By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Make no mistake. There’s no way a true basketball fan can’t have NBA2k15. Specially if you own a PS4 or an XBOX One, you are going to have a true next gen experience. And to be honest, this is one of the best NBA 2k games ever. Not only the use of “smart plays” – activated by L1 in PS3 – is one of the simplest ever, but this time the AI of the game really rewards good ball movement and shot selection. On the other side the defense is smart enough not to let you shoot uncontested. The animation is better, the physics more realistic and the Euroleague guards don’t dunk.
The shot meter just helps you understand faster if your shot is going in, which kind of helps, but as always only trough trial and error you can feel the pace of each shot and each player. There’s also four more modes, MyCareer, MyTeam, MyGM (The association for PS3 and XBOX360) and MyPark, which add value to the game, and one extra, Myleague if you own a PC, an XBOX One or a PS4. MyCareer let’s you build your own player, scanning your face into him in next gen consoles, who starts his career with a 10 days contract in the NBA (in a rookie showcase in XBOX360 and PS3). MyTeam is basically a card based game which includes micro-transactions, an idea seen previously in FIFA games. MyGM is the “football manager” equivalent for the NBA. MyPark let’s you compete online with other players in one on one games and MyLeague lets you create and simulate your own basketball league for one or up to 80 seasons.
The Euroleague question
And now let’s get to our point, which is Euroleague’s integration to the game. We will start with the bad news. There’s no Euroleague mode, you can’t play a Euroleague season, or at least a Euroleague Final Four, neither you can hear “Devotion” anywhere in the game. You can add Euroleague teams in MyLeague mode, but they will just take the position of an NBA franchise, play in the NBA and that’s about it. This is something that has to be addressed and in theory shouldn’t be that hard to be done.
The good news are of course more teams, even if some of those currently play in Eurocup. In total there are 25 European clubs (here‘s the list) with their last spring rosters and most players stats and abilities are near their real life on court production. Hοwever, that’s how Jamario Moon is playing for Olympiacos and if we have seen right, he is the only Euroleague player who has tattoos, probably because an older model of him was used from previous games. His presence, a bold Dani Diez (?), Mirotic playing for Chicago and Real Madrid on the same time, a generic model for Bogdan Bogdanovic are not deal breakers. Even commentary about the salary cup of the NBA teams during a game between two Euroleague clubs is not a disaster.
Once more the big question is the following: Will there be a roster update for Euroleague teams? Last season that didn’t happen. This time around the answer we got is that “Euroleague roster will be updated”. So we eagerly wait for the roster update. If that happens, then without question the upgrade since last year – in which we basically were offered the 2012-13 season – is more than essential for Euroleague fans. And this time we expect 2k Sports to deliver…
