OXCGN’s NBA 2K11 Review

‘It’s Magic Johnson versus Michael Jordan’

The Greatest Ever?

by : Belgavion

©2010 Gav Ross

Placing Michael Jordan on the cover of their yearly release is something 2K Sports would only really ever be able to do once, so it needs to be as close to perfect as possible. When the cover announcement was first announced this past June, it seemed almost too bold a move.

How can a basketball game be an all-out tribute to ‘His Airness’ as well as continue to be the most revered current NBA simulator on consoles? Wouldn’t the Jordan aspect perhaps be suited for a separate game altogether?

After first placing the disc in, it seems apparent that this is ‘Jordan: The Game’; the player is thrown straight into a classic recreation of a game from the 1991 NBA Playoffs. It’s Lakers versus Bulls; Magic Johnson versus Michael Jordan. Does it get more utterly definitive than that?

It’s an effective and momentous opening and really sets the tone for NBA 2K11. This is more of an event than just your typical annual upgrade.

The overture simply introduces gamers – both old and new (and keep in mind, as strange as it is to think, there are some gamers out there who were barely out of nappies when Michael ruled the court) – to an historic piece of NBA history and reintroduces them to the controls – which are more refined  yet again.

The ‘Jordan Challenges’ section of the game is made up of 10 essential games and situations that took place during Michael’s career. If you know very little about the man then prepare to be schooled.

Starting off in the mid-80′s for the first game (when Michael also actually had some hair!), it’s your job to try and make sure the illustrious number 23 scores more than 63 points during a single game as well as have a shooting percentage of 50% or more, among other stats.

Another one of the challenges recreates the famous ‘flu game‘, in which a very lethargic Michael still managed to score close to 40 points and defeat Utah. The challenges culminate in another Jazz confrontation from 1998 that sealed his legacy forever.

There’s no changing the quarter lengths or any other options of these challenges, so making sure you get the right stats to proceed can sometimes take several attempts. Some of the challenges are seriously challenging and require some patience. But hey, even Michael himself would be proud of you for completing the mode.

The meat of the 2K11 experience still resides in the other menu options, and it becomes clear that there’s still much more to the game than just Jordan’s magic moments.

Full season mode, along with constantly-updated team rosters if you stay connected to Live, remains at the core of the game, meaning that hoop aficionados can easily spend the 2010/11 season playing along daily or weekly and seeing how the results of their individual season compares to what’s happening in real life.

The ‘My Player’ mode introduced in last year’s edition was an interesting new addition that’s much more developed and satisfying in 2K11.

After creating a new baller’s look and sorting your minimized stat points, it’s time to start the difficult journey of making the draft pick cut of a new season.

Players are forced to run through a plethora of development drills that cover all facets of offense and defense. Getting a ‘Gold’ rating in each of these drills rewards players with stat points that slowly upgrade a rookie’s attributes.<

The fact that each drill is far from a breeze (some are downright taxing, just as real-life training should be) means that the journey from newbie to NBA superstar is fulfilling and requires hard work and dedication.

It’s a mode that might put off gamers who just want to play and ease into the big leagues with little effort, but for those who’ve bought the 2K basketball releases for many years and appreciate a satisfying level of depth, it’s a welcome improvement.

Of course, every mode of NBA 2k11 relies on the overall control system, and this is where 2K Sports have made their greatest leap forward.

For years, the 2K games have featured just a couple of minor tweaks and enhancements to the control scheme as each year passes; enough to add enough new elements to the game and keeping it from being too similar to previous installments.

Although it’s not a complete overhaul, the changes to 2K11 are vast and require a fair amount of skill and practice to even begin to perfect.

As well as there being a more realistic feel to the weight of each player as they dribble down the court or defend, there are significant enhancements to the way the AI now behaves.

It used to be that you could often hurtle the ball from near the back base line, hoping to catch a team-mate with enough speed to lead on with a fast break. It wouldn’t work every time, but more often than not it was a successful move, especially on lower difficulty settings.

In 2K11, if you start making risky moves like that you’ll soon find yourself losing by double figures. Pass interceptions seem to be much more prevalent, and the entire AI defense has been kicked up a notch.

Offense  benefits from a host of movement variations by holding down the right trigger and moving the right thumb-stick. By doing this, players can perform ‘freestyle’ moves including leaning in and around opponents or other fake-out moves that help towards a tricky assist or clearer path to the basket. The playbook, accessed as usual by the D-pad, also still remains paramount for playing the game at a higher level.<

Visuals have always been a strong aspect of 2K’s basketball releases and this is no exception. Facial animations and body physics are sometimes so profoundly correct and detailed that it’s hard not to hit pause and stare for awhile.

The phrase ‘looks just like the real thing’ is perhaps over-used a little in sports games, especially from this generation, but 2K11 really could be mistaken for a HD broadcast of a game on EPSN.

Online play is still an essential component for 2K11 and it’s never difficult to be able to jump into a plethora of matches.

Simple one-on-one matches remain almost completely lag-free for the most part, but if you attempt to partake in any kind of ‘Team Play’ game things start to go South pretty fast.

When there are 6 or more players synced into one match it only takes one slightly flaky connection to ruin things for everyone else. I’m sure there are times when it runs smoothly, it just wouldn’t be more often than not.

It’s difficult to imagine where 2K Sports can take the franchise after a release like this. Not only is it the most advanced and near-faultless basketball game of this current generation, an argument could easily be made that it’s the most important basketball game ever.

It feels like this is the game 2K have been building towards for years, and it was well worth the wait.

“9/10

©2010 Gav Ross

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Filed under: Console gaming, Game Impressions, Gaming Videos, New Xbox 360 Games, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Game Reviews Tagged: | "2K Sports", 1997 NBA Finals, 2K11, Artificial intelligence, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, National Basketball Association, NBA, NBA 2011 review, NBA 2K11, NBA 2K11 reviews