NBA 2K19: Latest Trailers, New Features and Game Modes on Early Release Day
Virtual hoops fans, the day you've been waiting for is finally here.
Sort of.
NBA 2K19 is officially available, provided you ponied up the extra cash for the 20th Anniversary Edition. (If not, your #2KDay is coming September 11.)
With the leading hoops game back in circulation, let's check out the latest trailers, new features and game modes delivered by the newest iteration.
Momentous Trailer
Dare I say, this is perfect. From the title to the music to the action and (equally importantly) the emotional reactions, this trailer has everything.
Starting with the uber-trendy, cranium-cradling warm-up hoodies is a perfect encapsulation of contemporary on-court swag. Then, we're served a smorgasbord of superstars, many of whom drove the juiciest offseason narratives.
There's Paul George back with the Oklahoma City Thunder. There's DeMarcus Cousins dapping up a mouthguard-chewing Kevin Durant on the Golden State Warriors. And of course, there's LeBron James as a Los Angeles Laker—first hyping up himself, then hyping up the entire hoops world with a thunderous throwdown on Jusuf Nurkic. (Again.)
We see both a shimmy and a strut from Stephen Curry. For Draymond Green, it's naturally a flex. Then, there are the trademark high kicks from Russell Westbrook, right after he crushes a helpless D.J. Augustin at the rim.
Oh, and is that Toronto Raptors Kawhi Leonard? Yeah, #HeTheNorth now.
Awesome work here.
New Features
NBA 2K18 was such a roaring success that the company might have gotten by with making this version a glorified roster update. But that's not how Take-Two Interactive rolls.
Rather than resting on its laurels, the 2K team both added new features and improved existing ones.
The biggest on-court addition is the Takeover system, which is kind of a modernized adaptation of the old "On Fire" system from NBA Jam. Matt Bertz detailed what Takeover entails for GameInformer.com:
"The way Takeover works is players of each archetype have unique ways to exert their dominance during a game. For instance, playmakers take over by setting up teammates for easy buckets, rim protectors change the trajectory of a game by locking down the paint, etc. As the player exercises his will against the opponent using his specialties, he builds up a takeover meter. Once activated, you will see an on-fire badge underneath the player on the court, which indicates the player has unlocked a new tier of special animations and badges that align with their archetype. For instance, playmakers like Rajon Rondo won’t suddenly be raining down threes while on fire NBA Jam style. Instead, they may get Dimer and Ankle Breaker boosts."
Essentially, players' virtual versions will be able to dominate just like their real-life counterparts do. Sometimes, superstars look unguardable for stretches. If that's what we're witnessing on the actual hardwood, it's only right we see the same thing in the game.
The defensive end has also received some much-needed attention. As good as last year's game was, it sometimes felt impossible to keep opponents from getting to the rim at will.
That's changed this time around.
"Successful steal opportunities are now governed by a zone system that judges vulnerability," Bertz wrote. "Defenders who recognize prime stealing opportunities where the ball is exposed...will be rewarded for their smart timing. Dribblers can't just string together moves with no concern about the defender's reach anymore."
Game Modes
When you put out a product like 2K18, you don't try to re-invent the wheel the following year. Rather, the development team focused on strengthening the modes it already has.
MyCareer has a new story called The Way Back. While the above trailer does a good job summing up the humbling tale of going undrafted and having to work your way to the Association, it's worth noting some tweaks that aren't mentioned. Cutscenes can now be skipped. Badges are associated to specific drills, too, so self-improvement becomes a more concentrated task.
MyLeague Online now has an immersive, real-time offseason. In other words, events like the draft and free agency are just as frenzied as they are in real life.
In free agency, for instance, owners are notified when players receive contract offers from other teams, forcing virtual general managers to adjust on the fly. Does that mean upping your initial offer or going in stronger than you had planned? It's all up to you.
Fans of MyGM mode can now choose between playing out the story mode (The Saga Continues) or removing the story elements (Traditional MyGM). The draft has also been reworked to give otherwise anonymous prospects more layers and sometimes detail the thought processes behind the selections.
"As you play through NBA 2K19's draft, an assortment of media pundits will provide insightful analysis on every player as they get selected, while often providing a little bit of context as to why the current team selected them," senior producer Erick Boenisch wrote.
The primary focus, it seems, is offering users more control over how they play all aspects of the game.
This list of updates is far from comprehensive.
There are more options for creating players and tuning sliders. Graphics, physics and A.I. have all been upgraded. The Neighborhood has been redesigned to be easier to navigate. Haircuts are free! Private matchmaking in Pro-Am is now possible, too.
Credit the development team for listening to gamers' requests and adapting them wherever possible. It sounds like 2K could be raising its own bar yet again.
