When you're the #1 selling NBA videogame two years in a row, the #1 rated NBA videogame 10 years in a row, and have collaborated with back-to-back NBA champions, Kevin Garnett (2K9) and Kobe Bryant (2K10) - what is NBA 2K11 to do for the next act? Simple: Michael Jordan. The greatest basketball player of all time debuts for the first time in this hardware generation and brings his passion for the game to NBA 2K11 with an all new Jordan Challenge mode, historic Bulls teams, and even a MJ: Creating a Legend mode offering gamers the chance to be a rookie Michael and craft a new career for him. This is on top of improvements to core gameplay elements - including an all-new IsoMotion dribbling controls, deeper My Player mode with new My Career feature, all-new breathtaking visuals, and much more. This year BECOME THE GREATEST with NBA 2K11.
Technical Details
- Relive 10 different legendary games from Michael Jordan's career and replicate in NBA 2K11 what MJ did on the court. Successfully reenact all 10 game scenarios to unlock the MJ: Creating a Legend mode.
- Delivering the most realistic feeling and reacting dribbling system to date with seamless transitions between ankle breaking moves allowing users to translate thought to motion and dominate like Michael Jordan from the perimeter to the paint.
- Take your offensive game to the next level with an unprecedented amount of control via the enhanced Shot Stick. Dozens of new shot types, from layups to jumpshots to dunks and everything in between, are under the user's control with the flick of a stick.
- Updated AI systems across the board make The Association the smartest franchise mode in sports gaming. Featuring a revamped NBA Draft with draft day trades, and a user-friendly trade finder, the Association brings an entirely new level of realism.
- For the 1st time ever, experience NBA 2K in an entertaining and unique manner on your PlayStation3 with PlayStation Move controls that simulate real pro movements including shooting, passing, blocking shots, stealing, and even dunking!
Not your average yearly update...., You may consider this a premature review, but I thought I would share my initial feelings about the game anyways. It really doesn't matter the company, whether 2K or EA, but whenever the yearly edition of your favorite sports game is released, it's painfully obvious that the transition between one year to the next is subtle at best. Thankfully 2K doesn't simply add a new feature and highlight it as EA does year in and out with their games. For NBA 2K11, 2K knew it could not let down the legions of Jordan fanboys and fanatics worldwide by pushing out an inferior product and let me tell you, 2K11 has NOT disappointed me thus far. I received this game approximately 4 hours ago, THANK YOU UPS GUY, and after 4 hours of non-stop play, I am VERY satisfied. I'll attempt to break down what I've seen.
Pros:
1) Michael FREAKING Jordan. His presence is already the showstopper part of the game, but 2K does not simply include him in a "Legendary" team and call it quits. No, Sir. As you've already read, they include him on 10 of his legendary Bulls teams whether to relive his classic moments or to use them against current teams. Another cool feature is the ability to unlock all his Jordan brand shoes where upon wearing them, your player will gain specific stat boosts.
2) Inclusion of other legendary teams. They didn't have to, but they so kindly did.
3) Improved AI. Every year 2K and EA claim they have more life-like AI, this year is different. Basically once you pop the game in the disk you're already playing as a Jordan-led team and the difficulty was on Pro. I noticed immediately that the same passes to cutters will not fly. I played 2K10 on Hall of Fame and those passes were money. Well, not anymore. It takes a lot more know-how and timing to get things right and I couldn't be happier.
4) Buttons and moves. By this I mean 2K tweaked the buttons slightly and it's made things easier in my estimation. Circle no longer sets your picks (rather it is the "fake pass" button), as it's now L1. Pushing L1 calls your screener to get into position and releasing it tells him to roll. Rather than allowing the AI to determine when they should roll allows the player to better gauge what the best play will be. You can call a quick screen so that he simply slows the guy guarding you down and allow you to blow by for a layup or dunk, or you can set an adequate pick-and-roll (that would make Stockton and Malone happy) by allowing your screener to have a head full of steam before getting the ball. Performing moves is a lot easier for me this time around, it's hard to get into detail so you'll have to see for yourself. I say moves are a positive this time around because of the newly added animations allow for more variation when trying to break your defender down.
5) Clear difference between Stars and nobodies. When you're using a superior player and an inferior player guards you, performing moves will easily allow you to "brush your shoulder" of the guy. For instance, if you're using Derrick Rose and Robin Lopez switches to guard you, he's basically screwed. Higher ball skill ratings vs. lower speed means when you do a move against him, he'll be left in the dust. Also, star players definitely shine in this game. If you're using MJ or Kobe, being guarded perfectly doesn't mean your shot will clank. Everybody knows these two make/made impossible shots, as ridiculous as it looks/seems, they did it for real and you can do it in the game. Using Kobe in 2K10 was semi-frustrating because it would've been nice if I could've made some of those difficult shots that he makes in reality, now I can see them drop more often that not. Just my preference that I'd like to see some contested shots go down since some guys can pull it off. Again, you need to see for yourself how clear the difference is now.
6) Improved layout. You could do without this, but it does look nicer.
