Though some modes have been subtracted, the impact of what has been added fills the void.
Path to Greatness is Stellar
This mode easily trumps the Michael Jordan Challenge from NBA 2K12. Taking control of James’ future is just far more compelling than playing through Jordan’s past. Being able to choose two different paths introduces a role-playing element that really pushes the mode to new heights.
When you begin, you can choose to try and continue the Miami Heat dynasty or leave the team as a free agent after the 2013-14 season. A large part of the fun in this mode is seeing the over-the-top rosters that form in 2K’s take on the future NBA.
In one scenario, LeBron, Dwight Howard and Chris Paul team up in New York. In another, Kobe Bryant retires and then returns to challenge LeBron’s reign, as does Allen Iverson.
Unlike the Jordan Challenge, gamers don’t just control LeBron, a la a My Player experience. You’ll have full control of LeBron’s entire team. You’re also not playing through long, drawn-out seasons that’ll have you losing interest.
Playing only the key games in the regular season and postseason keeps things interesting at a rapid pace.
The mode also has excellent presentation. Each challenge is set up with intriguing narration from LeBron and a guy who sounds like the basketball version of John Facenda. The in-game commentary is relevant to the fictitious world created by the mode, and it adds to the experience.
This is an awesome ride.
My Team Improvements
There were a few issues with matchmaking in My Team in NBA 2K13. It is early, but things seem to have improved. Namely, you’re now able to challenge and play with friends, which is a major addition to the mode.
Adding leaderboards ups the ante on competition. When you can see where you stand amongst others, gamers take things more seriously. This was a smart move that will add to the longevity of My Team.
Last year, gamers could only play My Team through the Road to the Playoffs mode, and it got a little boring after a while for me. Also, if you hadn’t allocated a good percentage of your earned virtual currency (VC) toward your My Team, you weren’t going to be able to compete against the superteams built by My Team lifers.
In NBA 2K14, both of those issues have been addressed. The inclusion of color-coordinated tournaments helps to ensure there is variety and parity, no matter how much time you put into the game.
Tournaments arranged in an ascending order from bronze to gold gives gamers a wide variety of events to compete in. Bronze tournaments will allow only bronze-level players from the crates you purchase with VC. Silver would allow only silver-level players, etc.
The elite stars are sapphire players and can be acquired by simply playing My Team.
Even if you don’t have enough gold players to compete in a gold tournament, you can still try your hand at a bronze or silver tournament. In addition to the variety provided by the different tournament types, each of these competitions can be played offline against the CPU or online against a human opponent.
Giving each tournament specific parameters adds needed direction. If that wasn’t enough, My Team adds even more depth by allowing you to play your favorite team’s real-life schedule with your My Team roster.
Each game on the schedule carries a different VC reward. This is a great way to link the real NBA with your My Team experience and yet another way to earn VC.
If there is any downside to My Team, it lies in customization. In the buildup, we’re told that gamers can customize their teams’ logos, uniforms, etc. This is true to a point. Essentially, you’re able to pick from existing NBA logos and uniforms.
It would have been ideal if gamers could actually design logos and arenas. Earning creation tools in the same manner that you earn existing NBA unis and stadiums would maintain the win/reward concept while allowing gamers to further individualize their teams.
Maybe we’ll get that functionality next year. Still, this is like having a dent in a Rolls Royce. It’s just a small blemish and doesn’t change the fact that with this mode, you’re still rolling with style.
I didn’t get an opportunity to try Crews. Receiving a copy of the game so early didn’t allow me to test the mode out because there was never more than five people online. Assuming there are no major server issues, the pick-up game concept detailed in the video above can be fun.
It is different than the mode many fans grew to love, but that doesn’t mean the new experience will be bad. There is still room for growth in the coming years on the next-generation consoles.
Look for an article revisiting Crew once the servers begin to take on a larger load.
Limited Changes to My Career and Association
My Career is a huge part of the NBA 2K package, but the mode saw little to no changes this year. The creation and ascension of your My Player will take place exactly as it did in NBA 2K13. I was hoping for a few new customization options with this mode, but it wasn’t in the cards.
The good thing is that the gameplay enhancements shine through in this mode as well. Your teammates react smarter and because of the improved collision detection, it is easier and more appealing to make your My Player a center or power forward.
The inside game is more realistic, thus you're not left feeling detached from the action as a big man.
The Association mode is also largely unchanged, with the exception of improvements to free-agent logic from CPU-controlled teams and a more realistic way to handle injuries and recovery.
Players will be forced to play limited minutes upon their return to the lineup while they recover from more serious injuries.
I simulated an entire season and saw much more plausible decisions being made on free agents during the offseason.
What’s Missing?
If you were a fan of the Create a Legend mode, you may be a little disappointed to see that it is no longer included. Essentially, it was My Career without a bulk of the presentation value where you could choose any current player in the NBA to control.
I did play it a bit with NBA 2K13, but there is more than enough variety here to keep me from missing it too much.
