NBA 2K11 Review

[TooGood97]

I agree with BlackRome, in part, on the issue of controls. I played PG in JH, JV, and Varsity levels in school, and can tell you with all certainty, that when the lane opened up in front of me, like Moses parting the Red Sea, I could fly straight to the basket for an easy lay-up. I can't tell you how many times I have seen the defense blow their coverage of the paint, and I immediately go to move straight at the basket, for what should be an easy two points, only to have my player do some weird u-turn maneuver, or hesitate, instead of finishing the play. Then the defense gets time to fill the paint, and my player gets contacted by the D, and the basket is blown. Sometimes it just feels like you are playing in a foot of water.

If Wade has an open lane, he will use his speed, and finish every time. He was called flash for a reason, after all. The were times in the Jordan challenge that I couldn't beat Danny Ainge, because out of nowhere, Jordan lost the ability to size-up his defender, but felt it necessary, without me pushing the LT button, to try to back him down from the three-point line. That happens constantly. There is no benefit to having a speed guy. Basketball is a game of quickness, yet Derrick Rose, at times, handles like a Hummer when attacking the basket. I never had to do a wide turn to make a quick cut. If this game is a realistic interpretation of the NBA, then I chose the wrong Career path. I should quick everything I am doing now, and get to the nearest NBA practice facility, and see if I can walk on.

That animation that forces the bump, and you to bounce off, and turn your back to the guy, while tryin to face him to use a crossover, or cut, is making me want to shelf this game. They did nearly everything right, but there is no way that Steve Blake could keep D Wade in front of him. The controls are sluggish, not always, but an open lane, with a guy like Lebron holding the ball would always result in a quick, easy basket. In 2k11 it isn't the case. You can hold the stick in one direction, and watch the guy zig-zag on his own. It is a little disappointing to see this again this year.

I totally have to agree with Blackrome and RimFro.... the controls on 2k11 get extremely frustrating. I love the game overall, but just cant understand how every player in the game is like a mini "Dennis Rodman" on D every time I want to drive in the lane, they magnitize right in front of my.

Or why whenever I'm in the lane trying to get open, some defender forces me to lock arms with him, taking 10 secs to get free. 2K10 was bad enough, ots worst on 11.

[spankdatazz22]

Re: NBA 2K11 Review

I'm not going to continue going round and round with you on this. And I'm only breaking this down for the benefit of others just to explain myself. We were discussing the review and what we felt the game should be rated.

How can it be better than the Show when you haven't even played the Show?

I've played the demos of The Show, FIFA, and NHL. I've read a lot of impressions, seen the games played, etc. I know next to nothing of the sports, other than baseball. Based on those experiences I've felt pretty sure in saying none of those games, when taking into account gameplay, franchise, depth, features, etc. are as complete an effort as NBA2K11 is. IN MY OPINION. I think the attention to detail expected of each individual in NBA2K(11) - not just in appearance/accessories, but in terms of individuality - how they move or behave is an expectation other games don't have to deal with. I'm talking beyond batting stances or shooting styles. And it's done in realtime, not via cutscenes. I could be wrong, but it was simply my opinion.

As great as The Show is, I've seen many - including an OS head-to-head writeup post patches - that spoke to the game's need to change some of it's mechanics to get rid of the staleness or risk being caught up to by MLB2K. There are many that actually prefer MLB2K's gameplay mechanics and as an experience as a whole. As great as FIFA is and even with it having the advantage of exclusivity, I've read people make the argument PES is close to it in terms of quality. It's not worth even bringing up Madden; everyone knows it's issues. NBA2K isn't challenged in the same way those games are, imo.

How can it be better than the Show when you haven't even played the Show? My point isn't about Madden getting picked on. Why even bring it in to the equation if it wasn't to jumpstart your little crusade? Yes bringing Madden in to it for the reasons you do, is in fact petty and tiring.

you didn't mention the other games until you got called out about Madden. Madden, or the other games have zero to do with the review of 2k.

*sigh* My crusade? smh. As I said, I'm more familar with Madden than the other games. For the umpteenth time, I don't think Madden deserves to be rated highly and don't think it's a dev effort on the level of other top games. And no one was making a big issue of Madden until you made it an issue. Tombsong said the point best; no sense in even addressing this.

