NBA 2K12

I'm a big fan of basketball so by no means I'm rating this game simply because its too hard or complicated. This game isn't that what it is though is broken, unbalanced, and filled with lag. I'm surprised as to how 2ksports could fall so low. I was mixed with 2k10 the lack of defense was just atrocious and the ISO moves were sloppy. Then comes 2k11 one of the best basketball games ever made! It doesn't beat my favorite basketball game, NBA Live 2003, but it definitely comes close. So obviously I am to expect the same from 2k12. However, this is not what I got.

First things first the graphics. Graphics in 2k12 are amazing! They nailed everything at times I actually felt like I was watching Dirk Nowitzki nailing his one legged shots or Kobe Bryant ball hogging all the way to the end. It's astonishing how much they were able to do with the animation of this game. Its not all good and excellent however. For one thing they tried to do to much with the presentation. While the menu is nice and is able to give me a good overview over everything the game has to offer not to mention my progress in certain game modes like my player and association, the in-game presentation isn't. My main complaint is the stupid song and highlights right before a match. It's unnecessary and frankly annoying especially since there are only 2 songs that are actually good. My other complaint is the player of the game. For some reason the highlights at times get messed up and instead of showing a legendary dunk, block, and even steal they just show some weird camera angle pointed at the player's feet.

Moving on. The gameplay is the most important in any video game and I have to say 2k12 nails it... For the first few hours I played at least. I felt that the gameplay is truly disappointing. They were able to improve on a lot of things for example on-ball steals can actually happen now and open fadeaways can actually fall in,but that is pretty much it. They added tons of things that I not only have seen in an NBA game I haven't seen anywhere in my entire life. An example of this is the throw ball animation. I'm sure NBA players will use this whenever they need to but when there is a defender right in front of me I simply don't expect my player to throw the ball on the floor which happens every single time. It's somewhat a pick your poison scenario you either don't use turbo and let the other team set up their defense or you throw the ball in the floor hoping that the ball physics doesn't work and it goes through the body of your defender. Another huge complaint I have with this game is the speed of the players. Where in the world is a center like Kwame Brown able to keep up with D. Rose? This does not happen as much, I'm at least thankful for that, but it's there nevertheless. The last complaint I have with this game is simply the fact that every team plays the same. Why is it that a crappy defender like Steve Nash is able to stop Rondo from penetrating as well as deflect a lot of his passes? Its fundamental things like this that just makes me want to scream whenever I am playing 2k12.

I could go on and on about the flaws of 2k12 but a lot of the other flaws have alternatives. An example would be the ineffective euro step. This could easily be avoided simply by using the hop step instead. At the end of the day different animation same results. By now you must think that 2k12 is a pretty bad game. However, there is one aspect in the game that almost redeems the whole experience at least when I am playing that aspect. That aspect is simply multiplayer; OFFLINE multiplayer. Playing with friends simply take away all of the flaws and CPU bullshit thats part of 2k12. So overall buy it if and only if you have friends to play with. If you're a lonely bastard then don't even bother.