Although fans of sports video games have watched the choices dwindle dramatically over the years, one of the titles gamers can always count on being available is an NBA game. The options may limited, but no one has done NBA games better than the NBA 2K team. NBA 2K, while not perfect, has been consistent in bringing the most authentic style of NBA hoops to your console and PC for some time. With the release of NBA 2K15, we wanted to take a look at the gameplay additions and tweaks, and see if the newest edition is a slam dunk, or if it hits back-iron as time expires.

One of the first on-court gameplay improvements users will notice in NBA 2k15 is that there are fewer elite players, in fact only four players rated over 90 to be exact. Fans expect to be able to dominate with certain stars, and this was true in previous versions. In previous titles there wasn’t a huge separation or difference with a good NBA player like a Luol Deng, David Lee, or Pau Gasol, versus the truly elite players like a Lebron James, Chris Paul, or Kevin Durant. This year though, one can absolutely feel the difference in power, skill, and ability of those higher rated players, which is very welcomed.

Another improvement just as important(if not more) than the above mentioned, is player movement. Without question NBA 2K14 was a beautiful game to look at, but it’s odd and awkward animation choices at times made for a lot of frustrating gaming moments. For the most part those frustrating animations have been removed, and the overall player movement has been vastly improved. The game and players now move in a much more fluid style, the animations look much more natural and consistent with what one would see in a real game. If one was to put the controller down and let the CPU control both teams, 2K15 looks very natural in motion and mimics what fans would see in a real game on the court.

The NBA 2K series has been panned by critics and OS'ers alike for its unrealistic court spacing and player bunching. It made the game look like it was being playing on a junior-high court, as opposed to a regulation sized NBA court. I am thrilled to report that this issue has been dramatically improved in NBA 2K15. Now players and teams have a true understanding of what action is taking place on the court, and more importantly, act and respond accordingly.

In the same vein as realistic court spacing and player movement, is the approach of play style the game takes this year. Except on the lowest of difficulty levels, it is very apparent the game strongly rewards you for playing the game less like a video game, and more like the teams and players do in real life. Seemingly gone are the days of constant iso moves and plowing your way to the rim, as now the game encourages the users to play within the scheme of the team’s style, and the players ability. While this may not be a welcomed addition to some users, it is a most welcomed improvement for those who enjoy the team concept aspect of the NBA as a whole.

In NBA 2K14 I had a big issue with the passing system that was implemented, and I wasn’t alone in that. The directional passing lacked intelligence, and there was very little “zip” on the ball through its course of travel, which sadly made for a high number of unnecessary turnovers. This looks like an area that 2K has addressed in 2K15, but probably still needs to tweak it a bit more. Icon passing will always be the best method, but directional passing has improved to a degree, and there does seem to be more effort made behind a pass. Regardless of what style of passing you use, you have to be smart about taking care of the ball on each and every possession though, and no amount of tweaking will ever supersede that.

Last but not least I feel the need to address the rebounding. It seemed in 2K14 there was a large discrepancy between the thought and effort the CPU opponents made towards crashing the glass, than my CPU controlled teammates, who seemed more interested in who is the crowd. When I played my first game this year I initially felt like very little was done to eradicate this issue, and I made a strong note of that. As I played further though, I started noticing that maybe it wasn’t so much that my teammates didn’t feel compelled to attack the glass for a rebound, but rather they were doing it based off of where I had positioned my player of choice, to do the same. I found myself rushing the lane with my 6’2” point guard and coming away disappointed that my three defenders underneath couldn’t stop the opponents one player from grabbing the free ball. I finally made a conscious effort to let my CPU teammates do their job(s), and was rewarded with much better rebound numbers, and numbers that matched the teams ability. Aggressive is good when rebounding, but not if its approached with reckless abandonment.

NBA 2K15’s gameplay may not be perfect, but it offers users an extremely authentic experience. Sure, basic tenants of the gameplay are still there and the game feels similar to previous titles, but this year’s version has been tweaked and improved upon enough to make it feel fresh. There are enough improvements and tweaks that even hardcore fans of the series should find legitimate reason to warrant a purchase. In an era in which the competition is extremely limited, 2K has a found a way yet again to push the boundaries and stay innovative with NBA 2K15, even when they didn’t necessarily have to.

What are your thoughts on the gameplay in NBA 2K15?