NBA 2K25 Review

So many annual sports videogames have the same criticisms lobbied against them. You’ll hear the usual; “It’s exactly the same as last year” or “Charging full price for a roster update, WTF”, and these comments are often fairly accurate. With NBA 2K25, can developer Visual Concepts breathe new life into the franchise? Or is it a simple rehash of NBA 2K24?

Right off the bat (or is it ball, in this case?) the most notable improvement is the expanded ProPLAY mechanic. First introduced in 2K24, ProPLAY uses real-world footage to create incredibly accurate animations for the majority of the NBA players. It feels much more realised than last year, with 9,000 new animations on top of the already staggering amount previously introduced, with new dribbling, defending, and signature shot animations all included. Each player feels unique when playing as them, and the difference in animations is very impressive. The NBA franchise has always done a brilliant job at capturing the on-court action, but this is far and away the best it has ever looked.

With this comes some slight gameplay changes, too, as both offensive and defensive play feels tighter than ever. The series has always played great, but it just controls better than it ever has and is so unbelievably smooth, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone walked in the room and assumed you were watching a real game. There’s also the Pro Stick Rhythm Shooting system, which has you timing your shots using the right stick based on the controlled player’s movements. Sure, it took me a while to get used to this — thankfully you can change back to the standard shot controls if you just can’t grasp this new one — but once I did, it felt almost as satisfying as if I’d sunk a three-pointer myself. It’s definitely worth trying, though perhaps take the time to customise your shot meter to your liking for optimal results!

As for defence, whilst it doesn’t completely rework the old mechanics, the cutoff system gives players more control over their team than ever before. Despite not noticing the difference in gameplay at first, once I got the hang of it, I was able to shut down much more offence by controlling the opposition, something that has always been the weakest aspect of my performance in the past. Overall, it isn’t an exaggeration to say that NBA 2K25 is literally the best the series has ever played. Which, when you consider just how good the gameplay has been for years, that really is an impressive feat.

For the longest time, it’s hard to find another yearly sports franchise that captures the energy of the game like NBA does. And this year is no different. For starters, the visuals are second to none, and though not every NBA star looks exactly like their real-world counterparts, the vast majority of them are instantly recognisable. Whether it’s legends such as LeBron James, or current players like Sabrina Ionescu, the character models are insanely lifelike and detailed. It is crazy to think that Visual Concepts can drop the ball with many superstars found in the WWE games, but gets it so spot on in NBA. It’s not just the impressive graphical quality that makes the game so engrossing to play, from half-time shows, to impressively detailed commentary, right down to the tiniest of details such as shoes squeaking whilst pivoting, 2K25 nails the presentation of basketball to perfection.

The varied amount of game modes are still present in 2K25, along with the reintroduction of MyGM! All the usual options are here: MyNBA, MyCareer, The W, and MyTeam, so there are plenty of modes to choose from, but let’s run through each of them in a little more detail.

The returning MyGM is a great mode to see once again, although there is room for improvement. The presentation and dialogue is rather generic, but being able to play in the modern era and shape the world of basketball to your liking is a lot of fun. You’ll pick a few starting choices that alter your backstory, perks, and so on, with the ultimate goal being to become the best General Manager in the league.

Accompanying this is MyNBA, which allows you to jump straight into a season or fully customise a multi-year journey. With six eras to pick from (Magic vs Bird, Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Steph, or Modern), each with their own visuals to accurately represent the time period and a plethora of options to finely tune your experience, this is a mode that basketball fans will keep coming back to again and again.

MyCareer is back once again, in all its microtransaction infamy. This mode sees you creating your own player on their way to the top of the NBA. Pro-tuned builds help those unsure on how best to spec their character get into the action quickly, although unless you’re willing to fork out real cash (you shouldn’t, by the way) then it’s a slow grind to be the best. Even then, there will be online players that have spent hundreds to take the easy route. At least the online hub “the City” is great, though, now feeling much more dense with less empty space as you roam around towards your next objectives.

MyTeam, the other microtransaction-fuelled mode, has more of an online focus this year, which, as someone who mainly sticks to solo play, was a bit of a letdown. You know how this mode goes by now; collect, earn, and purchase cards in order to build your squad and take on the various mode-specific challenges or online matchups. At least the auction house is back, allowing players to bid on specific cards they want. Just don’t be surprised if you don’t have nearly enough virtual currency to be able to afford it.

Finally, there’s The W. This mode doesn’t seem to have been changed at all since last year, which is a disappointment. Whilst the WNBA representation is welcome, there is so much more that can be done to improve this mode, and here’s hoping with the increase in the league’s popularity, Visual Concepts will focus on it more in the future.

Overall, the fairly substantial changes to the gameplay make NBA 2K25 quite possibly the best basketball game ever produced. I could ramble on about how microtransactions kill the enjoyment of some modes, but they’re here to stay, unfortunately. At least they’re not mandatory to enjoy the game. Yet. As a complete package, NBA 2K25 is in a league of its own, and should not be missed by fans of the sport.