very often on top difficulty). There are way too many dunks, and players with poor shooting ability start nailing shots from three and deep two with a rating of 56 (for the computer of course!). As for the other game modes, 24/7 is okay, but for the most is just a huge drag. I always felt that a mode like this should either let you start with a player from scratch, or pick a current NBA player and work your way through streetballers (and the occasional star), rather than just play 8 NBA stars at each capital. Also - why oh why is there a "reverse controls" match, and why the computer isnt limited to the same shots as you in certain games I fail to understand.
Association is pretty good, but could do with a bit more player interaction I feel. Practises are always just with one player, which needs to change to incorporate team exercises.
All in all, it was a good attempt, but I will be eagerly anticipating the next installment (already on pre-order).