- Beck O’Kelly ’22
With the recent release of NBA 2K20, many fans of the game are excited to download and play with their favorite NBA superstars. “I can’t wait to clown on kids in my park,” says SHP Sophomore Kai Lockton. While many are excited about the new features anticipated to be added to this year’s game, some longtime players are skeptical of it not being significantly different from previous iterations, raising the question: is buying what seems to be the same game every year even worth it?
When considering buying the new game, one should look into the new features added this year. The top three additions for this edition include WNBA teams and players, a new story mode produced by Lebron James, and overall improvements in the gameplay. In this year’s release, they have added all 12 WNBA teams, including accurate hair and face scans of the players along with their custom tendencies. The new story mode, produced by Lebron James, features a new storyline for your player to navigate from the depths of Division III ball to the world’s biggest stage.
Moreover, it features many accomplished actors such as Idris Elba and everyone’s favorite shark, Mark Cuban. The improvements in gameplay include upgrades to the motion engine, improved ball handling graphics, and enhanced edits to the AI in offline games. Finally, the fire soundtrack, which includes Drake, Travis Scott, J.Cole, Lil Wayne, Billie Eilish, Juice Wrld, and Post Malone, will keep you pumped all season long, with updates coming throughout the year. Buying the new game allows you to play on the new live servers with all your friends. According to sophomore Aroosh Kumar, there is no question as to whether this game is worth the price tag: “It’s kinda like a tradition. It’s…something you do every year just because everyone else is playing it.”
On the flip side, some believe that the changes coming to 2K20 are not enough reason to shell out upwards of 60 dollars for the game. Many critics call out how 2K adds additional sweat onto the players to make it appear like the graphics are better. Freshman Michael O’Hara believes that “all the 2K games are the exact same. They just copy and paste the content in and then put in new players…they just change the graphics and call it a new game for 60 bucks.” Using the previous version of the game, one can load up the latest real-world rosters and play without having to spend money on a new game.
At the end of the day, the only thing that keeps the community buying it every year is the fact that the servers of previous games are relatively empty, providing a lackluster online experience. It comes down to how you intend to play the game: if you enjoy playing online against other players in modes such as MyCareer and MyTeam, buy it; otherwise, be cautious with your decision. Think before you cop or drop.
Photo from GameStop
