NBA 2K22 Critic Reviews

There is a lot to love about NBA 2K22 which makes it one of the best basketball games out there. Besides just looking and feeling amazing, a lot of time and effort was put into ensuring this game wasn’t just a rehashing of last year’s version. From its smart tweaks on the court to its heightened level of realism in nearly every aspect of its gameplay, NBA 2K22 is the ultimate fan experience and delivers a season worth of thrills where it matters most.

Thanks to an impeccable production, NBA 2K22 feels more immersive and realistic than ever. Its gameplay is slower and more true to the game of basketball. Even though the RPG features of My Career are pretty bad, its content is still extremely rich. It all makes for the best NBA 2K in years.

Microtransactions are a trouble one more time, but, despite them, NBA 2K22 is one of the best sport videogames in history, because of its playable class on the court, its graphic muscles and its bench full of options. Visual Concepts wants to win the ring one more season.

Immense in substance and respectable in form. 2K22 is worthy of the new generation of consoles, with gameplay and a career mode that erase the many faults of the past year.

NBA 2K22 does what it takes to make fans fall in love with the franchise again.

NBA 2K22 is the franchise’s best entry in years, offering well-balanced changes on the court and a bold, yet welcome, revamp of MyCareer and The City hub. Microtransactions still frustrate at times, but they’re not as aggressive or tasteless as they’ve been in the past. For the first time in a while, it feels like the NBA 2K dev team is hungry, and they’ve cooked up a real championship contender this year.

When we talk about gameplay and content, there's no rival to NBA 2K22, with a better defense on the court and so much improvements in every mode. The City is almost as big as every map in a sandbox... Unfortunately, the microtransactions are always there, in every move or step you take, and is a real pity in a great game like this.

NBA 2K22 requires a more tactical approach, making on-court play the best it has been, but VC still stalls enjoyment.

NBA 2K22 shines on the court, while it struggles in the city. Visual Concepts did a great job getting back on the right steps its basket simulation, and the new shooting system feels good, the new defensive AI is tough and, overall, everything is in the right spot. The new MMORPG-like MyCareer is an ambitious and enormous attempt to maximize the retention of the players. Well, it tries hard, but it doesn't succeed.

2K22 is a step in the right direction, fixing and improving some of the concerns from the previous entry. There are still a few things that need work, but it is, overall, a fantastic basketball simulator.

Much improved over 2K21 and the best 2K in ages, NBA 2K22 is a strongest game still bogged down by legacy virtual currency and gameplay challenges.

NBA 2K22 does many things well, most of which has already been done well in the past. Exceptional, challenging gameplay keeps the strength of the game close to its chest, and NBA 2K22 offers an impressive spread of modes to complement that gameplay. Apart from a few misguided choices, the biggest crippling factor this year comes from how The City takes a good idea and stretches it way too thin. NBA 2K22 is great for hardcore fans of the franchise, but it doesn't leave the door open for many others.

NBA 2K22 spreads itself a little too thin off the court, but it genuinely takes strides on it. The game’s rewritten defensive system makes for a much more enjoyable experience across all modes, where you feel rewarded for using the ball effectively and engineering open looks. MyCareer’s first foray into non-NBA activities could do with fleshing out, and there’s still an overreliance on advertising and microtransactions. But with one of the most complete Franchise modes on the market, and with exceptional presentation across the board, this is a series at the top of its game again.

Aside from the unfortunate microtransactions and bloated hubs, the only fundamental low points are lackluster developments for MyLeague, MyGM, and The W. Each of these modes still plays well, but it's clear they aren't a prime focus. 2K22 doesn't offer much over last year's game for players who enjoy these modes aside from improved gameplay should they hit the court. Despite its flaws, NBA 2K22 still lands as a success for its on-court display, if nothing else. The game feels smoother, more intuitive, and really shines with the haptic feedback on PS5, which makes every move feel engaging. There may still be wrinkles to iron out, but the NBA 2K ship is heading full-steam ahead in the right direction with the release of NBA 2K22.

The shining spot for this year’s game is the defensive gameplay and the ability to truly challenge shots and defenders, especially in the paint. It’s extremely satisfying. While a bit of the game remains, NBA 2K22 still offers the closest television experience in a sports video game to date. However, that shot meter is still frustrating as the game remains geared toward its hardcore community who prefer grinding.

Once again 2K proves they are the best when it comes to making a fun and entertaining basketball simulation game.

2K is about as bad as it gets when it comes to quality of life for players in its online modes that are clearly designed to syphon extra money beyond the price of admission. However, they do make one hell of a basketball game that will allow you to tolerate these scheme-based game modes if you can actually get on to play them.

Still the best Basketball simulation game on the market, NBA 2K22 does good but not enough to break into the 9th generation of gaming hardware as the PS5 version of the game is only superior to its PS4 counterpart in terms of visuals, and the RPG-like My Career mode and heavy reliance on microtransactions keep dragging it down.

Even though some long running problems plaguing this franchise are still present in NBA 2K22 (microtransactions, poor defense, ads etc.) this year's edition is without a doubt the best we've seen in a long time.

NBA 2K22 is a great game in pretty much every facet, over than the overbearing VC issues that have been present for years now. Combining MyCareer with The City was a genius decision and the introduction of Seasons across multiple game modes will keep NBA 2K22 fresh moving forward throughout the next year while waiting on the next annual entry.