How can it be better than the Show when you haven't even played the Show?

I mean really you are complaining because it only got a 9? And that' because you feel it's better than games you haven't even played?[/quote]

I wasn't complaining. I feel 2K11 as a game and 2K's efforts in improving it across the board stands out from whatever any developer has done previously. They established the high bar. I think it'll be what other games/dev efforts are measured to. And I felt the game's score should represent that. It's not a matter of "complaining" about a half point, full point, etc. It's a matter of some way acknowledging it as being an effort beyond what's been done by other devs. That's imo obviously, I could be wrong.

2k11 is a fabulous game, but you're splitting hairs if your issue is the difference between an 9 and a 9.5 especially when it's one persons opinion. I know you aren't arguing this game should be a 10. For as good as it is, it's not perfect.

Again, as someone else said earlier - no game will ever be perfect. Imo ranking a game a 10 isn't saying it's perfect, it's acknowledging it as a singular achievement. GTA IV wasn't perfect. God of War III isn't perfect. But they stand apart as achievements in terms of scale, in comparison to other games of their time, etc. I came into the thread thinking 2K11 deserved a 9.5 (to set it apart from other games rated similarly) but as I thought about it the more I felt it deserved a 10 for being a singular achievement IMO. It's not the run-in-the-mill upgrade of the previous year's game. To me they went way beyond what's expected of most.

I'm done. I shouldn't have allowed you to bait me into some Madden BS and I don't want to sidetrack the thread any further. It's about the review/score

[Armor and Sword]

Groundbreaking.

The Show 2009 was ground breaking no question and 2010 was just polished up more in the presentation on the field department

NHL 2011 is almost perfection

Those 2 games are in the same echelon of NBA2K11 and certainly deserve the same accolades.

And if you have never played these games inside and out you can't just push them aside and say NBA2K11 is better.

Demo's? Impressions? That is not truly playing the game and I would never feel anyones opinion to be credible unless they played the game, all the modes, and really gave it a true test drive.

You don't review games based on demos.

That's nuts.

[Eddie1967]

Re: NBA 2K11 Review

I think the review was fair and at the end of the day it's simply one man's opinion. 9 or 9.5, I don't see a big difference. Giving this game a 10 would mean that it's perfect and it's not. NBA 2K11 does many things well, but one thing that still annoys me is the problem of getting stuck in animations. It's not as bad as last year but it's still there to some degree.

I have to agree that there is no way you can possibly rate a game based on a demo. I will say that NBA 2K11 is the best sports game that I have ever played but I CANNOT call it the greatest sportsgame of all time because I have never played the full versions of NHL 11 and the MLB The Show.

[TombSong]

Re: NBA 2K11 Review

Again thanks for proving my point. Your problem isn't so much 2k's score it's Maddens score. Which means you are complaining about Madden in the wrong thread. Which the same handful of people continuously do then claim to be victims when called on it.

Complaining about Maddens score in a nba2k review thread makes what kind of sense if you are not trying to further the same old tired agenda.

As far as your poorly thought out notion that people who don't agree with me I call out as agenda drivers. Agree with me about what exactly??

You are so fixed on the word madden its eating your brain. Maddens score is used as a reference. I could have said Halo and my point would still be made. Halo gets high scores as a fps. It does not have any kind of cover system like gears of war or Kane and Lynch or mafia 2. It does not have a environment destruction engine like Red faction or kane and lynch or mafia 2. From that perspective its behind the times, but it has a large following and the game ain't garbage so it still gets high scores. The other games may bring more to the table game play wise, but wont get those scores or equal scores through they have a better feature set.

Where in this thread does anyone complain about Madden getting a 9 ? The point trying to be made is, if Madden gets a 9 with the features it released with, How can NBA2k11 with what it has done also get a 9 ? If Madden had the feature set 2K11 has and 2K11 had released with Madden like feature set, I would still ask the same question. How does 2k11 get the same rating as Madden.

So thank YOU for proving my point. You the one with the "agenda." Who are you ? The leader of the Madden defense Squad ?

