NBA 2K15: PS4 Review

NBA 2K15: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by 2K Games

There's no holding back with NBA 2K15 (the sixteenth outing for the franchise) - as soon as the game loads, it's straight into the action.

It's centre-court and with Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus blaring out, the game simply began giving me barely seconds to gather my thoughts before tip-off had taken place. And it's that which proves problematic to non-ballers in this next gen outing for the NBA, which simply looks terrific.

Moving on from last year's NBA 2K14, the AI's been given a bit of an overhaul and the standard of the game's markedly improved because of it. Once again, the MyPlayer element of the game's back in force with you given the chance to take your baller from zero to woah, but with an added skill element this time around as you try to earn coins to upgrade yourself during the season.

Gaming is a bit tougher this year with you really having to know what to do and how to play to get the very best out of your character as he heads court-side. Despite there being mentors and coaching, the game's still not an easy one to master with shots and the like still proving difficult to simply lay up and and put through the hoop, no matter how easy it looks.

Court-side, the commentary, pace and replays really make this simulation rise out (although it's quite similar to last year's outing) as it feels like you're actually watching a TV broadcast of the game; it's slick, smooth and immensely satisfying as the polished overall feel kicks in. It helps that the soundtrack has been put together by Pharrell Williams and he's hand-picked plenty of songs that have pulse, beat and life to help you pound the court.

(Online issues at home have meant I've not been able to test the various online options for NBA 2K15 but there are a fair few around for you to enjoy if the servers hold up)

Overall, NBA 2K15 requires you to have a depth of knowledge for basketball and the simulator series - it's likely the pros will get more out of the game this time around than the casual gamer. While that's not a bad thing for a simulation and a sports game, it does make you question what the future of the annual expansion will be if it can't broaden its court-side view.

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