7) My Player. A lot of the things here will seem familiar to you, but 2K did add nice features here and there and allow for a more variation when developing your player. The combinations of shots, moves, etc. are endless. This feature was already solid in 2K10, but 2K added some nice little features here and there.
8) Graphics. I think the graphics this year around are fairly crisp and to anybody griping about looks, have you ever considered that maybe companies have already maxed out on how great these games can look? 1080p is basically the standard and if it doesn't look as good as you think it should be, try getting an LED tv and then get back to me.
Cons:
1) Same announcers, but they did add some new one liners. Either way, playing two games successively means you hear them rant about the same things. I don't think any game developer is willing to pay two new guys to announce their games every year.
2) I have not encountered any bugs thus far, but I suppose with more playing I'll see something?
Conclusion:
I think when word got out how amazing 2K11 was, EA finally accepted what they already knew. They were pushing out an inferior product year after year. It's never been more obvious this year as EA delayed their interpretation of basketball by 5 (FIVE!) months. If anybody even tried their demo, I don't blame them. Frankly, I'd get this game just for the Jordan factor... but I thank 2K Sports for merely letting his presence be an attention grabber while letting their actual game do the talking. Whether you're a 2K or Live/Elite fanboy, you really owe it to yourself to get this game. 2K didn't have to add a lot of the stuff that they did, but they did so anyways because they really wanted to prove to people that they've mastering their craft with dedication and thought. I hope that anybody who reads this review got something out of it because ever since popping the game in, I really felt the need for everyone else out there to see what I saw. If you have any questions or think I'm talking out of my ass, please let me know! And in the future, don't let EA sell you on their Great Balls of Fire (NBA JAM) to buy their games! Quality will always win out against HYPE!
Pros:
1) Michael FREAKING Jordan. His presence is already the showstopper part of the game, but 2K does not simply include him in a "Legendary" team and call it quits. No, Sir. As you've already read, they include him on 10 of his legendary Bulls teams whether to relive his classic moments or to use them against current teams. Another cool feature is the ability to unlock all his Jordan brand shoes where upon wearing them, your player will gain specific stat boosts.
2) Inclusion of other legendary teams. They didn't have to, but they so kindly did.
3) Improved AI. Every year 2K and EA claim they have more life-like AI, this year is different. Basically once you pop the game in the disk you're already playing as a Jordan-led team and the difficulty was on Pro. I noticed immediately that the same passes to cutters will not fly. I played 2K10 on Hall of Fame and those passes were money. Well, not anymore. It takes a lot more know-how and timing to get things right and I couldn't be happier.
4) Buttons and moves. By this I mean 2K tweaked the buttons slightly and it's made things easier in my estimation. Circle no longer sets your picks (rather it is the "fake pass" button), as it's now L1. Pushing L1 calls your screener to get into position and releasing it tells him to roll. Rather than allowing the AI to determine when they should roll allows the player to better gauge what the best play will be. You can call a quick screen so that he simply slows the guy guarding you down and allow you to blow by for a layup or dunk, or you can set an adequate pick-and-roll (that would make Stockton and Malone happy) by allowing your screener to have a head full of steam before getting the ball. Performing moves is a lot easier for me this time around, it's hard to get into detail so you'll have to see for yourself. I say moves are a positive this time around because of the newly added animations allow for more variation when trying to break your defender down.
5) Clear difference between Stars and nobodies. When you're using a superior player and an inferior player guards you, performing moves will easily allow you to "brush your shoulder" of the guy. For instance, if you're using Derrick Rose and Robin Lopez switches to guard you, he's basically screwed. Higher ball skill ratings vs. lower speed means when you do a move against him, he'll be left in the dust. Also, star players definitely shine in this game. If you're using MJ or Kobe, being guarded perfectly doesn't mean your shot will clank. Everybody knows these two make/made impossible shots, as ridiculous as it looks/seems, they did it for real and you can do it in the game. Using Kobe in 2K10 was semi-frustrating because it would've been nice if I could've made some of those difficult shots that he makes in reality, now I can see them drop more often that not. Just my preference that I'd like to see some contested shots go down since some guys can pull it off. Again, you need to see for yourself how clear the difference is now.
6) Improved layout. You could do without this, but it does look nicer.
7) My Player. A lot of the things here will seem familiar to you, but 2K did add nice features here and there and allow for a more variation when developing your player. The combinations of shots, moves, etc. are endless. This feature was already solid in 2K10, but 2K added some nice little features here and there.
8) Graphics. I think the graphics this year around are fairly crisp and to anybody griping about looks, have you ever considered that maybe companies have already maxed out on how great these games can look? 1080p is basically the standard and if it doesn't look as good as you think it should be, try getting an LED tv and then get back to me.
Cons:
1) Same announcers, but they did add some new one liners. Either way, playing two games successively means you hear them rant about the same things. I don't think any game developer is willing to pay two new guys to announce their games every year.
2) I have not encountered any bugs thus far, but I suppose with more playing I'll see something?