You got a real bad habit of taking someones post and presenting YOUR interpretation of it as the posters. If your reading comprehension is distorted because the word madden touches you so, maybe you need to put us "agenda" posters on ignore. You can't handle it man.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: NBA 2K11 Review

I think the review was fair and at the end of the day it's simply one man's opinion. 9 or 9.5, I don't see a big difference. Giving this game a 10 would mean that it's perfect and it's not. NBA 2K11 does many things well, but one thing that still annoys me is the problem of getting stuck in animations. It's not as bad as last year but it's still there to some degree.

I have to agree that there is no way you can possibly rate a game based on a demo. I will say that NBA 2K11 is the best sports game that I have ever played but I CANNOT call it the greatest sportsgame of all time because I have never played the full versions of NHL 11 and the MLB The Show.

As far as Baseball games...The Show is the Gold standard IMO. I played MVP 2005 till I went Next Gen and bought The Show 2009. I have never looked back. Just amazing. It captures the most important aspect of video baseball games for me in the pitcher/batter dual. Just incredible. NHL 2011 is a hockey fans dream but what is more impressive is how great it is as just a stand alone game for the casual fan (me). I love this game and I am by no means a hockey expert/die hard. But it plays amazing, is a load of fun and very deep and immersive like both The Show and NBA2K11

My all-time great rankings (and I have played and own all the games we are talking about)

1) MLB The Show 2009
2) NBA 2K11
3) NHL 2011
4) NFL2K5
5) Ch2K2008
6) NCAA 2011
7) FIFA 2009 (never got 2010, 2011 yet)
9) Madden 2005
10) Madden 2011 (yes it is really good offline if you can make it right with sliders, gameplans, and controlling all 32 teams)

[mauro78]

Re: NBA 2K11 Review

I think that 2K11 is great couse Basketball in my opinion is one of the hardest sport to simulate. So it's a 9's ....9.0 or 9.5 as you prefer....

But I'd like to see a little less contact/ force field between players. In other words they just need to work on collisions: If a quick SG/PG goes full speed in transition defenders will have hard time stopping them like in CH 2k8. Many times SG like Wade are stopped by defenders too easily. This is the only problem that I complain about 2K11 gameplay. Also control can be improved even more....but great improvement over 2k10 ^_^... maybe with a patch.....

Aside from this I would rate "The Show" a little higher than 2K11 becouse of athmosphere and authencity that brings. Also Pro Evolution 2011 is outstanding from this point of view, really impressive. 2K is improved but I thibk it's a step down in respect to Show or PES.

But 2k franchise has an huge potential maybe the greatest of all....I can't really imagine what they will bring us with PS4/XBOX 720 hardware....

Hola!

[SongDog33]

A great review for the best sports game of all time,at least till nfl 2k13 comes out that is.

NFL 2K is very much needed. Madden is being allowed to slide with no competitor in its market. We're forced to be consumers in a SELLER's market, when it comes to professional football games. If there was a competing product, (NFL 2K, of course), we as the gamer would be able to choose from two products that we developed with the competing product in mind. This would produce a Better product for us, the consumer. That, my friends, would be a BUYER's market... and that's where we wanna be. For the record, NFL 2K on these NewGen consoles would go H.A.M!!!

[oski]

Really a awsome game having a lot of fun with it.

[Lakers 24 7]

Re: NBA 2K11 Review

I totally have to agree with Blackrome and RimFro.... the controls on 2k11 get extremely frustrating. I love the game overall, but just cant understand how every player in the game is like a mini "Dennis Rodman" on D every time I want to drive in the lane, they magnitize right in front of my.

I agree about the momentum and the controls not being precise. But, surely you guys can't compare HS ball to the NBA. The lanes should close much quicker. You understand if they change the things you guys are talking about the game would just turn into a cheese fest again. It's a sim game, we finally have a legitimate sim product and people are still complaining. Trust me we don't want the inverse again.

[TheGhostAPC]

The greatest sports game of all time.

[Armor and Sword]

Re: NBA 2K11 Review

I agree about the momentum and the controls not being precise. But, surely you guys can't compare HS ball to the NBA. The lanes should close much quicker. You understand if they change the things you guys are talking about the game would just turn into a cheese fest again. It's a sim game, we finally have a legitimate sim product and people are still complaining. Trust me we don't want the inverse again.

