by Andrew on Thu Aug 22, 2019 1:25 pm
So I've been messing around in 2KU first, since I'm looking at getting back to traditional gameplay this year. I'll get into the MyPLAYER Builder in due course.
The new motion and dribbling systems definitely take some getting used to. They aren't as free as NBA 2K18 and NBA 2K19, which means they're less floaty and players have more weight/better foot planting. At the same time, it's got a bit of the same clunkiness that NBA Live does, which I guess makes sense since they've gone to a similar system. I think it could stand to be more responsive, though it is still better than NBA Live in that regard. Players do feel a step slow, but it could be a case of getting used to the movement. I am pretty used to flying around the court in NBA 2K19, so it's an adjustment. As noted by Da_Czar on Twitter, we do have to change up the way we use Turbo/Sprint this year.
Obviously the scrimmage is on Rookie difficulty, because I was hitting a lot of shots that I don't expect to in proper gameplay on a more suitable difficulty. That's always an issue with demos as it naturally leaves a more positive impression when you can do whatever you like. You feel like a wizard on the sticks, and you get that thrill when you see shots go in and make stops. The scrimmage environment also makes it difficult to see if the "press steal to foul" issue remains from previous years. As it stands, you can see some legacy issues with elbow blocks, players taking ages to chase down the ball for the inbound, warping, and so forth. I wasn't expecting all of that to be cleaned up, though. If you're expecting perfection then you'll be disappointed, but if you're setting the bar at a more realistic level, it's more than acceptable.
I'm liking the off-ball movement. Less standing around from teammates and more getting into position, making good cuts, and trying to get open, without even manually calling plays. That bodes well for the traditional offline experience. Players still get stuck on each other a bit, but it didn't feel as frustrating as in years past. Rebounding feels a little better, but there were a couple of sequences that felt somewhat canned, so I'll reserve final judgement until I've played the demo (and full game) more. It was nice to see the CPU take advantage of loose defense when I was slacking off a bit, and it looks like players such as Curry will rightfully Green shots when left wide open. Again, hard to gauge effectiveness and frequency on Rookie difficulty, but their ability to Green didn't feel too OP and unbalanced. I'm optimistic about that change.
It's going to take some more adjustments to get used to the feel of the game and the proper usage of Turbo/Sprint, but so far, it's promising. Next step is to dive into the MyPLAYER Builder and see how that side of things is this year.