When I first downloaded this game on Playstation 3 as one of the new games for the Playstation Plus lineup, I was very excited. I mean, so far every game they've given me to play has been fun if not totally stellar, so why would this one be any different? Enter NBA 2K14. Coming from someone who has played games for over 30 years, I can say with absolute certainty that this is the worst basketball game I've ever played or even heard of.
The controls of this game were designed and implemented by a pair of gibbons, so I won't be too harsh.... That being said, when you want to do something simple like say make an attempt at stealing the ball or block a shot, your player will end approximately 7 feet from where he was standing before, swatting at thin air. When you want to do something more fancy, like spin moves, you're forced to wait a full 5 seconds for the move to execute, and at the end of the move, you're most likely going to be way out of position for your next move. Even basic controls such as running can get out of hand at times.. and when I say the controls favor putting you out of position I mean that in a game breaking way. On defense you're usually better just not pressing any buttons at all, and on offense you have far more chances of making a play when you ignore the right stick altogether. Additionally, the menu overlays are a nightmare of useless categories and insulting load times and cause such issues at times that I wouldn't be surprised if some people don't play this game based on the menus alone.
Next lets hit the graphics, which many 'paid' reviews speak very highly of. (gamestop, gamespot, EGM, etc.) The first thing I noticed about 2K14 was that many of the images looked out of place and grainy, while others were of a very high resolution. The result of this is a patchwork mess of visuals where almost everything on and off the court seems slightly out of place.
The sounds aren't much better, with unimpressive and oddly dated music, glitchy vocals, and poorly captured sound effects.
The only upside to this failure of a game is that if you take away everything I've spoken of here (controls, graphics, and sound) then you're left with a core basketball concept that actually seems doable. I especially like the concept of the My Career mode, though it is the most unplayable part of the game.
With terrible play controls, a lackluster appearance, and horrendous AI, I would go as far as to say that NBA 2K14 is an insult to true gamers across the board, and I, for one, will NEVER play another 2K product as long as I live.
<<1/10>> Total Fail