YES!!!! We finally do have a sim game and I am so petrified they will patch something and turn into the dunk PIP fest that has plauged all basketball games...and I mean all of them.

Please 2K do not patch the defense and keep this game tight and challenging. The only thing I see are visual aid glitches and according to some Association bugs...do not tune the gameplay....we can do that with the sliders.

This game rocks...don't give in to the culture shocked dunkfest arcade players. They have their own mode...it's called casual.


Please.

In fact I will make sure I do not DL any patch until I see clear evidence that it did not amp up the offense.

The game is bliss. Thank you again 2K for a wonderful early X-mas present.

[bkrich83]

Re: NBA 2K11 Review

Groundbreaking.

The Show 2009 was ground breaking no question and 2010 was just polished up more in the presentation on the field department

NHL 2011 is almost perfection

Those 2 games are in the same echelon of NBA2K11 and certainly deserve the same accolades.

And if you have never played these games inside and out you can't just push them aside and say NBA2K11 is better.

Demo's? Impressions? That is not truly playing the game and I would never feel anyones opinion to be credible unless they played the game, all the modes, and really gave it a true test drive.

You don't review games based on demos.

That's nuts.

100% right on all accounts. Based on a demo. Lol. Opof course he's the same guy whi gave 2k a free pass for their baseball effort.

[bkrich83]

Re: NBA 2K11 Review

You are so fixed on the word madden its eating your brain. Maddens score is used as a reference. I could have said Halo and my point would still be made. Halo gets high scores as a fps. It does not have any kind of cover system like gears of war or Kane and Lynch or mafia 2. It does not have a environment destruction engine like Red faction or kane and lynch or mafia 2. From that perspective its behind the times, but it has a large following and the game ain't garbage so it still gets high scores. The other games may bring more to the table game play wise, but wont get those scores or equal scores through they have a better feature set.

Where in this thread does anyone complain about Madden getting a 9 ? The point trying to be made is, if Madden gets a 9 with the features it released with, How can NBA2k11 with what it has done also get a 9 ? If Madden had the feature set 2K11 has and 2K11 had released with Madden like feature set, I would still ask the same question. How does 2k11 get the same rating as Madden.

So thank YOU for proving my point. You the one with the "agenda." Who are you ? The leader of the Madden defense Squad ?

You got a real bad habit of taking someones post and presenting YOUR interpretation of it as the posters. If your reading comprehension is distorted because the word madden touches you so, maybe you need to put us "agenda" posters on ignore. You can't handle it man.

How exactly did I defend Madden? Its painfully obvious what I posted was beyond your skill level. You simply don't know any better. It's also painfully obvious I hit close to home hence your need to so vehemently deny your agenda.

It's quite obvious the main complaint from you and your fellow militia leaders is the Madden score. Wrong thread ton discuss that.

Not to mention comparing scores of different games based on different sports by different reviewers 3 months apart makes no sense. Other than to complain for the sake of complaining.

[bkrich83]

Re: NBA 2K11 Review

As far as Baseball games...The Show is the Gold standard IMO. I played MVP 2005 till I went Next Gen and bought The Show 2009. I have never looked back. Just amazing. It captures the most important aspect of video baseball games for me in the pitcher/batter dual. Just incredible. NHL 2011 is a hockey fans dream but what is more impressive is how great it is as just a stand alone game for the casual fan (me). I love this game and I am by no means a hockey expert/die hard. But it plays amazing, is a load of fun and very deep and immersive like both The Show and NBA2K11

My all-time great rankings (and I have played and own all the games we are talking about)

1) MLB The Show 2009
2) NBA 2K11
3) NHL 2011
4) NFL2K5
5) Ch2K2008
6) NCAA 2011
7) FIFA 2009 (never got 2010, 2011 yet)
9) Madden 2005
10) Madden 2011 (yes it is really good offline if you can make it right with sliders, gameplans, and controlling all 32 teams)

It's clearly become my favorite basketball game bypassing ch2k8. To me it's a top 5 sports game all time. But I can see no way you could say it's quality clearly separated itself from the Show. IMO like others have said it's still behind the Show but they are definitely in the same ballpark.


I think my list goes something like this.

1. MLB The Show '10
2. Espn 2k5
3. NBA 2k11
4. NCAA 2011
5. NCAA 2004