NBA 2K10 Demo Roundtable
Submitted on: 10/02/2009 by
The NBA 2K10 demo has been out since Tuesday -- at least for Xbox 360 gamers -- and with the release of NBA 2K10 just days away, we felt it was time to roll out some thoughts on the demo.
Christian McLeod: I am loving the implementation of the new turbo system because it adds a new strategic element to the traditional gameplay. You really have to pick and choose the moments when you want to spam the turbo to beat a defender, or else you will exhaust your star players. It may be a small addition to the game, but the difference it makes during gameplay is gigantic.
Also, the new player faces and emotion engine are impressive. There were numerous times during the demo where I was in awe of the nearly photo-realistic players. Based on the demo alone, 2K10 could be the best looking sports game ever.
Jayson Young: The new post game is great, but what impressed me the most were the improvements to the offensive AI. I thought I would have trouble generating offense in the demo because there is no way to call set plays, but your teammates do a tremendous job of posting up and setting screens on their own. Aside from the superhuman recognition that allows CPU ball handlers to find and hit the open man with godlike perception, I was glad to see that the CPU is just as active running its own offense as your AI teammates are on the other end of the court.
Steve Bartlett: I’m coming at this from a bit of a different angle since I have a retail copy. The most impressive addition to the game is the fundamental basketball you are forced into playing. The turbo is not nearly as effective -– you now have to utilize your picks, screens and good ball movement to get a step on the defender and get the blow by. Simple things like quick crossovers with the left stick can also sometimes be enough to gain the edge if your defender is out of position.
Christian McLeod: Everything feels more controlled and polished when compared to 2K9. I know a lot of gamers are going to complain that the game feels sluggish, but the slower pace makes transitional animations and isomotion moves feel much more natural than in previous years. Court spacing also appears to have received a giant facelift and off-ball movement looks improved as well.
I had a good time with 2K9 even though I felt the series was beginning to show its age. But based on the 2K10 demo, I have a renewed sense of excitement as the game looks and feels fresh on the court.
Jayson Young: While the offensive side of the ball received some welcomed tweaks, I still felt helpless on defense -- I've felt helpless since NBA 2K8. For the third year in a row, 2K's computer defenders still refuse to make the correct rotations during help situations, and the AI (whether teammate or foe) is still so bad at defense that it can be driven around or passed through without users even having to think about getting their drives cut off or their passes intercepted. Playing manual defense isn't much better either because computer-controlled assists turn on-ball defense into a battle between yourself and the game's assisted movements, rather than a duel between yourself and the ball handler. That frustration, combined with the limited number of stealing/blocking animations, still makes it more difficult than it should be for human defenders to get their hands on the ball.
Steve Bartlett: Based on NBA 2K9 the gameplay in 2K10 is clearly a step up, but only a hop step. Minor problems have been removed, such as players stopping to receive the ball on a fastbreak and "ghost dunking." And when you try to drive into a crowded lane, the result is either a block, loss of ball control or a miss. I find myself using a variety of layups on the shot stick to finish in the paint since it is more difficult to get a clear lane to the rim. There are also some frame-rate issues on high-up camera angles, which affect the game fairly frequently. Obviously, that is not acceptable.
Christian McLeod: This is going to be a banner year for the 2K series. 2K10 is looking great, the demo plays great, and the incredibly deep game modes and online functionality could lead to some high praise. The My Player and My Crew game modes alone should keep this hardcore hoops gamer busy until the Pistons championship parade in June -- yeah I said it.
If I have one worry, however, it is that 2K's less than stellar online server functionality will once again kill the NBA 2K experience for a number of gamers. Last year's online debacle left a bad taste in many gamers' mouths (mine included), and if the developers can not deliver with 2K10 (especially the My Crew mode), I can see many jumping ship for Live 10.
Simply put, it's great to have two solid basketball titles available for once, but I still think 2K will reign supreme in the McLeod household.
Jayson Young: The offense in 2K10 has been taken to another level, but the defensive system is getting more and more outdated as it continues to go untouched. I've seen nothing in this demo to convince me that NBA 2K10 will not be another paint-fest where players are able to force the ball inside at will (whether by drive or by pass) and light up the score sheet with high shooting percentages. In this demo I can shoot 85 percent in the post with the offensively challenged Dwight Howard and turn a high percentage of my fastbreaks into successful alley oops. So there is little hope in my mind that the retail version will be anything more than a dunk and layup drill when taken online. NBA Live 10 may not have as many shooting animations or as intricate a post game, but it at least appears to have one thing right that NBA 2K10 still can't seem to figure out: gameplay balance.
Steve Bartlett: 2K10’s attention to detail makes this brand of basketball the truest hoops simulation I have played. The signature styles, the offensive sets, the game strategy and the endless animations keep this game spinning in my 360. I spent countless hours in the practice gym just working on my team’s offense, my point guard’s handles and the standard jump shot. It’s simply a blast to perfect the momentum and game physics in this game. The 10th anniversary edition of 2K basketball should be just enough to hold off NBA Live 10, but it still seems as if the door has been left open at least a bit this year.
