If only the game looked as good as it sounds. Player models are not quite as attractive as you would like them to be, and the graphics are only passable at this point when you are playing with the standard camera angle. When a player gets a close-up shot after making a big basket, you might want to avert your eyes, as the player faces are horrid looking.
Some of the presentation concerns would be incredibly minor if the game played well. Sadly, it lives up to the same issues that have plagued 2K basketball games for years. Players move incredibly robotic, with no fluidity to their motion. Attempts to make quick cuts with the ball, or simply pull off a crossover dribble, is incredibly awkward looking, making it seem as though these highly athletic players have the motor skills of preschoolers.
A loose ball on the court always seems to bring out the gritty nature of the college players in real life, but it is a strange sight in the game. While real life players dive head and elbows first to get the ball, players in the game stand around with no clue what to do, or where they are. A ball knocked away in a steal attempt will often bounce several times before anyone moves towards it. Typically, only one player ever moves for the ball; usually a lone defender who then streaks down court for an uncontested layup.
If you are playing against another person when this happens, there is some solace in knowing that a layup is nowhere near automatic. Perhaps the most glaring issue with the game is just how often even players that are supposed to be superstars in the game will miss shots when right under the basket, whether defended or not. You are more likely to see a higher three-point percentage out of your team than layup percentage. All this makes for a disjointed gaming experience that does not feel like a basketball game.
Move a little further back from the basket, and the game starts to perform well. When on offense, each player has a ‘confidence meter’ by their name. It looks somewhat like an internet strength meter in an online game lobby, and shows just how sure of themselves each player is at that spot on the floor, and more importantly in that situation. A wide-open look at a three may have three yellow lines, while a defended look may drop down to two.
Free throw shooting seems to be a bone of contention with each new basketball game, but 2K handles this small portion of the game well. Users pull down on the left analog stick to begin the shot, and release it as the ball leaves the hand of the shooter. The timing is not so strict that it makes the foul shots a pain, and the system is perhaps the most realistic feeling of the different free throw shooting mechanics out. Taking a shot at an opposing gym can be a little trickier, as loud crowds cause the camera to shake violently.
