NBA 2k20: A Review

The 21st installment of the NBA 2K series has had one of the more intriguing launches of its run of games. NBA 2K20, through new features and experiences, looks to propel the title further than it’s ever been before.
The gameplay is far different than any other entry in the series. It’s slower than the usual up-tempo style. “It’s alright, it reminds me of the old 2k” said Kazanksi Colar, a marketing major from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 
“It’s more realistic, I feel like each year it gets closer to real-life”. said Keonde Devold, an engineering major from New Orleans, Louisiana. 
The game from a structure standpoint stumbled out the gate with a good amount of glitches. One glitch in particular that had adverse effects was the rep bar freezing. The glitch prevented many players from leveling up their myPlayer.
The glitch was later patched, but there are still a fair amount of glitches that are active in the game. Community manager Ronnie2k tweeted “The past few days have been tough, but it’s a testament to how big the game has gotten and how you challenge us to be better”.
To start its’ most highly coveted mode, MyCareer has brought along many recognizable faces to its story. Among them including Idris Elba, Rosario Dawson, and many popular NBA athletes to boot. 
The story is a robust experience to start the game. Throughout the story, your created character is asked to make important decisions and participate in numerous activities. The story takes you from college to the NBA through various events like the NBA Combine and the NBA Summer League. Overall, it is a nice appetizer for the rest of the mode.
The second most popular mode, MyTeam, set out to accomplish some new things while also adhering to its growing online community. After playing the mode, my biggest takeaway from the mode was the addition of evolution cards. Evolution cards go up in rating over time the more you play and achieve goals.
One downside I found, however, was the continued use of contracts in the mode. I dislike the system because it handcuffs the player to an extent. For each game you play your players consume contracts. If you don’t have the MyTeam points or virtual currency to keep up the contracts,  you could find yourself in a bind. I noticed strides had been made in the rewards department as well, with this year’s game rewarding those who log in daily with a chance at a high overall card.
Another mode that got a facelift was MyGM. Over the last couple of iterations of NBA 2K, the model has become more detailed every time. From, Lebron-Esque prospects coming out of the draft to dealing with assistant gm’s leaking info to the media, the last few years have had an impressive storyline. This year’s game, however, took a more competitive approach than its predecessors. 
This year MyGM has a leaderboard that compares your progress overtime to other players. Once you choose a team,  you are allotted action points, which makes you choose what you seek to accomplish for that day. These actions are not limited to talking with your players, the staff, or even the team owner himself. Although, this change is extremely detailed. it also can seem overwhelming and irritating at times. This experience was a calculated one, but also a seeming frustrating one as well.
This year’s version of NBA 2K looks to have its typical ups and downs with some added features. 2K looked to jump forward this year, but instead, was forced to take small steps toward a big destination.