Gearing up to review NBA 2K23, I honestly thought I would go into another year of NBA 2K with touched up graphics and non-stop fun gameplay with a few bonus perks including the Michael Jordan Challenge and added MyCareer features - which to be clear would not have been a bad thing. To crack into the NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition and from the opening sequence be addicted by the realism and overall rollout - my goodness, mind? Blown.

NBA 2K23 is easily and without a doubt the most realistic NBA 2K game I’ve ever played. I planned on putting a huge emphasis on dishing out details about the Jordan Challenge and experiencing the introduction of J. Cole and Bas’ Dreamville brand into the MyCareer mode but from loading up a couple versions of Exhibition games with initially the Brooklyn Nets taking on the Boston Celtics and then the 2001-2002 Classic Sacramento Kings going at the 2001-2002 Classic New Jersey Nets - I almost dropped the PlayStation 5 controller multiple times.

First off - the next generation console experience is simply stunning. I’ll admit, there was the opportunity to try out the PlayStation 4 version but when you’re gaming on a PS5, how could you even go a step lower? For starters, the perks for going through the process of trying to secure your next generation console are felt in the form of receiving a Golf Cart with Season 1 of MyCareer, MyTeam and The W at level 40.

The PlayStation 4 equivalent of the Golf Cart is a Hoverbike.

As always, you can look forward to each new season arriving every six weeks with new content, new soundtrack updates and more.

Circling back around to the realism aspect? My goodness. This is the first time playing NBA 2K in years where the lines between watching a real NBA game and playing are severely blurred. From the dribbling and shooting styles to just how the players move, there’s nothing cartoon-style or even arcade-feeling. More than ever you feel the risk of exerting too much energy on the R2 and L2 buttons because the more tired your player is, the more difficult it is to shoot and defend.

We’ve had variations of this in the past but this year’s edition really makes you feel it. Fatigue is real and the days of someone wanting to go all four quarters with Steph Curry are going to feel it now.

This all goes to the gameplay enhancements NBA 2K promised in the lead up to NBA 2K Day. There are new skill moves, animations and player builds aimed at providing more authenticity and hyper-real experience. You’re going to immediately see this applied through the Shooting, Pro Stick Enhancements, Skill Moves and Adrenaline Boosts plus Defense, Badges, Takeovers and AI Gameplay.

The Kings and Nets match-up I played in really made me feel like I was watching what nearly could have been the 2002 NBA Finals.

There’s still a lot more to experience and if given the opportunity to try out NBA 2K23 on the Xbox Series X|S, you can rest assured there will be another review going even more into detail about this amazing game.

The bottom line? If you were on the fence for any reason - as I low-key was - about adding NBA 2K23 into your gaming collection, rest assured it’s worth the investment. Whether you want to go the safe route with the standard edition or feel inspired to go all-out with the decked-out Championship version stacked with perks including the NBA League Pass.

NBA 2K23 is officially out now on both next generation and current generation consoles.

Attack The Culture verdict: 10/10