Review: 'NBA2K23' game disappoints

Three out of Five Stars

By Jonah Unger
Staff Writer

NBA 2K23 is an NBA basketball video game created by 2K Games. 2K Games has really taken off in the past decade, especially with its sports games.

NBA 2K fans have seen a variety of different NBA games throughout the years. Some games were good, and others were known to be lazy remakes.

NBA 2K23 was released on Sept. 8, 2022, for Xbox series S and X, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC. The game can also be purchased on older-generation consoles, but it is a totally different game. I am reviewing NBA 2K23 for next-generation consoles only. 

2K23 has a lot to offer compared to last year's game. 2K added a feature called MyEras. This feature allows the player to play as a general manager in four different eras of time.

The player can play in the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird era, which starts in 1984; the Michael Jordan era, which starts in 1991; the Kobe Bryant era, which starts in 2002; or the modern era. This feature is great and unlike anything 2K has done before. 

This year, 2K also brought back the Jordan challenges. It’s nice to travel back in time to play as Jordan, but 2K has done this before. It would be nice to play through other significant times through NBA history. 

Now that the positive is out of the way, this game has many issues. The biggest one for me is the updated meter. The meter this year has changed. Unless the player gets an excellent release on every shot, he or she will miss. It is extremely frustrating and takes the fun out of what can be a relaxing game. 

Another thing that bothers me about the game is the boring MyCareer mode. This is a game mode in which the player can play as a customized NBA player. Normally there is a well though-out story behind the career one chooses, making the experience authentic. But this year it seems the creators didn’t even try with that mode. 

NBA 2K23 has a 6/10 on Steam and a 4/5 on the Apple app store. Because of its lacking gameplay overshadowing the great things this game has to offer, I am giving it just 3 stars out of 5.