NBA 2K17 Review: Rounding Up Latest Scores and Impressions from Top Experts

NBA 2K17 has dropped to droves of acclaim. 

Not that anyone should expect anything different from the developers who released the classic NBA 2K16, but 2K Sports has followed up in a big way and helped craft the early hints of a dynasty—the game sits with a score of 92 on Metacritic.

Featuring an uptick in graphics, a new MyCareer mode and deeper customization than ever in MyGM and MyLeague while controlling up to 36 teams, it sounds like "too good to be true" has come to life with this release.

Here is a look at some of the most notable reviews from around the web.

Chase Becotte, IGN: 8.9

On-court action is one of the most talked-about details of NBA 2K17.

It sounds simple, but 2K Sports has tossed a more sensible shot meter in the fray and made improvements when it comes to the artificial intelligence. Players now move in a smart manner away from the ball, fighting through screens and simply being in the right position.

This a note IGN's Chase Becotte touched on and says applies to modes like MyCareer as well as the normal games:

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And I say that because the same love I have for the normal gameplay also goes for MyCareer. My AI teammates have been much more useful this year than in the past, and it feels great when you get on the same page as your main friend and teammate in the story, Justice Young, who is played well by Michael B. Jordan.

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It is good when general gameplay improvements make it into every mode. It sounds simple, but this hasn't been such an easy thing for sports games to accomplish in the past. 

This means whether users want their teammates to properly set up screens in MyCareer or actually get Stephen Curry in a position to knock down a shot while controlling Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors, users can more reliably do so this year.

Matt Bertz, Game Informer: 9.5

Whereas MyCareer mode might not be what sells NBA 2K17 to someone such as Becotte, it is still what will move a ton of copies on its lonesome.

Often imitated but never replicated, MyCareer is back from a questionable performance in last year's game, and it is one of the main reason's Game Informer's Matt Bertz almost gave the game a perfect score:

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These quibbles aside, MyCareer is once again the best offering of its kind in sports games. The allure of improving your player, earning endorsements, interacting with teammates, and spending currency on new gear is strong. My only wish is the narrative more effectively empowered player agency. Most dialogue choices are limited to two options, which often only differ slightly.

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Other critics such as Giant Bomb's Alex Navarro haven't been shy in comparing this mode to last year's edition:

It is almost difficult to explain the gap between MyCareer and other career-based modes in other sports games. Some might throw the user into the league and run through what essentially amounts to a franchise mode where a user only controls one player.

MyCareer, though, takes users on a movie-esque ride in which off-court interactions have an impact on the hardwood and influence factors right on through to what might be a Hall of Fame career.

Shedding the polarizing mode from last year and going a fresh route has NBA 2K17 riding high.

Matt Paprocki, Polygon: 8

As Polygon's Matt Paprocki notes in his review, modes bleed together just as yearly iterations of the game do.

NBA 2K17 has the benefit of an incredible foundation behind it with only seemingly small tweaks making all the difference. This isn't the easiest thing in the world for the developers to accomplish, but it is sort of like a pro sports team trying to build a contender—each year must bring new additions and few subtractions.

This theme applies to modes. One of Paprocki's most positive notes is the atmosphere of games, something spreading to all possible modes:

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In tense moments, home fans visibly stomp to "D-fense" chants. In garbage time, they sing along with the PA system. This brings an unusual, even unequaled, level of energy to elements surrounding the game itself. When paired with a commentary booth rotating in prior players like Brent Barry and Chris Webber as analysts, broadcast accuracy continues to earn best-in-class credibility.

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This attention to detail has 2K Sports sitting on the throne in the first place. The next logical step was rotating broadcast crews to keep things fresh rather than the same old crew repeating the same old recycled lines. 

Like most areas, the developers hit it out of the park here and reviewers haven't been shy to point it out on a regular basis.

A small thing in the grand scheme of things, the rotating crews, user-themed modes and gameplay tweaks once again have NBA 2K17 as the reigning champ with no end in sight.