What I'd Like to See in a Review

[fjccommish]

While reviewers talk about the graphics and socks and, last year, about the surface of the signature mode, I'd like to see some reviewer or person who plays an early copy discuss address some specific issues from 2K11 - are they fixed in 2K12?

For 2K11 Czar made that series of videos focusing on the realism of each team's plays and playbook. But in practice CPU teams ran 3-4 plays every time. By half time of the first game it was second nature to stop everything the CPU ran, and beat them by a landslide.

The same issue related to why superstars didn't perform like superstars in the hands of the CPU. Stopping Kobe, or LeBron, or any superstar was a matter of knowing their 3-4 plays, and going where they'll go to receive the ball before they get there. Kobe could burn a human player for 50, but once his pattern was known he was shut down every time.

That's not to say someone didn't step up, but it was always someone other than the superstar, often a support player. It's annoying, every game in the season, to have a role player being the guy who carries his team. But it's also easier to beat the CPU team because a role player doesn't have the abilities of the superstar.

Is this addressed in 2K12? Do CPU teams, for people who play offline franchise/career, run enough variation and focus on getting the ball to superstars so that it's not easy to stifle them? Will LeBron and Kobe and Dirk and other superstars be a challenge? Or, will it once again be easy to stop them by knowing a few plays they run every time?

- Can gamers put fouled out players back into games? In 2K11 players fouled out, but then could be returned to the floor.

- Does the bug where the CPU substitutes in and out and in and out the same two players in a given dead ball situation still happen?

- Is it still too easy, every time down the floor, for a human controlled player to get to the basket for a dunk or layup? It's one thing to dissect a D with a young MJ. But any player, in the hands of a human, could score 40+ all on dunks and layups (against the CPU.)

- On the same note is there more help and double teaming from the CPU? If Jordan has 30 at half time, will they double team him?

I realize some people like to know about the socks and shoes and presentation. But some, like me, turned off the canned presentation after hearing the same stories a few times. I don't care about socks and shoes as long as they're wearing some socks and shoes. Are the bugs fixed, are specific game play issues resolved?

[Andrew]

I agree. Some of the lengthier reviews thus far have mentioned gameplay improvements, smoother animations, differences to the AI etc and hopefully future previews and reviews will offer more insight in that regard. However, I have a feeling a bulk of that information will come from community reviews, the people who played last year's game so much and will immediately look for those issues.

[fjccommish]

It didn't happen from Nba2K10 to 2K11. I hope it happens this year.

Last year a lot of pre-release review time was spent on the Jordan mode. The reviews didn't mention that opposing teams in that mode had no bench and thus played starters the whole game. That type of thing is important.

[JaoSming]

important to you

not important to the majority of the people playing the game

if you want information like that, get a press pass or hope that ronnie2k answers your questions.

[koberulz]

But in practice CPU teams ran 3-4 plays every time. By half time of the first game it was second nature to stop everything the CPU ran, and beat them by a landslide.

The same issue related to why superstars didn't perform like superstars in the hands of the CPU. Stopping Kobe, or LeBron, or any superstar was a matter of knowing their 3-4 plays, and going where they'll go to receive the ball before they get there. Kobe could burn a human player for 50, but once his pattern was known he was shut down every time.

That's not to say someone didn't step up, but it was always someone other than the superstar, often a support player. It's annoying, every game in the season, to have a role player being the guy who carries his team. But it's also easier to beat the CPU team because a role player doesn't have the abilities of the superstar.

Is this addressed in 2K12? Do CPU teams, for people who play offline franchise/career, run enough variation and focus on getting the ball to superstars so that it's not easy to stifle them? Will LeBron and Kobe and Dirk and other superstars be a challenge? Or, will it once again be easy to stop them by knowing a few plays they run every time?

Plays branch more, or more often, or something, this year.

- Is it still too easy, every time down the floor, for a human controlled player to get to the basket for a dunk or layup? It's one thing to dissect a D with a young MJ. But any player, in the hands of a human, could score 40+ all on dunks and layups (against the CPU.)

Dunno what game you're playing, but I've never found it any easier than it should be.

- On the same note is there more help and double teaming from the CPU? If Jordan has 30 at half time, will they double team him?

Kobe gets doubled all the time for me.