Conclusion:
I think when word got out how amazing 2K11 was, EA finally accepted what they already knew. They were pushing out an inferior product year after year. It's never been more obvious this year as EA delayed their interpretation of basketball by 5 (FIVE!) months. If anybody even tried their demo, I don't blame them. Frankly, I'd get this game just for the Jordan factor... but I thank 2K Sports for merely letting his presence be an attention grabber while letting their actual game do the talking. Whether you're a 2K or Live/Elite fanboy, you really owe it to yourself to get this game. 2K didn't have to add a lot of the stuff that they did, but they did so anyways because they really wanted to prove to people that they've mastering their craft with dedication and thought. I hope that anybody who reads this review got something out of it because ever since popping the game in, I really felt the need for everyone else out there to see what I saw. If you have any questions or think I'm talking out of my ass, please let me know! And in the future, don't let EA sell you on their Great Balls of Fire (NBA JAM) to buy their games! Quality will always win out against HYPE!
Simply the Best Basketball Game Ever, I am currently playing the game and have only taken a break from it for dinner today. One thing that I noticed is that the player movement is much more fluid compared to 2k10. Jumpers, especially, look really good (compare Kobe from 2k10 to this version and there is a glaring difference). Iso-motion controls are better this time, especially for the different shot types. The post-moves have definitely improved in this game as well. Another thing I liked is that defenders get posterized more often now by superstars. Before, a defender could be late to react to a dunk, and the AI would just hack you in mid-air (pretty unrealistic). That used to be really annoying, and I'm glad they fixed that. Oh, and for you Lebron fans, don't worry...he doesn't look like a gremlin anymore.
I'm sure some of you have seen the horrendous nba elite 11 demo video on youtube...if not, here it is: [...]
Now, if you thought Bynum was Jesus in nba elite 11, just wait until you see Jordan in nba 2k11. I mean seriously...the guy is an absolute monster in this game. He's basically unstoppable from anywhere on the court (except for the mid-80s and the 98 Jordan who aren't great from deep). Other than those two versions, you can put the game on any difficulty you want, and it still seems like Jordan can score at will, regardless of the defense. Personally, I think it's a bit unrealistic that Jordan has a higher rating from 3pt land than Kobe, but I guess their career averages aren't too far apart. Also, he has a 99 steal rating. I know Jordan got the DPOY and averaged high steal numbers throughout his career, but 99? really? Also, MJ will often posterize 2-3 defenders in a single dunk (sometimes while clearly looking down on the rim), and he does the ft-line dunk occasionally in actual games (unlike in real life where he only did that in the dunk contests). The Jordan challenge, however, is definitely a lot of fun, and it is somewhat challenging to finish with assists/rebounds and huge scoring nights. I haven't tried the Creating a Legend mode yet, but I'm sure that wont disappoint either.
One annoying part is that they've made the Heat lineup a little unrealistic. I sincerely doubt that Wade is going to play PG with Mike Miller at SG. Most likely, we will see Miller coming off the bench for Lebron during the regular season with Wade at SG, but I'm sure you can fix this in the roster settings. Another annoyance is the spin dunks. They're very slow in terms of game speed, but they're usually successful, which doesn't really make sense. You'd think the defenders would do much better against this with all the time it takes the offensive player to do a spin move near the basket.
Other than these minor annoyances, nba 2k11 is by far the best basketball game I've ever played (and I've played a lot), and, like IGN mentions, it may be the best sports game ever made. Graphics, gameplay, and the addition of Jordan make this release a must buy. 10/10.
I'm sure some of you have seen the horrendous nba elite 11 demo video on youtube...if not, here it is: [...]
Now, if you thought Bynum was Jesus in nba elite 11, just wait until you see Jordan in nba 2k11. I mean seriously...the guy is an absolute monster in this game. He's basically unstoppable from anywhere on the court (except for the mid-80s and the 98 Jordan who aren't great from deep). Other than those two versions, you can put the game on any difficulty you want, and it still seems like Jordan can score at will, regardless of the defense. Personally, I think it's a bit unrealistic that Jordan has a higher rating from 3pt land than Kobe, but I guess their career averages aren't too far apart. Also, he has a 99 steal rating. I know Jordan got the DPOY and averaged high steal numbers throughout his career, but 99? really? Also, MJ will often posterize 2-3 defenders in a single dunk (sometimes while clearly looking down on the rim), and he does the ft-line dunk occasionally in actual games (unlike in real life where he only did that in the dunk contests). The Jordan challenge, however, is definitely a lot of fun, and it is somewhat challenging to finish with assists/rebounds and huge scoring nights. I haven't tried the Creating a Legend mode yet, but I'm sure that wont disappoint either.
One annoying part is that they've made the Heat lineup a little unrealistic. I sincerely doubt that Wade is going to play PG with Mike Miller at SG. Most likely, we will see Miller coming off the bench for Lebron during the regular season with Wade at SG, but I'm sure you can fix this in the roster settings. Another annoyance is the spin dunks. They're very slow in terms of game speed, but they're usually successful, which doesn't really make sense. You'd think the defenders would do much better against this with all the time it takes the offensive player to do a spin move near the basket.
Other than these minor annoyances, nba 2k11 is by far the best basketball game I've ever played (and I've played a lot), and, like IGN mentions, it may be the best sports game ever made. Graphics, gameplay, and the addition of Jordan make this release a must buy. 10/10.
