NBA 2K25 Review – Still The Best Around

Like taxes and death, a new NBA 2K game is inevitable. NBA 2K25 is here. There’s no doubt that the series has been met with quite a lot of scrutiny over the past few years regarding its predatory microtransactions in “accidental” in-game adverts. Still, the series remains the best way to play basketball without getting all hot and sweaty.

NBA 2K25 does come with a new story mode experience that kicks off with a bang. You start off participating in the NBA Finals and it all looks promising. Sort of like the game is about to deliver immense wealth and fame. However, this all becomes a wake-up call after you realize the entire opening was simply a daydream.

It is an opening that sets the tone for the story and does a good job of that. I was then able to select my preferred position and play style based on another star player. Essentially, the MyPlayer mode takes you through the entire career of a basketball player. This means starting from the bottom and playing through the different leagues as you grow, sign deals and level up in an RPG-esque system.

It is a great time-passer. For me, it is the mode I really enjoy the most each year because it has substance. You also feel the achievements and growth of your character through the game’s impressive engine. The story mode has grown to accommodate modern-day trends like social media feeds, live-action messages and more. It is a robust experience and even if you only pick up NBA 2K25 for the other modes, I recommend you give it a go.

We then have The City. To include a social hub in the most random genre of gaming has become the norm now. In NBA 2K25, it works. While this isn’t the first year The City has been included in the game, the beach boardwalk setting looks nice and switches things up from the previous, and cliche outlet mall theme.

Here, I was able to walk around, buy clothing and gear and socialize with players. Of course, this is the main draw for NBA 2K25 and where the live-service mechanics are found. This also means that you’ll find the game’s horrid microtransactions and pay-to-win stuff here too.

The credit you can use to purchase new gear can also be used to make your player better. It goes without saying that you can also purchase this credit with real money. So there’s no real divide between playing the game and having money to burn.

The bigger shocker is that NBA 2K25 isn’t a cheap game. But even if you spend money on the best edition, you’ll still have a plethora of ways to spend even more money. It is an issue that has persisted in the series for a while now and honestly, it sucks.

I am not saying it sucks because I don’t have the money to spend (although I run a gaming site – go figure), but the entire monetization system simply takes away from the game’s incredible experience. Because there’s a lot to love about NBA 2K25. Sadly, all the focus has been put into this money machine and we’ll never get a true and honest basketball game again.

2K Games has improved matchmaking so if you do play against other players, you’ll be skill matched and not player stat matched. So the rich kids will still get steamrolled. You can’t buy gaming skills. However, I do strongly believe that the NBA 2K series has other creative ways to offer monetization without impacting stats. But anyway.

Outside of the purchases, NBA 2K25 has brushed up quite a lot of gameplay. The new ProPLAY animations look and feel smoother than ever. They are life-like and add some incredible realism to a match. There’s also a new dribble engine tied into these animations. This means not only does dribbling look better but transitioning into different moves is seamless.

You can also cut off an opponent now with a stick flick – another new mechanic that is great but takes a while to master. This system lets you control your player with the analogue stick and creates a fluid way to move about while being monitored.

With that being said, NBA 2K25 does expect you to know what you’re doing. Like previous years, the game isn’t an arcade sports game where you run around with one stick and shoot with the other. Various controller movements, button combos and stick twirls perform different styled moves. Thankfully, there is a dedicated tutorial mode that guides you through the entire game and everything you need to know.

There’s also a detailed settings page where you can turn down a lot of difficulty options to make the game feel as arcade-like as possible. Great if you’re just here for the story, by the way.

There’s been a lot of love poured into NBA 2K25. Glad to see that microtransaction money going somewhere. The sheer scale of the world and courts feel larger than ever and if anything, out of this world. The Elite mode is set in a pirate yard and the court is installed on a pirate ship. The Rise mode is built into a mech factory with towering robots around you and some dangling in the air while being assembled.

MyPark is also back with four remastered courts planned. These have been taken from previous NBA 2K games and remastered with the latest engine lighting and textures.

Of course, you can also jump into the MyCourt mode and build your very own dream court in your apartment too. The entire experience further adds to the NBA fantasy. Proving Grounds, on the other hand, is the game’s new ranked mode. Set in a lavish coliseum, this is the ultra-serious competitive mode where you’ll go to be sweaty. The mode consists of 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4 and 5v5.

The mode turns off all player advantages so it is simply down to skill. If you hit the top 100 players, you can then show off a badge on your profile. This mode is based on a seasonal rotation so if you’re into it, you’ll likely return to claim your spot every few months.

As a package, NBA 2K25 is still the best sports game around. Yes, the costs involved here are so bad and so anti-consumer but what are you going to play instead? Clearly, 2K Games knows the market belongs to them. However, the sheer amount of content on offer here makes this a good game.

This NBA 2K25 review is based on a code sent to us by 2K Games. NBA 2K25 is now available from Amazon SA, BT Games, Game4U, Koodoo, Nexus Hub and Takealot for PS5, Xbox and Switch.