What is your favorite new addition to the game based upon your playtime with the demo?
Christian McLeod: I am loving the implementation of the new turbo system because it adds a new strategic element to the traditional gameplay. You really have to pick and choose the moments when you want to spam the turbo to beat a defender, or else you will exhaust your star players. It may be a small addition to the game, but the difference it makes during gameplay is gigantic.
Also, the new player faces and emotion engine are impressive. There were numerous times during the demo where I was in awe of the nearly photo-realistic players. Based on the demo alone, 2K10 could be the best looking sports game ever.
Jayson Young: The new post game is great, but what impressed me the most were the improvements to the offensive AI. I thought I would have trouble generating offense in the demo because there is no way to call set plays, but your teammates do a tremendous job of posting up and setting screens on their own. Aside from the superhuman recognition that allows CPU ball handlers to find and hit the open man with godlike perception, I was glad to see that the CPU is just as active running its own offense as your AI teammates are on the other end of the court.
Steve Bartlett: I’m coming at this from a bit of a different angle since I have a retail copy. The most impressive addition to the game is the fundamental basketball you are forced into playing. The turbo is not nearly as effective -– you now have to utilize your picks, screens and good ball movement to get a step on the defender and get the blow by. Simple things like quick crossovers with the left stick can also sometimes be enough to gain the edge if your defender is out of position.
How does the game overall compare to last year based on the demo?
Christian McLeod: Everything feels more controlled and polished when compared to 2K9. I know a lot of gamers are going to complain that the game feels sluggish, but the slower pace makes transitional animations and isomotion moves feel much more natural than in previous years. Court spacing also appears to have received a giant facelift and off-ball movement looks improved as well.
I had a good time with 2K9 even though I felt the series was beginning to show its age. But based on the 2K10 demo, I have a renewed sense of excitement as the game looks and feels fresh on the court.
Jayson Young: While the offensive side of the ball received some welcomed tweaks, I still felt helpless on defense -- I've felt helpless since NBA 2K8. For the third year in a row, 2K's computer defenders still refuse to make the correct rotations during help situations, and the AI (whether teammate or foe) is still so bad at defense that it can be driven around or passed through without users even having to think about getting their drives cut off or their passes intercepted. Playing manual defense isn't much better either because computer-controlled assists turn on-ball defense into a battle between yourself and the game's assisted movements, rather than a duel between yourself and the ball handler. That frustration, combined with the limited number of stealing/blocking animations, still makes it more difficult than it should be for human defenders to get their hands on the ball.
Steve Bartlett: Based on NBA 2K9 the gameplay in 2K10 is clearly a step up, but only a hop step. Minor problems have been removed, such as players stopping to receive the ball on a fastbreak and "ghost dunking." And when you try to drive into a crowded lane, the result is either a block, loss of ball control or a miss. I find myself using a variety of layups on the shot stick to finish in the paint since it is more difficult to get a clear lane to the rim. There are also some frame-rate issues on high-up camera angles, which affect the game fairly frequently. Obviously, that is not acceptable.
Overall, what is your prognosis right now for NBA 2K10?
Christian McLeod: This is going to be a banner year for the 2K series. 2K10 is looking great, the demo plays great, and the incredibly deep game modes and online functionality could lead to some high praise. The My Player and My Crew game modes alone should keep this hardcore hoops gamer busy until the Pistons championship parade in June -- yeah I said it.
If I have one worry, however, it is that 2K's less than stellar online server functionality will once again kill the NBA 2K experience for a number of gamers. Last year's online debacle left a bad taste in many gamers' mouths (mine included), and if the developers can not deliver with 2K10 (especially the My Crew mode), I can see many jumping ship for Live 10.
Simply put, it's great to have two solid basketball titles available for once, but I still think 2K will reign supreme in the McLeod household.
Jayson Young: The offense in 2K10 has been taken to another level, but the defensive system is getting more and more outdated as it continues to go untouched. I've seen nothing in this demo to convince me that NBA 2K10 will not be another paint-fest where players are able to force the ball inside at will (whether by drive or by pass) and light up the score sheet with high shooting percentages. In this demo I can shoot 85 percent in the post with the offensively challenged Dwight Howard and turn a high percentage of my fastbreaks into successful alley oops. So there is little hope in my mind that the retail version will be anything more than a dunk and layup drill when taken online. NBA Live 10 may not have as many shooting animations or as intricate a post game, but it at least appears to have one thing right that NBA 2K10 still can't seem to figure out: gameplay balance.
Steve Bartlett: 2K10’s attention to detail makes this brand of basketball the truest hoops simulation I have played. The signature styles, the offensive sets, the game strategy and the endless animations keep this game spinning in my 360. I spent countless hours in the practice gym just working on my team’s offense, my point guard’s handles and the standard jump shot. It’s simply a blast to perfect the momentum and game physics in this game. The 10th anniversary edition of 2K basketball should be just enough to hold off NBA Live 10, but it still seems as if the door has been left open at least a bit this year.
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