NBA 2K22 was launched a year ago and it got appreciation flooding. Now it's up to NBA 2K23 to outdo that effort and continue the climbing trend, this time with Phoenix Suns sensation Devin Booker gracing the standard covers.
To reach this goal, developer Visual Concepts has focused on balancing the gameplay after last year's changes gave perimeter players a significant edge, which is evident in the condition of online play throughout the game's history.
The updated pro stick, which permits several flicks of the stick, thus enables things like switchbacks, giving players more fluid control over techniques like hop-steps and euro-steps as they cut to the basket, has been one of the key talking points now. Expanded, particular dunking rules eliminate the possibility of inadvertently throwing up an unexpected skill dunk that also fails.
To be sure, this type of emphasis necessitates balance, thus NBA 2K (23) has adjusted the energy system. When using difficult manoeuvres, stamina drains at a faster pace than in the past, and with each possession, players receive three adrenaline boosters, with one gone each time a player begins a sprint.
Not that perimeter players are unappreciated. There are five new shot metres to pick from, as well as entirely new stats to consider for signature jump shots as well as a fully new feedback system.
The game also intends for opponent AI to strike more aggressively than in previous years, leveraging the same set of advancements.
There is also a new "Semi-Pro" difficulty that sits between the "Rookie" and "Pro" grades. The objective is to make the onboarding process for new players more seamless, with developers believing that the gap between the two listed challenges is too great. A revamped "Rookie" mode is also in keeping with the theme.
Aside from regular gameplay, Visual Concepts has focused on some of the problems with the badge system encountered in game modes like MyPLAYER. After seeing players stockpile the greatest upgrades early in previous years, 2K23 will be the first to have a tiered badge system that compels players to utilise a certain amount of lower-level badges initially. That may appear to be a negative for the game's more immersive settings. But, it has the potential to improve realism, which should be the aim.
So for now, little information about MyPLAYER and other modes has been made available. However, IGN's Ben Vollmer gleaned an intriguing tidbit from the devs: "During the gameplay demo, there wasn't much information about MyPLAYER, but the developers did mention that bought animations are now account-bound rather than connected to single save files. This implies that animations may now be passed from one player to the next."
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