If NBA 2K12 was a movie, its visual effects would have been directed by Michael Bay, the overall plot (read game design) would have come from the creative mind of Stanley Kubrick, and it would have been produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
To merely describe NBA 2K12 as epic is an insult. NBA2K12 is a revelation that annihilates the foundations on which all sporting titles have been built and is the substratum on which all future sporting tiles should be based.
The overly detailed revolution has begun.
Gameplay
Not being a fan of basketball did not deter me from becoming obsessed with trying to shatter the backboard. This game is fantastic to play with friends, online against strangers or even against your AI counterparts.
It is both extremely easy to learn how to play and exceptionally difficult to master, as the subtle moves can only be taught at the frustratingly thorough Training Camp. Once you have mastered the basics you really ease into the gameplay.
Game Modes
There are 10 game modes that can be accessed from the main screen and game mode screen.
The Association Mode: similar to the FIFA franchise’s Manager mode.
Season mode: play a single, fully customisable NBA season.
Playoff mode: the action end of the season mode where you skip the season bit.
NBA Blacktop Mode: a Ghetto mode of sorts where you can take all the stars from the game and match them up in a 5 on 5 outdoors asphalt game.
Training Camp: the most informative and frustrating part of the game. You get shown how to do all the basic and advanced moves by an NBA mentor who is a legend of the sport.
Whilst it teaches you how to pull of some killer moves, it is highly annoying that you can’t skip through some of the training, because if you don’t execute the move perfectly, you’re stuck there until you develop the reflexes of an ecstasy filled blue hedgehog or the patience of a Buddhist monk.
My Player: create a player; very detailed and time consuming.
NBA’s Greatest: this was the best part of the game for me. You get to play as the 15 best NBA super stars of all time, but more importantly, you get to play as them in their authentic attire against authentic opposition. This has been attempted before however, but nowhere near as detailed as it is in NBA2K12.
For example, you’ll experience an authentic black and white broadcast for the 1950’s games with players from the era, and commentators who remark on the actual events on screen.
Visuals
Animation 101; your first scene is always the clip produced last, as it gives you time to put the most shine and pizazz into it. Sadly developer Visual Concepts did not follow this simple formula for NBA2K12 because the intro video animation is a total let down compared to the rest of the game.
The in-game graphics however, are mind blowing. I have never seen such an attention to detail in a sports title.
The crowds are dynamic; if you perform on the court they go ballistic. If you underperform, they go even more ballistic, and if you have two low-level teams playing in a regular match, the stadium is rather empty.
The visuals are even more impressive when you enter the NBA’s Greatest game mode; here whilst playing as the greatest stars in their era, where they reigned supreme, the visuals match up to the time period. A late seventies game is played in a rather grainy and slighty distorted, washed-colour image.
However, when you move into the outdoor arenas, while the player’s court and referees are very detailed, the crowds become flat and generic, which is a slight let down. Still, kudos to Visual Concepts for releasing a sports game where the members of the crowd don’t look like the same cardboard cut outs from FIFA 98.
Audio
I’ve stated throughout this review that the level of detail in NBA2K12 is phenomenal, and once again when it comes to the sound quality, the attention to detail can only be described as revolutionary. From the sneakers skidding across the court, to the grunts that the players make when smashing the ball through the hoop; it will leave any audiophile salivating.
The commentary in this game is other-worldly; not once did it sound like the commentators had Alzheimer’s, Tourettes, or A.D.D – they were always alert, relevant and most importantly in any sports sim, long winded.
I never thought that I would play a sports game where the commentators have not run out of audio loops just before the end of the 2nd half.
One feature that had me ogling at the screen for almost an hour was the Game Wrap Up screen. For the first time ever I was able to watch highlights of every single player that featured in the match. Again I can’t stress enough how detail orientated this game is.
Conclusion
If you have got to this part of the review, I can only assume that you have an appreciation for sports games. Please do yourself a favour and play this game so that you can appreciate how truly monumental it is. Sadly most South African gamers may never play it as our nation is obsessed with rugby, cricket and football.
Sports games have had cardboard cut-out crowds, pathetic commentary and repetitive pointlessness for years, and finally Visual Concepts has stepped up to the plate and not only raised the bar, but shot it into another dimension.
I can only pray that Visual Concepts can be influenced to bring their creative awesomeness to the world of rugby sports simulation.
NBA 2K12 review (Xbox 360) << Comments and views
