2K’s Mamba Mentality Shines Through

Kobe Bryant became one of the greatest basketball players of all time due to his work ethic and relentless attitude that strove for perfection. That’s why it’s fitting that the late “Black Mamba” is the cover star of NBA 2K24, as this year’s installment focuses on small refinements, the same type of adjustments that made Bryant a force during the entirety of his 20-year career.

Don’t be surprised if you feel a bit of deja vu at first, as this year’s basketball game feels a lot like NBA 2K23 from the get-go. Now, that’s not a bad thing considering how great last year’s game was, but small changes eventually start to shine through as you play more. What’s really impressive is the new animations (which are found on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S), which help make each player look and feel like their real-life counterpart. This is all due to a new technology that 2K calls “ProPlay,” which uses actual NBA footage and is able to then incorporate it into the game. It looks great, and you really get to see more of the player’s personality out on the court.

In fact, the game in general has more of a focus on current-generation systems, which is nice to see. The MyCareer features a new city environment to explore for PS5 and Xbox Series players, although I still don’t love how online and microtransaction-filled the mode has become. It winds up running much more smoothly than last year’s game, which could feel incredibly laggy. These are all solid changes to the already strong base, making it a better experience all around.

There’s not one big feature this year that makes it a must-upgrade, but a bunch of small additions add up in a major way. For example, a nice change to the MyCareer mode is a “GOAT” tier list that you’re trying to climb during your career. It provides a nice sense of progression as you take your character from rookie to an all-time great on the court. Meanwhile, the MyNBA mode adds in an additional era of historical teams and players to use as it adds in 2011 teams under the “LeBron era” and a “lite” variant that simplifies the mode if you just want to focus on playing basketball. This was my favorite mode last year, and it’s great how the series continues to embrace basketball’s rich history while fleshing it out.

Last year saw the great Jordan Challenge mode, and this year it has been lovingly reskinned to fit Kobe Bryant’s career. Called the Mamba Moment mode, it features nice video packages and 7 key career moments of the legend’s great career. Each game has three goals to complete, and you’ll get in-game rewards for doing so. These types of tributes are so fun and provide a different type of experience from just trying to win, which makes it one of my favorite additions.

NBA 2K24 Review: The Final Verdict

NBA 2K24 is another great entry in 2K’s basketball series. Small tweaks to existing modes and further polish to the gameplay make it the best entry yet. 2K has also begun taking more advantage of the current systems, which is great to see, and the game manages to pay proper tribute to cover star Kobe Bryant. Never resting on its laurels, it’s clear that the series has the Mamba mentality to succeed.

SCORE: 8.5/10

As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8.5 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.

Disclosure: The publisher provided a PlayStation 5 copy for our NBA 2K24 review. Reviewed on version 1.002.000.