NBA 2K24: It took months but it's never too late to clock in work on another NBA 2K gem

The wait’s over - well, in all honesty, it’s been over since NBA 2K24 released to the masses on September 8, 2023 - but fast-forwarding to Tuesday, January 23, 2024 and a highly-anticipated NBA face-off between the New York Knicks and my Brooklyn Nets, why not get into the mood to load up and look at why the 2K franchise keeps pushing for greatness.

It’s all about embracing 25 years of greatness for the iconic NBA 2K basketball game. What better way to pay homage than highlighting one of the most iconic players of all time? The Black Mamba a.k.a. Kobe Bryant and the Mamba Edition? Beyond epic and a huge salute to the late legend.

Playing NBA 2K24 for the first time? Super touching. After the installation on my Xbox Series X|S, the introduction to a Kobe Bryant video showcasing 4K graphics with the high dynamic range on display plus the 50 frames per second visuals? It’s pretty mind-blowing seeing this footage and getting it before my first tip-off game.

The game goes all out to really do more than just salute Kobe with a cover feature. It’s all about those Mamba Moments - literally - having you experience and live out some of those game-changing times in his championship-driven career. The early rise of the Black Mamba all the way to some of his play-offs runs ending in champagne and championships, it’s all in the NBA 2K24 presentation.

One of the best features I can geek out most about - especially since I have diehard New York Knicks fanatic friends in my life is the cross-play feature. While I have yet to actually launch it, seeing the details in being able to load up on the Xbox and having a friend or two with the PlayStation 5 version? Epic. No longer having to wait for a sale or forcefully have to own the title on both consoles, a huge game-changer for me.

I’ll be the first to admit when it comes to the NBA 2K titles, it’s all about the online play and getting a chance to face-off against random ops on the street courts - but getting feedback from the attention placed on MyTeam or MyCareer, it’s clear those modes are must-play and experience.

A few key experiences I’m pushing to try out with this NBA 2K24 drop center on MyNBA Eras and even the WNBA mode which continues to expand and grow with each new title. Game Critics made sure to weigh-in on those modes:

MyNBA Eras is also back, adding the Lebron James era to the mix. While I prefer to focus on current NBA teams and lineups, those wanting to recreate epic historical matchups — complete with era-appropriate presentation — are going to find a lot to like here.

Also, I’m happy to report that 2K built upon the WNBA mode considerably, with a fuller complement of modes, including its own career path. Likewise, WNBA fans will now enjoy the same player upgrade paths as the male-focused counterpart, bringing fans a nicely fleshed-out experience. I have my fingers crossed that fans take advantage of these modes so we can continue to watch WNBA representation grow in future editions.

While I only have a few moments in the books since getting a review copy to check out, I can honestly salute NBA 2K24 for coming through on a much more improved life-like experience with its latest drop. Could this all be because of the ProPlay enhancements? GameSpot feels like it could play a role:

This year, the 2K team is touting technology it calls ProPlay, which somehow--AI is my guess--transposes real-life NBA game footage into animations within NBA 2K24, supplementing motion-captured animations with the real thing. For years, the team has talked about how every basketball player is unique in how they move and play the sport, and why then it's a focus to accurately recreate those individuals when players control them. Given the team hasn't explained in great depth how this feature manages to do that, it's difficult for me to know how much to attribute this game's improved feel to ProPlay versus, say, the usual fine-tuning an annual sports game tends to receive anyway. But whatever the origin may be, it's obvious that this game feels great in my hands.

When I first started playing, I could sense a difference, but to really qualify it, I played 2K24 side by side with 2K23. I found that it's best felt in how body momentum is simulated. Even as a great sim in its own right, last year's game feels more arcade-like compared to this year's game. Backpedaling on a change of possession, strafing to clamp down on defense, and hitting that extra level on a fast break all now benefit from more fluidity and range, making the shiftiest players stand out even more and giving all players a more lifelike feel on the controller.

Whether you’re going the MyNBA Eras and MyCareer route or just want to load up Exhibition games when linking up with gang-gang, it’s clear a key component you can expect is fresh seasons dropping on a regular basis. Season 4, anyone?

Less than 24 hours into NBA 2K24 and I am more impressed and excited about the possibilities for what the game has to offer. With patches always possible and improvements including Player Ratings changing based on a real-life player performances, the franchise continues to push forward to deliver the most solid and engaging NBA/WNBA game experience at the palm of your hands.

Bravo, NBA 2K! And a reminder… tip-off for tonight’s Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks game is locked in for 7:30 PM ET. Tap in!