I admit, I did over-hype this game at least a bit... but why justify, here are my opinions of this game so far...
I have to admit, I am impressed with effort that was put into this game with not only creating all of the single player signature shots, but also the added animation effects, and a new 24/7 mode.
There are some of those annoying bugs that can repeat themselves at times, that just make you remember some of the hell you had to face in 2k6. (Includes graphical, gameplay and other minor areas).
Overall though, this game is worth playing. Here are the reasons for my review.
Gameplay: 9/10
Reasons: Look... even with the annoying defensive issues (that can easily be adjusted by perfecting the sliders), this game is absolutely incredible. There are realistic stats throughout most of the games at almost any length quarters. Signature shots look great for most players, and not so good for others (i.e: Chris Bosh). They have put a lot of effort into perfecting the movement, plays and overall feel of the NBA basketball sequence. The only thing that haunts this game, are previous bugs that just have not been resolved. Some of these include:
- Shorts/ Jerseys ripping off (tiniest bug)
- Players running into team-mates and defenders while moving up the court
- Unreliable passes ( at times.. which could probably be resolved by lowering defensive sliders. I already know this, so I will experiment even though I have lowered some already)
- Hands not grabbing onto the ball, or grabbing onto the rim after a dunk
- At certain times, legs are known to glitch while running
- Players stepping to the in-bound after a Icon pass is executed near the 3pt line, or mid-range area
As you can see, those are very minor bugs...which can possibly be solved (i.e the passing interceptions) by sliders. They really don't affect the game overall, because the new dunk animations (monstrous), layup animations (beautiful) and signature shots (near perfect..or described as amazing for a first time attempt at that alone), some of the plays you can create, and some of the one touch passes that lead to monstrous throwdowns or regular good looking finishes.
The gameplay aspect of this game is something revolutionary to many of us regular basketball players, and overall NBA fans.
Everyone has been anticipating the 24/7 mode..but from what I have experienced so far, it's nothing to really use your time for in this game. Sure it may be improved, and it may have an okay storyline....but the voice acting, silent NBA players, along with the same idea of past 24/7 modes (play NBA players in games to build repuatation so you can take on legends, or participate in a special event), just really ruin it overall. Some great features of this mode are the awesome street ball moves that you can pull off, along with the fact that you learn them all from beating specific NBA players. That is the main reason I am doing this in the first place, so you can explain your own reasons once you rent/buy the game
Note: You can customize your shot to compare it to many NBA Players' shooting forms. You can also determine what kind of a post player you are. Whether it's being an athletic 6'4 SG, to being a 6'7 "strong" finisher inside. It all depends on what you want to be.
While playing, certain players are clutch, and certain players are not. You can choose who to take the shot with, and when to do it. One important thing that you always have to remember before buying this is... don't ever get frustrated. It will take maybe an hour to learn how to play the game, but it will take months and months to perfect your skill in it. You should also look into playing in higher difficulty levels, as the Artificial intelligence can lack sufficiency at lower levels.
Graphics: 8/10
Reasons: While MANY player models look way off, or downright ridiculous, you can't help but to respect the overall look of the game. The fans getting out of their seats to buy drinks, the arenas with attention to detail (not in all arenas), the players coming to the scorers table when about to sub-in.. and even some of the amazing looking player models with their realisic jersey/sweat physics. They may not all be the greatest, but it is definitely something to see.
Unfortunately, an 8 is the highest I can rate this game in terms of graphics. There is no way it deserves a 9 or a 10 as it is some-what of a letdown... Lets be thankful that the gameplay really evens things out, and stands above anything else in this game.
Sound: 7/10
Reasons: The commentating of this game has been almost completely recycled from last year's version. Kevin Harlan and Kenny Smith are what kills the feel of this game realisticaly(when paying attention to what they're saying). They repeat phrases too much, and it seems as if they just place certain players' names into one of those phrases when they do something specific.
It was disappointing to find out they would be doing the NBA 2k7 presentations, because I was expecting more from this new game overall. They will definitely have to hire new commentators for the next game, because these guys were never very unique, and their analysis in the game is terrible.
Some of the notable things that are great about the sound though, are the vibrations of the rim after shots that you clank off of it, or the sound after a player throws down a monstrous jam. The grunting noises are repetitive in the street ball modes, but the crowd reactions seem to have been juiced up a bit this year. This all plays into effect of the rating of this game, because without these certain small things, I would've given the sound rating a 6... or maybe even a rating as low as 5. Value: 9/10
Reasons: There are so many things that make this NBA game valuable. First off, there is a new 24/7: Next mode, which features a certain plot that the 2k sports creators have made-up.. which leads to a basketball Legends game, and then an entrance into the NBA itself.
There are also modes such as:
- The Association- Where you choose a team, and play as the General Manager/ Coach. There are new features from the former versions which include progressive fatigue as you move along throughout the months and three team trades.
- Street Ball Mode- A streetball mode where you choose a certain area to play, and then use your skills to beat different opponents. You can now use actual streetball moves, and can choose when or where to do them.
- 32 Player Online Association- An association mode where you can play actual seasons with buddys, or random online people, where you do everything you would normally do in an Association mode, with the exception of it being completely online.
- Season- Play out an NBA season with a certain team, at a certain point that you schedule.
and more (too bad I'm too lazy to list them all).
If you're an NBA basketball fan, you will also probably spend many hours online playing against friends, or competetive foes. Another great addition is the new VIP feature, which allows you to scout your upcoming opponents online, and gives notes relating their style of play (at least that's how I think it goes.. I will have to check it out).
As you can see, there is so many things that you could do in this game, that there is no reason it should be rated under a 9 at all.
If you're buying the game for the regular Xbox on the other hand, it may not be as worthwhile.
Reviewer's Tilt: 9/10
Reasons: NBA 2k7 has over 30 different camera angles that are available to you. I for instance, probably won't use half of them at all. They have worked very hard to give you the best view that you could possibly get in an NBA video game. It's quite surprising actually, and enjoyable as well.
This is one of the strongpoints of the game. The camera angles are always important.
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Overall: 8.7-NBA 2k7 is a GREAT game with many improvements over it's past predecessor. It has many things that will make you say "Wow", but sadly, many things that will make you say "DAMN...what the heck". If 2k Sports can perfect many of the annoying bugs in this game, hire new commentators to make more in-depth analysis of the plays (who are also enthusiastic instead of being dull as the ones now),improve the graphics while tweaking the gameplay... the game will be incredible. It would definitely impress many people if in the future they added things such as "fights", or "realistic hard fouls"... but you have to understand that if they did have these features, the future game(s) would no longer be rated E for everyone.
Until they add some new things (hopefully next year), this game will always be great...but it will never be superb. If I had spent more time, I could've made a more in-depth review. For now, this is what I think of NBA 2k7 Overall. I reccommend that you buy the game. There is no need to rent it, because if you're a fan of basketball, or enjoy the game of basketball, you will probably want the game badly. If you've enjoyed some of the past versions of the game, you will love it.
Enjoy... and hope to see you online.