NBA 2K14: Rounding Up Reviews for Recently Released Title

NBA 2K14 hit stores everywhere on Tuesday, with sports gamers on the current generation of consoles and PC coming out in droves to pick up the latest title.

If you happen to still be on the fence about spending your hard-earned money or aren’t sure whether or not to scoop up this new release, it would be wise to check out a handful of reviews from around the web before making your decision.

The game is receiving almost overwhelmingly positive praise from nearly every major publication, but don’t take my word for it. Here’s a roundup and recap of some of NBA 2K14’s latest reviews.

IGN: 9.3/10 “AMAZING”

Ryan McCaffrey, of IGN, took the time to review the latest offering from 2K Sports and he clearly came away impressed.

He pointed out that the series has wisely avoided the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality that some other sports games without a competitor tend to do. The creators behind it changed just enough to make things feel fresh, while leaving the quality gameplay and other great features intact.

McCaffrey did note that goaltending and stepping out of bounds was a bit prevalent on both ends of the floor—due to the improvements on defense that were implemented this year—but this could easily be fixable by spending a few minutes tweaking the default sliders.

He also brought up the issue that LeBron James’ Path to Greatness is the only new mode in this year’s version of NBA 2K. Regardless, almost every mode from the previous edition has returned, plus the inclusion of an improved My Team and Euroleague offerings.

Regardless of those minor flaws, McCaffrey called it “simply the best hoops sim” and gave it a rating that warrants a strong recommendation to purchase.

Gamespot: 8/10 “One Step Closer to Bringing the Real Sport to the Digital World”

Tom Mc Shea tackled the task of reviewing NBA 2K14 for Gamespot and was quite positive in his praise for the video game.

Like McCaffrey, Mc Shea touted the revolutionary controls, incredible visuals and defensive improvements as positive things that the creative team at Visual Concepts can hang their hat on.

He goes a step further and calls attention to the game’s faithfulness to the sport. Lifelike models, celebrations and signature moves all help to recreate one of the most popular leagues in the world on your video game console.

Mc Shea’s main gripes with this installment are some shoddy animations and issues with the artificial intelligence. He noted that players don’t react properly to a loose ball, and that the rock itself can sometimes act a bit strangely in certain situations.

Despite those issues, Gamespot clearly recommends NBA 2K14 and indicates that it is the most realistic version to date.

USA TODAY: 3.5/4 “Fit for a King”

Brett Molina was absolutely blown away when he was given a chance to rate NBA 2K14 for USA TODAY.

He focused on cover athlete LeBron James’ impact on the title and how his new game mode should add a ton of excitement to the user experience.

The reviewer highlights how players can control the four-time MVP throughout critical moments in his career, including an MVP battle with Kobe Bryant, Game 7 of the 2013 Finals and more.

Players are given the choice of keeping LBJ in South Beach with the Miami Heat or having him test the waters of free agency in order to win more championship rings. They are scored up to three stars based on James’ stats and other details from each contest.

Outside of the in-depth look at the Path to Greatness mode, Molina praises the great controls, improved passing and other subtle adjustments that 2K Sports made to keep their game one of the best in the land.