NBA 2K25 review: Finding beauty amongst capitalist garbage.
"Ugly shoooooottttt... BOOMSHAKALAKA!!"
Pervert City warning: Do not play NBA2K25 if you are susceptible to microtransactions. NBA2k25 overdoses on them… When I played regularly I stopped because it was too much, it’s even worse in 2K25. Be careful. If you feel yourself having a problem, please seek a licensed counselor. Yes, these games CAN hurt you!
Let’s get that disclaimer out of the way… First and foremost, I enjoyed my time with the game. They dropped it for free on PSN and I took advantage of it… Issue… They also made their giga-edition (All-star) affordable… I proceeded to purchase it for 19.99 on the PSN Sale.
I was disappointed in how far this 99 dollar package went. This was supposed to be 29 dollars worth of free stuff on top of an already 70 dollar purchase. If I got it on launch, I would feel ripped off… But I waited for this reason. Microtransactions used to be in game things. It’s blocking content and reducing progression to create FOMO when the park has players in the 90s and you have a guy fighting to get to 70…
I did feel the old NBA2K mechanics shining through. It was familiar because the game legitimately feels, at its base, the same from any NBA2K experience within the past 10 years. The W is the highlight of the game. It has zero microtransactions and you progress for free and quickly if you work for it. The only small flaw, the weird postgame press conferences where you tell reporters how tough your opponent is and how good they are. Weird. Very.
It can also be said… even if with it’s massive microtransaction flaw, it’s still a great experience if you are willing to fight for it…
Also, lol at “Ronnie2K” (long-time 2K Dev) being in his own game. He is an “influencer” yeah, OK buddy. If you are wondering, the cheapest store for items in this mode is off into the distance on the right in the image above. You get to the see STATE FARM on your left of where I am as well. I get it guys, sports has ads. But did you know, sports has ads? I think Strauss Zelnick would rent ad space on his forehead if it got him money. Did you ever want to play basketball with Jake from State Farm? You can discount doublecheck him in a 2 on 2 game. I would laugh if I wasn’t also hurting from cringing…
(Note: I am joking. No one would rent space on their forehead for ads…
Unless…)
Some of the interpersonal dealings you have as “MP” are weird and strange, especially when dealing with real NBA talent. SGA is the MVP and might win a title this year, but his voice over work was OK, I guess. He didn’t really feel into it. “MP” has his own Maverick Carter which helps “MP” guide his journey from time to time. Playing the game from your custom character’s past help you understand why this random guy is around. It’s a nice touch. Also fuck this “MP” nonsense. DA Veilguard, 2k25… Stop forcing nicknames on custom characters! Another thing Baldur’s Gate 3 got right. TAV is TAV, but no one calls you Tav. They use the name you have given. I am going with my number 83, because I said so…
83 also got into a small beef with LeBron James. 83 wants the ball. So does LeBron, obviously. Even at 40, he is a fantastic player and imho… The greatest of all-time. The most complete player in NBA history, but I digress… They said I had 5 things to do. I accomplished one in a game thanks to it being early in the year and… it disappeared. Cool. I didn’t want to feud with LeBron, anyway.
Also, you get social media messages from people about the things you do.
So yes… MyPlayer mode at times can be a basketball game with light RPG elements, come to think of it…
Finally, “MyNBA” is a franchise mode that “just works” you can create a franchise back in the past or present… It’s not really flashy, but it works and was fun for the time I spent messing with it...
The music selection was fun and diverse, including the old NBA on NBC theme. Commentary was good. There are two teams, one led by Kevin Harlan (one of the best play-by-play folks out there) and another. There is also a WNBA exclusive one with a color guy that sounds like Lester from GTA5 amongst the NBA B Team’s Play by play guy and another color commentator. You also don’t have a ton of slop to load in to your game. You are in the mode you want to be in fast. Controls are smooth and I loved getting pick and rolls started.
Rating: 7/10.
I enjoyed NBA2k25, but had to fight excessive microtransactions and predatory mechanics like “buy a Gatorade thing for extra stamina” to get there. I did not, but some will… and that’s a travesty.
Still, the foundation is good as it always is… just wish there wasn’t used tissues and a pile of dogshit on it.