All that the game does well is overshadowed by rediculously cheap gameplay.
My record in 2k8 is currently 15-5 and I have yet to be beaten. I havent lost a game without feeling totally cheaped. Winning or losing is entirely up to the cpu in most games. Not the skill of the cpu compared to you or how the teams actually play. No, its the control the cpu has over the ball. The cheating seems so un-needed because the cpu can stick right with you throughout a game playing fair and square without being cheap (mostly) but when they are going to win they do so by being completely cheap.
2k8 does most things very well. The crowd is mostly terrific, getting very loud when they should but they do get overly down everytime the opponent scores. Every single time the away team scores you hear a loud "awww" which is totally overdone. But for the most part the croud is good.
When the gameplay isnt being cheap it feels very good. Pulling up for jumpers and knocking them down feels amazingly satisfying. The only thing that isnt top notch is the animations for crossovers and some post moves. Crossovers are dictated completely by the cpu and the animations are too slow. Some animations take you way too far than they should and its too hard to change direction mid-animation.
Ill say it again- the game dictates too much which is the biggest downfall. Winning or losing is dictated by the cpu and not what happens on the court. The game sacrifices so much to try and keep shooting percentages and other stats close to accurate.
The cpu will cheap you...not beat you. Its such a shame because if the cpu was fair this game would be great. Once you get good the cpu wont outplay you, they will just make sure you lose by any cheap means nessasary. If you reach out and steal the ball or block a shot the cpu will keep possetion 90% of the time. Then they will most likely score because your guys will be out of position. Its very obvious and rediculous. Most of the time when you block a shot on defense it will serve as a pass from one cpu player to another. The ball always seems to fly right to the cpu now matter how unlikely. When you steal the ball it will usually stay convieniently just out of your reach long enough for the cpu player to recover, or they will just pick it back up before you, or your guys will literaly reach out and touch the ball and not pick it up. It simply bounces right off their hands and then a cpu player grabs it. Ive even seen one of my players (who was by far the closest to a loose ball) dive before they were in distance of the ball simply taking themselves out making it impossible to get the ball when all he needed to do was walk over and pick it up. So the cpu got it of course. And loose ball cheapness is not the worst thing the cpu does to cheap you-
Excessive offensive rebounding is another cheap tactic that the cpu will use. On certain possestions the cpu is going to score no matter what, just like sometimes when you have the ball you arent going to score no matter what, regardless of how you play. The cpu will get incredible offensive rebounds over and over. Play good defense and force a tough shot and you can usually tell when its going to happen. No matter of the position of your players or the cpu players, or skill, or size, they are going to get the offensive rebound until they score. A possetion could go like this- Play great defense and force a very tough shot. Two of your guys are in perfect position for the rebound they jump up and touch the ball then a cpu player comes flying in when they would have no chance of getting the rebound and the ball vacuums to them in mid air. The ball touches your teamates hands and then sucks out and suckes into the cpus hand. Then, the cpu goes up for a shot and you block it. They somehow get it back after it bounces of your teamates hands again. They go up and you defend it perfectly and they miss and get an improbable offensive rebound again, same thing happens and they miss again and their point guard jumps over your center to get the ball then scores and gets fouled. Watch the replays, its competely ridiculous.
There are obvious tell-tell signs that let you know you are going to lose. Sometimes the game will pre-determine that your going to lose before the game starts no matter what happens on the court. Missing layups while the cpu makes contested long range jumpers consistently, unstoppable improbable cpu offensive rebounds over and over to the point of madness, fast breaks when you have four guys back and they simply do not pick up one cpu player who cuts to the basket or they do actually guard him but he still manages to score against three defenders. Basically the cpu winning 4 on 2 matchups on a "fast break" with just 2 players. One of my personal favorites is your team failing to get rebounds after free throws. Thats middle school basketball and if it happened this much in the 6th grade it would be embarrasing. The cpu comes down, scores amazingly and gets fouled. They miss the free throw and get the rebound and score again and are fouled......again. Repeat. Some games you feel cheaped almost everytime the cpu scores. I can handle a few backdoor cuts every now and then by the cpu but it gets rediculous when the cpu constantly throws into a crowd of your players and somehow always seem to magically score. Your guys either stand and watch the ball go right by them or they reach out and hit the ball and it still goes right to the cpu. I can also handle a few offensive rebounds that result in second chance points but this also gets completely rediculous and overused to the point of madness. Doesnt get any lamer or cheaper than that.
No matter how good the game is in most areas to be down by 10 points with a few minutes left and work hard to get to the basket only to blow easy layup after layup while the cpu makes contested fadeaways or just keeps getting offensive rebounds until they score is completely cheap and takes any fun out of the game. The cheapness kills the drive to keep playing the game knowing that the cpu will cheap you to win without outplaying you. Its very obvious when you have no chance of winning and the cpu isnt going to outplay you but they will still win. Where is the fun or incentive to continue playing?