Visual Concepts is overhauling several aspects of ESPN NBA for the 2K5 edition. Click "Stream for Free" for higher resolution.

The NBA season is just around the corner, which means another season of Vlade Divac flopping on the hardwood every time the likes of Earl Boykins breathes on him. The new season also means another release in ESPN's NBA 2K franchise is pending. Visual Concepts recently brought a beta version of NBA 2K5 by our office, and what we saw of the game left us hungry for more.

This year, the developer has performed a substantial overhaul on several aspects of 2K5's on-the-court gameplay, including player movement and both the offensive and defensive artificial intelligence. In addition, there are a number of control tweaks that have further enhanced gameplay.

Player movement has been given a considerable upgrade this year. What the Visual Concepts folks refer to as "the next movement" basically means that players move with a much more tangible sense of weight. No longer can players accelerate instantly to a full sprint simply because you have pressed forward on the thumbstick. Instead, movement is regulated by a more realistic sense of weight transfer, which is especially noticeable during stops and starts. Players must work up to full speed and, conversely, take a bit longer when stopping.

While this momentum-based movement system will affect your offensive moves toward the basket, it may also change your approach to defense. No longer will a slowpoke like Rick Fox suddenly burn you out of nowhere with a turbocharged drive toward the basket, as was the case in previous years. Instead, the "wind-up" movement of an accelerating player will be a tip-off as to the direction he is headed, meaning you'll have a better shot of cutting him off if you pay attention and react accordingly.

While defensive options have improved, Visual Concepts was quick to point out that there are just as many tweaks on the offensive side of the ball. Basically, the entire approach to game development has been focused on balance. As a result, a large number of interesting and realistic ball and player movements have been incorporated into the game. However, to ensure even, balanced gameplay, there is always a counter to offensive plays when on D.

Fans of the NBA2K series either loved or hated the isomotion feature, which was introduced just last year. This dribble feature let you pull off complicated juke moves and crossovers as you drove toward the basket. This year, the system is back in the form of isomotion2, and it offers more moves, more multiplayer animations, and a number of different ways to change the ball position as a play unfolds. We were fortunate enough to have witnessed the dramatic midair isomotion options, which even let you change the direction of a layup while the offensive player was in midleap.

In an effort to improve (and perhaps to reintroduce) play-calling in the NBA 2K series, Visual Concepts has simplified the controls for calling plays. You can still adjust your strategies on the fly with a few simple button presses. However, for those who can't tell the difference between the triangle and a full-court press, the inclusion of an adjustable tempo meter is a welcome addition. By taking the tempo down a few notches, you can have your players crash the boards and make extra efforts to grab rebounds. Conversely, speeding up the game means your players will head down court as soon as a shot is in the air, looking to open up the court to create some fast-break opportunities. Tempo also affects your offensive game, so a slow tempo forces the offense outside to take more Js, while an up-tempo defense is always looking for the steal and is hustling to block shots. As you might expect, a quicker tempo means players fatigue quickly, so you'll need to adjust your lineups accordingly, depending on your style of play.

Your players' movement is properly weighted in 2K5, giving stops and starts more-realistic momentum.

NBA 2K5's franchise mode returns under a new moniker--the association. The biggest change this year is an alternative method for simulating games that you don't want to control directly. In previous versions of the NBA 2K series (and in most sports game franchise modes, for that matter), simulating games you don't want to play leaves you with minimal control over their outcomes. As such, the result can be a painful losing streak if you're not careful.

By using NBA 2K5's "full authority" simulation mode, you will still be able to simulate one or more games, but, much like a coach mode in a football title, you can have indirect input in the outcome of your simmed games. In fact, the amount of coaching options you have is surprising--and you can even control the number and type of shots a given player will take per quarter. Once a quarter has been played, you will be shown a brief video recap of the highlights (or lowlights) of that quarter. You can then make adjustments accordingly, subbing in fresh players off the bench, tweaking shot attempts, and making defensive adjustments as needed.