NBA2K22: PS5 Review 

Developed by
Released by 2K Sports
Platform: PS5

It's time to shoot some hoops once again with the series that keeps on rumbling courtside no matter what.

The basketball simulator is not a complex one. All it needs to do is teach you the basics of the game, allow you to shoot some three pointers and create an ebb and flow of a game when it happens.

That's all really that NBA2K22 needs to do.

And that's really all the game delivers. Sure, you could argue about the nuances of the atmosphere of the games, and of the crowd elements and the on court entertainment, but when it comes down to it, it's really all about letting the ball fly.

Games are fluid, AI is reasonably hard enough to overcome but yet conquerable, and the on court action feels like it should. The use of the right stick is more intuitive this time around, and the moving around on court feels fluid enough to be engaging - even if it takes a while to work out how best to shift around players when defence becomes necessary.

The accuracy of this sports sim though does make it feel largely like it's aimed solely at the fans - there is no casual viewing of this type of game, no matter how polished it looks. There are moments when the play does feel welcoming to all, and the tutorials make a lot of good sense and good ground on how to get the very best out of the franchising and the games - but for players to get the most out of it, they have to be invested in the basics of basketball.

It's likely the developers have paid attention and the MyCareer element is worth investing time in - all in all, NBA2K22 is polished and looks and plays the part - it's just whether you want to be deeply engaged in a sports sim that's trying to stay fresh year after year after year but can't really put a new spin on an established idea.