Another year, another installment in this regular franchise. So what can er expect from NBA 2K11 this year? Well, as a sports simulation game, the gameplay revolves around either completing a full season or tailoring individual matches to your liking. However this time around Take Two and Visual Concepts have included a mode called “My Player”, which is were you try to get your player to the top of the league and increase your skills. They also brought Michael Jordan back to be the headlining player for the game which was an amazing choice for those with a sense of history of the sport.
NBA 2K11’s gameplay is very enjoyable. Quick Match games between two teams are great to just jump right in. One mode is called “My Player” mode, which is were you create a player, choose your position and then choose your playing style. You start off with really low stats, making executing skills like shooting accurately and stealing very hard, but overall getting a higher rating and ranking up is rewarding. To improve your abilities you also have the ability to do drills to practice different skills, rather than just grinding your way through games. You initially start playing by trying to get into the roster of the team you choose, but as you progress (especially once you make the NBA league) your actual performance will affect how your teammates, the league and your fans interact with and like you. Having low stats makes everything so hard and if you haven’t played it before you will quickly learn that getting passing grades in My Player matches makes it very hard the first few times. There are also other modes including a Michael Jordan mode which has a quick option to play as the amazing 1985-6 Chicago Bulls NBA team.
The controls themselves are fairly typical for your standard sports game, which makes it generally easy but picking up the controls is kind of hard if you haven’t played a similar game before. All said, though, you will generally pick them up quickly and then it becomes a really enjoyable game.
The graphics in this game are amazing and a huge step up from last year. They have added heaps of player details and done an amazing job making everything more appealing to the eye when you play. Each and every player looks like they would in real life, making it a lot easier to step into your hero’s shoes when trying to play as your favourite guy (i.e. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaq). Especially in the Player Creation area they made it a lot better by making you able to choose from some more options and making you look more like a NBA player, and also as much like yourself as possible. The stadiums in this game look a lot better with the courts looking like the real home team courts and the graphics when dunking and laying up have had a huge improvement. Especially the fans and everyone sitting in the stadium look real nice you can see people moving and walking at times. Game movements are fluid and it all adds to an immersive feel.
The sounds in this game are crisp, well placed and really nice to hear. All the dunks and shots are placed nicely for when the ball hits the ring, smacks the backboard or when they dunk you hear it and it sounds very good. The crowd effects are realistic and definitely add to the atmosphere. Music soundtracks can also be tweaked if you so desire, with many song inclusions from well-known artists. The commentators are very realistic in their responses, and most importantly, they don’t get repetitive.
This game has some amazing features especially their multiplayer which is one of my most enjoyable aspects. On your console you can do up to 2–10 player multiplayer matches over the Live network (obviously less for locally-based multiplayer games). Minimal noticable lag and a decent matchmaking network mean this section does offer a great chance at playing some competitive competition against cunning opponents, but also getting some real re-playability after you tire of the “career” section.
Overall this is an amazing game and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys basketball, and even people who just like sport in general. It seriously offers endless hours of enjoyment out, and the chance to play as Michael Jordan alone is one to be relished. If you’re really unsure about the game, there is a demo which is available via Xbox Live, however once you play one match you will never stop. Highly recommended.
