Image via Complex Original
Just because NBA 2K14 is the last edition of the revered franchise on this generation of consoles doesn’t mean it can’t bring new things to the table. Yes, it’s mostly about consolidation. Modes like Association and MyCareer are almost completely unchanged since 2K13, but there are plenty of gameplay tweaks both overt and subtle, plus a few new wrinkles that point the way towards what we can expect from the next generation of NBA 2K titles.
Flashy Passes
Any player receiving the ball basically has three options with it: shoot it, move with it, or pass it. The last component of that has been sadly neglected for years. While the Shot Stick has long allowed you to modify your shots and pull off any number of subtle variations from step-backs to runners, and the Control Stick addition last year finally made handling the ball an intuitive, rhythmic process—passing has at long last gotten the attention it deserves. The addition of the flashy pass modifier allows you to draw defenders to you and kick it out with misdirection or drop it deftly behind the defense, opening up the full range of options for players like Chris Paul and making players like Ricky Rubio a joy to play. But be warned: try to pull off no-looks with anyone but the best passers and expect to throw it out of bounds. A lot.
The Pro Stick
This is at least the third different name for the right stick in as many years for NBA 2K, but they’ve finally gotten right. Having to add a button to switch between dribble controls and shooting was just too much brain rewiring to work smoothly, and changing the left trigger/L2 button to a pass modifier has freed up the right stick to basically be your hands, more or less. Flick it around to move the ball around your body and then hold it to make a decision to shoot. The downside is that it makes pump fakes difficult to time, but pump fakes haven’t been an effective weapon in the NBA 2K series since the mid-2000s. Yes, every new control scheme takes some getting used to, but this one makes the most biomechanical sense of any so far.
New Blocking Mechanics
The most immediate thing you’ll notice about the new blocking mechanics is that blocks just plain look better and more realistic. You’ll see more different kinds of blocks, from tips to swats to blocked dunks. But on a more subtle level, it opens up a way of playing defense that’s less based on immovable objects and more based on spacing and timing. Stopping someone on the fast break now feels possible, and based on skill and coordination rather than blind luck. It’s more fun to play on the weak side with guys like Serge Ibaka and Anthony Davis, keeping one eye on the rim and slipping across the lane to shut down a drive.
SmartPlay
Thoroughly learning a team’s playbook and figuring out which sets produce the most fluid, reliable results is still the best way to get in-depth with NBA 2K14, but the new SmartPlay feature can provide a good intro to a team’s playbook when you’re just messing around online or in exhibition games. Let’s face it: everyone eventually gets sick of calling pick and rolls or pick and fades, so it’s good to have something that can easily let you try out different things without having to learn the difference between a floppy set and horns. Pay attention to what teams call and you might actually learn something.
Path To Greatness
In fairness, your feelings about this mode are going to hinge a lot on how much you care about LeBron James. Personally, I’m more interested in building teams around interesting young players like Nerlens Noel and Kyrie Irving than playing as LeBron, but that doesn’t mean this mode doesn’t present a fascinating new approach to basketball video games. The idea of alternate futures that play out in pivotal games is full of possibilities, especially when it envisions things like Allen Iverson’s return to Philadelphia and an Eastern Conference Finals matchup with Miami. My only word of advice, though: Playing six-minute quarters keeps things lively and keeps the mode moving along, even if your final scores aren’t very realistic.
Kendrick Perkins' YOLO Jumper
In case you didn’t know, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kendrick Perkins is not much of a jump shooter. He is, in fact, mostly known for setting hard screens and being a vocal leader. But last year, he took this shot, and became a legend. What’s amazing, though, is that NBA 2K14 has that shot. This early in the release, it’s not clear if we’re witnessing a rarity on par with Bigfoot in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but clearly there are some set of circumstances that will cause Perkins to follow through on his shot this way, and that’s just the most baller thing ever.
The Return Of Crew
Maybe this isn’t the return of Crew mode in the way everyone who loved it wanted to see. Instead of playing in NBA arenas with a full clock, you get 3-on-3 or 5-on-5 on a blacktop to 21. I know that stings. And so maybe this shouldn’t count as a feature that makes NBA 2K better than ever since there are plenty of people who just want exactly what they had a few years ago, but it’s something, and it at least gives a little continuity to the online experience. Jumping into a blacktop game with a couple randos is fun and all, but doing it with friends—especially if you know a thing or two about setting picks or backdoor cuts—is so much more satisfying, and now you can build an identity as a team with customizable jerseys. If this is laying the groundwork for some kind of persistent online mode in NBA 2K15, so much the better.
Euroleague Teams
Admittedly, the implementation of Euroleague teams is not flawless in NBA 2K14. You’re limited to using them in exhibition games and can’t edit, release, or trade players into NBA teams. So I’m sorry, Sergio Rodriguez, but your NBA dream dies here. There’s also some kind of weird scaling going on with players that leads to many of these teams being rated a 99 on offense. Maybe it’s to make them more fun to play or to somehow simulate the feel of European play, but either way, it’s very strange to have reasonably good NBA teams dominated by squads where some of the best players are guys who couldn’t do much in the NBA, like Sonny Weems. (No offense, Sonny.) But still: It’s good that NBA 2K is recognizing the global game and it sets the stage for better and more interesting integration of the international game into future iterations of the series on next-gen consoles.
The Most Thorough Shoe Game
This is an exceedingly small thing, but it’s weirdly kind of huge. The addition of smaller shoe companies like Li-Ning, Anta and Peak give some interesting variety beyond the basic Nike and adidas options (although those collections still dominate). And maybe most importantly you’ll see a greater number of real-world shoes on players throughout the league by default. Again, a small thing, but everyone on a team having the same basic shoes except for one guy who has something clearly custom is jarring. The new way they’ve handled team colors when it comes to shoes is also terrific. It’s this kind of attention to detail that has to get even better on the next generation of consoles, and 2K Sports is showing that they’re headed in that direction.
Improved AI In Offensive Spacing
Can the absence of something be counted as a feature? In NBA 2K13 you could rely on your teammates running through the lane directly in front of you as you tried to drive to the basket. But this year, the offensive AI is much smarter and will stay out of your way, especially if you take advantage of the Offense Strategies mapped to the left button on the D-pad. There you can call for two basic sets (3-in, 2-out or 4-in, 1-out) that determine the shape of the offense and then choose from three basic strategies: Space the Floor, Motion, or Freelance. Depending on what you call, teammates will try to maintain space on the floor, make smart cuts off of passes, or get creative by setting picks or moving along the baseline. It’s a great little wrinkle that helps you organize gameplay without necessarily calling a complicated set play.