The basketball video game NBA 2K25 was released this past Friday and calling it a slam dunk would be an overstatement.
The game is not terrible by any means, but there are no definitive differences in any of the game's features compared to the previous game 2K24.
For starters, the game cover is absolutely horrible because of the usage of the arena crowd as the background.
Previous NBA 2K games had a specific color scheme and style that can be seen throughout the game, whereas this game seemed to be all over the place with its designs.
For example, 2K24 had a gold and yellow theme to honor the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant who wore the number 24.
In the game before that, NBA 2K23, there was a Phoenix Suns color scheme because Suns guard Devin Booker was the cover athlete for the game.
The cover for this game had a desert theme to emphasize the fact that Booker plays in Phoenix Arizona which is a very hot region.
The loading screen has a nice dark blue with bits of pink and yellow, but then the main menu is just a dark gray almost black which is a major contrast.
The gameplay is smooth with the play now and blacktop games remaining consistent but enjoyable.
Play now mode is when you play a regular basketball game with any two teams whereas with blacktop, you play streetball with any NBA player in the game, past or present, with competitions ranging from 1V1 to 5V5.
It's the same format compared to any other modern 2K game with the only difference being the rosters because of the trades that happened over summer.
I would have liked to see the NBA players wear their jerseys in blacktop mode instead of the warmup suits and black t-shirts because it would have been a nice change of pace.
It would have also been reminiscent of NBA 2K16 which is the last game that did that.
The developers could have changed the design of the court rather than using the same model from the previous game.
One mode that was exciting to see again was the MyNBA mode which is a game feature where one can choose from five different eras of NBA history and create your own team.
While this game feature was already in the previous 2K game, 2K25 adds a new era known as the Steph Era which is centered around Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry which takes place during the 2016-17 NBA season, according to the NBA 2K webpage.
This season is when the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals after losing the previous year.
Since this game has different eras, it can offer a bit of nostalgia for many people who have been watching basketball for a long time.
The LeBron Era was nostalgic for me because I grew up watching a lot of the players in that era.
This era takes place in 2010 after superstar LeBron James decided to go to the Miami Heat after playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers for seven years, according to X post from the NBA 2K25 Community, the official X account for the game.
When it comes to the older eras such as the Kobe Era and the Jordan Era, there are some inaccuracies with all of the team's rosters.
The Jordan Era takes place in 1991, which was the start of NBA legend Michael Jordan’s “three-peat” or three consecutive championships with the Chicago Bulls, according to the same X post from the NBA 2K25 Community
Some of the teams in the Jordan Era such as the Atlanta Hawks and the Seattle Supersonics have as little as eight players on its rosters.
There were only a few teams that could hang with the Bulls in the ‘90s, so it makes sense why not all 30 teams have a full roster.
It would not be worth all the trouble when people are more likely to use the popular teams when playing with this era.
The same can be argued for the Kobe Era because it takes place in 2002, which marks the last year of Bryant’s three-peat with the Los Angeles Lakers.
This makes a lot of teams disproportionately better than others because of the fact that the developers spent more time on the teams that were championship contenders in those eras, which is understandable.
I highly recommend the MyNBA feature to 2K fans because it is a good way to learn more about how basketball has evolved.
I also found the soundtrack for the game to be decent, but it hasn’t ever been an issue in other 2K games containing music from various artists including Killer Mike, Peso Pluma, etc.
There was a good mix of different genres of music for the game without anyone in particular dominating the soundtrack.
Every 2K has a feature called MyCareer where one can create a custom player and work to get him into the NBA.
Usually, there is a storyline involved to add more depth and context to the player’s career.
This game did something really unique that took me by surprise, which is that the player is already in the NBA and one can play his backstory on how he joined.
It is a nice twist on the game that hasn’t been seen before because in recent years, many players would have to try their best to get their players into the league.
That fate is already predetermined by 2K and it is a refreshing take for this feature.
Overall, this game is one that I would find myself coming back to simply because it is the newest 2K game.
Even though there is not much that stands out in comparison to other 2Ks, it is still a nice game to play and pass the time.
